Firmware Update Introducing New Authorization Control System

This security update is necessary to enhance the overall security of your printer. By ensuring that all interactions with the hardware—such as moving axes, heating components, or performing other critical actions—are verified and secure, we can minimize risks and prevent potentially dangerous situations. Additionally, over the past year, we've detected an increase in the number of requests made to our cloud services through unofficial channels. These incidents have included significant abnormal traffic patterns and, in some cases, targeted DDoS attacks that have impacted service availability. Our monitoring systems have detected peaks of up to 30 million unauthorized requests per day, creating unnecessary strain on our infrastructure.

One of the key points of this security upgrade lies in the improvement of the network security capabilities on the printer side. The printer's LAN mode is a working mode we defined in which the printer does not connect to the cloud service, and usually only the client software in the same local area network can access the printer. However, please note that even when the printer is in LAN mode, the network environment in which the printer is located may still be connected to the public network, and other malicious software may still be able to remotely access the printer. In addition, other networked devices or software in the local area network may not be secure, such as Trojan horse software or other backdoor software, which may run on computers or handheld devices, or may also run in embedded devices.

In the above two cases, the printer may still be attacked from the outside, or even remotely. 3D printers have complex moving parts and heating elements that pose a high risk if unauthorized people with ill intentions gain access to them. The results of such unauthorized access can be severe and we take safety very seriously. To avoid the printer being in an unknown situation, we uniformly manage the authorization and control of all accesses to avoid potential risks.

Bambu Connect enables integration with third-party software, such as Orca Slicer by using the file transfer method shared in the wiki. Before announcing this change publicly, we shared it with the lead Orca Slicer developer to ensure alignment and collaboration. Moving forward, we remain committed to working closely with them and other partners to facilitate the integration of Connect software, creating a smooth and hassle-free experience for all users. We previously highlighted these upcoming changes in an earlier blog post, where we clarified that we cannot guarantee long-term support for aftermarket software or hardware that interacts with the printer or its heating elements.

Our team is actively working on submitting the integration code for Bambu Connect. Once submitted, it will be up to Orca to decide when and if to incorporate it into the slicer, enhancing the user experience. We anticipate the code will be available on GitHub within the next few days, ready for integration into the Orca codebase.

No, the printer is not locked to a specific email or account. If you forget your email credentials, you can easily sign out directly from the printer's menu and link it to a new account. Alternatively, our customer support team is available to assist you with password recovery if needed.

If you're using Bambu Studio, there will be no impact—everything will continue to function just as it did with previous firmware versions.

OrcaSlicer and similar software are unofficial client applications developed using the open-source Bambu Studio and proprietary network plug-ins. These tools can connect to the printer via the cloud or LAN mode. As part of this security upgrade, we have enhanced the network plug-in's security by verifying the software signatures of callers accessing certain APIs and key printer functions. This means unofficial software will no longer be able to use these restricted APIs or parameters. The restricted functions in this Bambu Studio Network Plugin update include:

• Binding/unbinding the printer
• Initiating a print job
• Controlling printer axis movements
• Performing calibrations

However, other features, such as monitoring printer status (e.g., temperature, position, speed) and LED control, remain accessible. Manual firmware updates using MicroSD card will also continue to be available. Moving forward, unofficial software can explore integration using the updated network plug-in library. For restricted functions like binding/unbinding, printing, and axis control, these can still be executed through Bambu Connect via the URL Scheme method described in the Bambu Connect wiki but in the future, the restrictions might change depending on various security situations or product design evolution. 

After updating to the latest firmware with enhanced security controls, full control of printers via Home Assistant will no longer be possible. While Home Assistant will still be able to access some printer information, certain functionalities will be limited.

It’s important to note that this update is not intended to restrict third-party software use. In fact, we’ve actively collaborated with third-party print farm management software providers in the past and continue to support such partnerships. To further improve the user experience, we are introducing a new software solution that will address these limitations and enhance overall print farm management capabilities.

You may continue using an older firmware version that does not include the new security updates; however, this means the printers may miss out on important security fixes or bug patches included in newer versions. We highly encourage updating to the latest firmware version for the best experience and enhanced security.

If aftermarket accessories, such as Panda Touch, control features like binding/unbinding the printer, initiating print jobs, axis movement, or calibrations, these functions will no longer work. However, other features, such as monitoring printer status (e.g., temperature, position, speed) and LED control, will remain accessible.

In these cases, we cannot guarantee long-term support for unofficial accessories unless they have been approved by us in advance. Once we became aware of the Panda accessories, we communicated these updates to their creators.

That said, we welcome official collaborations with companies interested in developing accessories for Bambu Lab printers, as we have successfully partnered with other companies in the past, including E3D and Slice Engineering.