Vulnerability analysis of desktop 3D printer software

Abstract

3D printing is an emerging manufacturing technology that can produce objects with complex geometries. The aerospace, automotive, and healthcare industries increasingly use this technology to manufacture functional parts. Falling prices for desktop 3D printers are making this technology available to consumers. The widespread adoption of 3D printing technology means it will soon become the target of cyber-attacks. In this paper we analyze to what extent desktop 3D printers are vulnerable to such attacks. The software under scrutiny is open source 3D printer software that is broadly used with desktop 3D printers. Static analysis of the source code, dynamic analysis of the communication between 3D printer and computer, and architecture analysis reveal numerous vulnerabilities that can be exploited.