scanners / copiers of the Xerox WorkCentre Line randomly alter written numbers in pages that are scanned. This is not an OCR problem (as we switched off OCR on purpose), it is a lot worse – patches of the pixel data are randomly replaced in a very subtle and dangerous way: The scanned images look correct at first glance, even though numbers may actually be incorrect. Without a fuss, this may cause scenarios like:
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Incorrect invoices
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Construction plans with incorrect numbers (as will be shown later in the article) even though they look right
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Other incorrect construction plans, for example for bridges (danger of life may be the result!)
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Incorrect metering of medicine, even worse, I think.
The errors are caused by an eight (!) year old bug in widely used WorkCentre and ColorQube scan copier families of the manufacturer Xerox – according to reseller data, hundreds of thousands of those machines are used across the planet. As a result, anyone having used machines of the named families has to ask himself:
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How many incorrect documents (even though they look correct!) did I produce during the last years by scanning with xerox machines? Did I even give them to others?
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What dangers are imposed by such possible document errors? Is there a danger of life for someone?
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Can I be sued for such errors?
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