Ars: SSL-Busting Code That Threatened Lenovo Users Found In a Dozen More Apps

Ars Technica reports on the continuing revelations about the same junkware that Lenovo has shipped on their computers, but which is known now to be present in at least 14 pieces of software. The list of software known to use the same HTTPS-breaking technology recently found preinstalled on Lenovo laptops has risen dramatically with the discovery of at least 12 new titles, including one that's categorized as a malicious trojan by a major antivirus provider. ... What all these applications have in common is that they make people less secure through their use of an easily obtained root CA [certificate authority], they provide little information about the risks of the technology, and in some cases they are difficult to remove," Matt Richard, a threats researcher on the Facebook security team, wrote in Friday's post. "Furthermore, it is likely that these intercepting SSL proxies won't keep up with the HTTPS features in browsers (e.g., certificate pinning and forward secrecy), meaning they could potentially expose private data to network attackers. Some of these deficiencies can be detected by antivirus products as malware or adware, though from our research, detection successes are sporadic."

Comments

List 'em in the summary, slashdot.

[Anonymous Coward]

List 'em in the summary, slashdot.

Re:List 'em in the summary, slashdot.

[DarkOx]

        CartCrunch Israel LTD
        WiredTools LTD
        Say Media Group LTD
        Over the Rainbow Tech
        System Alerts
        ArcadeGiant
        Objectify Media Inc
        Catalytix Web Services
        OptimizerMonitor

Legality

[BitZtream]

I'm fairly certain just installing this software is illegal.

Its not protected by some EULA because the device is sold before the EULA can be read, which courts have already ruled invalidates the EULA.

It violates the same laws that were used to put Kevin Mitnick in jail (and lets be clear, he deserved it), unauthorized access to a computer system and unauthorized access to data flowing across a network.

Hang'em high, I say. Bring Lenovo's leaders out to the chopping block, as well as the leadership of the companies who made any other software that works like this. Its a scam from the very beginning, theres no 'well, maybe its not bad' or 'maybe it was an accident' to it. This is outright bullshit behavior by companies trying to sell a product to someone and then turn that someone into the product for someone else. The entire legal system AND THE PUBLIC need to come down on this like a ton of bricks and make it clear that its unacceptable and will not be tolerated. And by not tolerated I mean 'you will be jailed, not fined'.