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HP Laptops Found To Have Hidden Keylogger (bbc.com)

Posted by msmash on from the you-have-been-warned dept.

Hidden software that can record every letter typed on a computer keyboard has been discovered pre-installed on hundreds of HP laptop models, BBC reported on Monday citing the findings of a security researcher. From the report: Security researcher Michael Myng found the keylogging code in software drivers preinstalled on HP laptops to make the keyboard work. HP said more than 460 models of laptop were affected by the "potential security vulnerability." It has issued a software patch for its customers to remove the keylogger. The issue affects laptops in the EliteBook, ProBook, Pavilion and Envy ranges, among others. HP has issued a full list of affected devices, dating back to 2012. Mr Myng discovered the keylogger while inspecting Synaptics Touchpad software, to figure out how to control the keyboard backlight on an HP laptop. He said the keylogger was disabled by default, but an attacker with access to the computer could have enabled it to record what a user was typing. According to HP, it was originally built into the Synaptics software to help debug errors. It acknowledged that could lead to "loss of confidentiality" but it said neither Synaptics nor HP had access to customer data as a result of the flaw.

4 of 116 comments (clear)

  1. Re:repost? by KiloByte · · Score: 4, Informative

    isnt this a repost from May

    Nope, this is a second keylogger. The one from May was in audio driver, this one is in the keyboard driver. Mentioned in the article -- have you read it before responding?

    --
    The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
  2. Re:See, they did not leak any data. by rmdingler · · Score: 4, Informative

    In case anyone else is curious: It's Pentalobular though, not to place too fine a penta-pedant on it.

    --
    Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

    Ernest Hemingway

  3. Same "accident" twice? by Holi · · Score: 4, Informative

    Sorry but how the hell do you allow this to happen twice?

    http://www.zdnet.com/article/k...

    Maybe it's time for law enforcement to get involved.

    --
    Sorry, teleporters just kill you and then make a copy. A perfect, soul-less copy.
  4. Re:Isn't this old news? by Desler · · Score: 3, Informative

    Because this is about a different driver having a keylogger. So, no, it’s not old news.