← Latest briefing

Technology

3D-printed gun creator claims to bypass printer blocking software

Cody Wilson introduced a tool designed to evade New York state's mandated software restrictions on manufacturing firearms.

The short version

  • Cody Wilson claimed to develop a method to bypass mandatory software designed to stop 3D printers from manufacturing firearms.
  • The bypass tool was named "Hochulization" in response to New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who signed a law requiring printer blocking software.
  • The development marks an escalation in ongoing efforts by state regulators to control the spread of 3D-printed ghost guns.

Key facts

  • Cody Wilson claims to have created a tool that bypasses software designed to stop 3D printers from producing firearms.[The Verge]
  • Wilson named the workaround "Hochulization" in reference to New York Governor Kathy Hochul.[The Verge]
  • New York enacted legislation requiring new 3D printers to include software that detects firearm design files.[The Verge]

What remains uncertain

  • The technical efficacy of Wilson's software bypass has not been independently verified.[The Verge]

Sources