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B2236 FirmwareOperating system · Lexmark

CVE-2021-44737

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-01-20
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
93/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
PJL directory traversal vulnerability in Lexmark devices through 2021-12-07 that can be leveraged to overwrite internal configuration files.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

A Printer Job Language (PJL) directory traversal vulnerability in Lexmark devices allows attackers to navigate outside the intended directory and overwrite internal configuration files, potentially modifying device settings, credentials, or enabling further exploitation.

MitigationApply available firmware updates from Lexmark and restrict network access to printer devices to trusted users only.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
B2236 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< mslsg.076.294
Mb2236 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< mxlsg.076.294
Ms431 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< mslbd.076.294
Ms331 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< mslbd.076.294
M1342 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< mslbd.076.294
B3442 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< mslbd.076.294
B3340 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< mslbd.076.294
Xm1342 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< mslbd.076.294

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Adjacent
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the Lexmark device model
    Access the device web interface or check the physical label to confirm the exact model number (e.g., B2236, Mb2236, Ms431, Ms331, M1342, B3442, B3340, Xm1342)
    Affected if The device model is NOT one of the eight affected models listed in the CVE (B2236, Mb2236, Ms431, Ms331, M1342, B3442, B3340, Xm1342)
  2. Retrieve the firmware version
    Log into the Lexmark embedded web server (EWS) via HTTP/HTTPS, navigate to 'Reports' > 'Device Information' or check the 'General' settings page to view the firmware version string
    Affected if The installed firmware version is equal to or higher than the threshold: mslsg.076.294 (for B2236/Mb2236) or mslbd.076.294 (for all other listed models)
  3. Compare against affected version ranges
    Match your device model to its corresponding version threshold and verify whether the installed version falls below: B2236/Mb2236 < mslsg.076.294; Ms431/Ms331/M1342/B3442/B3340/Xm1342 < mslbd.076.294
    Affected if The installed firmware version is below the specified threshold for your exact model, indicating you are running a vulnerable version
  4. Verify PJL service accessibility
    Check if port 9100 (default PJL port) is open and reachable on the device by running 'nc -zv <device-ip> 9100' or scanning the device with nmap
    Affected if The PJL service (port 9100) is exposed to untrusted networks and the device model and firmware version match the vulnerable criteria

You are affected if your device is one of the eight listed Lexmark models running firmware below the specified thresholds AND the PJL service is network-accessible.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply available firmware updates from Lexmark and restrict network access to printer devices to trusted users only.

Recommended fix High confidence

Firmware mslsg.076.294 or higher (B2236); mxlsg.076.294 or higher (Mb2236); mslbd.076.294 or higher (Ms431, Ms331, M1342, B3442, B3340, Xm1342)

  1. 1. Identify the exact Lexmark model number from the affected list (B2236, Mb2236, Ms431, Ms331, M1342, B3442, B3340, or Xm1342)
  2. 2. Check the current firmware version on the device through the embedded web server or device status page
  3. 3. Navigate to the official Lexmark support site at support.lexmark.com
  4. 4. Locate the firmware download section for the specific model
  5. 5. Download the fixed firmware version: mslsg.076.294 or higher for B2236; mxlsg.076.294 or higher for Mb2236; mslbd.076.294 or higher for Ms431, Ms331, M1342, B3442, B3340, and Xm1342
  6. 6. Upload and apply the firmware update through the device's firmware update utility or web interface
  7. 7. Verify the firmware version after update to confirm the patch was applied successfully
Caveat Firmware updates may temporarily interrupt printer availability; ensure proper backup of printer configuration if needed

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in B2236 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,690
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-44737 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data