SMRTR Science & EngineeringApr 9, 2025Scientific American

This More Than 380-Year-Old Trick Can Crack Some Modern Encryption

SMRTR summary

A security flaw in some printer encryption systems was discovered by researcher Hanno Böck, exploiting weaknesses in RSA cryptography. The vulnerability, based on 17th-century mathematician Pierre de Fermat's work, allowed potential interception of confidential documents sent to printers over networks. Companies have since issued fixes, but the discovery highlights ongoing challenges in encryption security.

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