BREAKING NEWS: HP Exposed Loading Key Logger Spy Software, on All Notebooks Since 2012
Retailers who sell Hewlett Packard Computers are today expecting a backlash from customers after it was revealed that HP notebooks can record every letter typed on a computer keyboard in a massive breach of consumer privacy.
Apparently, the software comes pre installed on tens of thousands of the Companies notebooks including 460 different models such as their EliteBook, ProBook, Pavilion and Envy models. The Company has been loading the software since 2012.
The hidden software that can record every letter typed on a computer keyboard has been described as a massive intrusion of consumer privacy.
At this stage it’s not known whether the Company has been supplying information to Police Forces or Security Organisations.
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”.
The Company said that they have issued a software patch for its customers to remove the keylogger.
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In a statement, the company said: “HP uses Synaptics’ touchpads in some of its mobile PCs and has worked with Synaptics to provide fixes to their error for impacted HP systems, available via the security bulletin on HP.com.”
‘Loss of confidentiality’
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.
In May, a similar keylogger was discovered in the audio drivers pre-installed on several HP laptop models.
At the time, the company said the keylogger code had been mistakenly added to the software.
