HP Photosmart turned into a spambot?

[gamerguy2]

Within the last couple weeks my HP Photosmart printer is making "noise" while my computer is in sleep mode. I often hear the printer late at night around 4am suddenly starting up.

I began shutting my pc down at night. The printer still turned on and makes funny noises.

Last night the printer was making a series of clicks with different "menu" items lighting up in a unidentifiable series of lighting on the small LED screen and clicking of internal components. It is connected via printer cable and USB (not network cable). It is capable of faxing, but I have no fax service. The pc was in sleep mode last night not powered down.

It is obvious something is going on with the printer. I use Malware Bytes and a reputable firewall. Both are clean after a scan. Can the bios or operating system for the HP unit be compromised?

Havent tested the unit today as I disconnected it to force it stop "transmitting" last night (early morning).

Anyone else hear of this? I believe it might be a simple spambot hack. Possibly something more clever.

 

[jjsbasmt]

Is this also a "wireless capable printer" and if so, do you have that option turned on, or perhaps do you have this printer "shared" on a home network or anything similar?

 

[gamerguy2]

It could be a surge suppresor problem. I had the power on the printer unplugged. But sure as anything the clicking started around 4am and then I noticed the advanced surge suppresor going on and off with the lights on it going up and down. The pc and all other items attached to this bar were unaffected the pc was in sleep mode and was not powered down this morning or any other morning. I also think the modem and router and lights ( that are also connected to the surge suppressor) are completely unaffected by the surge suppresor "problem". The pc is not using the cable or phone or ethernet jacks imbedded in the surge suppresor.