diff --git a/package/cups/Config.in b/package/cups/Config.in
index ea1f003e49..8e60221469 100644
--- a/package/cups/Config.in
+++ b/package/cups/Config.in
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 config BR2_PACKAGE_CUPS
 	bool "cups"
+	# serious security issues, needs upgrading
+	depends on BR2_DEPRECATED_SINCE_2015_05
 	# needs fork()
 	depends on BR2_USE_MMU
 	help
diff --git a/package/foomatic-filters/Config.in b/package/foomatic-filters/Config.in
index 377566e929..0571eb9467 100644
--- a/package/foomatic-filters/Config.in
+++ b/package/foomatic-filters/Config.in
@@ -1,10 +1,14 @@
 comment "foomatic-filters needs a toolchain w/ threads"
+	# because of cups security issues
+	depends on BR2_DEPRECATED_SINCE_2015_05
 	depends on BR2_PACKAGE_CUPS
 	depends on !BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS
 
 config BR2_PACKAGE_FOOMATIC_FILTERS
 	bool "foomatic_filters"
 	depends on BR2_PACKAGE_CUPS
+	# because of cups security issues
+	depends on BR2_DEPRECATED_SINCE_2015_05
 	depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS # libusb
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_LIBUSB
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_ENSCRIPT
diff --git a/package/gutenprint/Config.in b/package/gutenprint/Config.in
index f93717c7f2..686dbce58e 100644
--- a/package/gutenprint/Config.in
+++ b/package/gutenprint/Config.in
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 config BR2_PACKAGE_GUTENPRINT
 	bool "gutenprint"
+	# because of cups security issues
+	depends on BR2_DEPRECATED_SINCE_2015_05
 	depends on BR2_INSTALL_LIBSTDCPP
 	depends on BR2_PACKAGE_CUPS
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_LIBICONV if !BR2_ENABLE_LOCALE
diff --git a/package/hplip/Config.in b/package/hplip/Config.in
index 756567150d..a8a5f69122 100644
--- a/package/hplip/Config.in
+++ b/package/hplip/Config.in
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 config BR2_PACKAGE_HPLIP
 	bool "hplip"
+	# because of cups security issues
+	depends on BR2_DEPRECATED_SINCE_2015_05
 	depends on BR2_INSTALL_LIBSTDCPP
 	depends on BR2_PACKAGE_CUPS
 	depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS # libusb