Canon Printers Under Attack and Windows Is Killing Your Printer Drivers

January 2026 brought two major developments that affect practically every small business with a printer. One is an immediate security threat. The other is a slow-motion deadline that could leave your printers useless if you don't prepare.

Critical Canon Printer Vulnerability: CVE-2025-14237

Severity: 9.8 out of 10 (Critical)

On January 16, 2026, a critical buffer overflow vulnerability was disclosed in Canon printers. Here's why you should care:

• No authentication needed — an attacker on your network can exploit this without any credentials
• Remote code execution — they can potentially take complete control of the printer
• Or just crash it — denial of service is the minimum impact

Affected Models

• Canon Color imageCLASS LBP630C Series
• Canon Color imageCLASS MF650C Series
• Canon imageCLASS LBP230 Series
• Several Canon imageCLASS X models
• All running firmware version 06.02 or earlier

What to Do RIGHT NOW

1. Check your Canon printer model against the affected list on Canon's advisory page
2. Update firmware immediately — Canon has released patches
3. If you can't update, isolate the printer on its own network segment
4. Change the admin password if you haven't already (the default is usually blank or "admin")

Why This Matters

An attacker doesn't need to be a master hacker to exploit this. They just need to be on your network — which could happen through a compromised laptop, a guest WiFi that isn't properly segmented, or any other device that's been breached.

Once they control your printer, they can: - Intercept every document that gets printed or scanned - Use the printer as a pivot point to attack other devices on your network - Modify printed documents (imagine invoices with changed bank account numbers) - Exfiltrate data through the printer's email and network capabilities

Windows Is Phasing Out Your Printer Drivers

Starting January 15, 2026, Microsoft stopped approving new V3 and V4 printer drivers for Windows 11 and Windows Server 2025. Here's the timeline:

Update (September 30, 2026): The July 2026 change has now taken effect. See Windows Ready Print Is Here: What Changed and What to Check.

What This Means in Plain English

Your current printer drivers will keep working. But:

1. New printers may not get traditional Windows drivers — you'll use the generic IPP driver instead
2. The IPP driver is good but basic — you might lose advanced features like specific paper tray selection, specialty print modes, or detailed job accounting
3. Older printers that rely on V3 drivers and don't support IPP may eventually lose compatibility with new Windows updates

What to Do

Short term (now): - Make sure your current printer drivers are up to date - Check if your printer supports IPP (most printers made after 2015 do)

Medium term (before July 2026): - Test your printers with the IPP driver to see if you lose any critical features - Contact your printer manufacturer for their IPP compatibility timeline

Long term (planning next purchase): - Prioritize printers with strong IPP support - Avoid budget printers from no-name brands that may not maintain driver support

If navigating printer driver compatibility sounds like a headache, that's because it is. This is exactly the kind of technical assessment that Wisetechy Solutions helps businesses handle — ensuring your technology transitions don't disrupt operations.

January 2026 Patch Tuesday: 114 Flaws Fixed

While we're talking about updates, Microsoft's January 2026 Patch Tuesday fixed 114 vulnerabilities, including:

• 3 zero-day vulnerabilities (one actively exploited)
• Critical Office RCE bugs that can be triggered just by viewing a malicious email in the Preview Pane
• Windows Secure Boot bypass

If your print server runs Windows (most do), these patches are critical. An unpatched print server is an open door into your network.

---

Not sure if your printers are vulnerable? Valley Printer Pros offers security assessments for San Fernando Valley businesses. We'll check your firmware versions, driver status, network segmentation, and overall printer security posture.

Call us at (818) 574-8240 — we respond within 2 hours during business days.

---

Sources: Canon U.S.A. Security Advisory, Microsoft Printer Driver End-of-Servicing Plan, Tom's Hardware, Petri IT Knowledgebase, BleepingComputer