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Published: December 11, 2017 | Source: zwclose | Author: Mark Campbell

A Keylogger has been discovered on hundreds of HP PCs

A Keylogger has been discovered on hundreds of HP PCs

A Keylogger has been discovered on hundreds of HP PCs

It has been discovered that some HP notebooks contain a hidden keylogger within the device’s Synaptics Touchpad drivers. By default, this “feature” is disabled, though it does present an opportunity for hackers to enable the keylogger and record a user’s keystrokes. 

This hidden keylogger was discovered by a security researcher called Michael Myng, who is known as ZwClose online, while he was looking for a method to control his notebook’s backlit keyboard. This was when the researcher stumbled onto what appeared to be a “format string for a keylogger”. If enabled this keylogger could track every keystroke from the moment the OC is booted. 

HP has now issued a software patch that removed the keylogger on affected systems, stating that the keylogger was built into Synaptics software to solve debug error. HP has stated that neither themselves of Synaptics had “access to any customer data as a result of the incident”.  

A Keylogger has been discovered on hundreds of HP PCs

HP has created a list of devices that are known to have shipped with this keylogger with links to patches that will remove the potential exploit. This list can be viewed here. 

You can join the discussion on the keylogger that was discovered in hundreds of HP notebook models on the OC3D Forums. 

A Keylogger has been discovered on hundreds of HP PCs

A Keylogger has been discovered on hundreds of HP PCs

It has been discovered that some HP notebooks contain a hidden keylogger within the device’s Synaptics Touchpad drivers. By default, this “feature” is disabled, though it does present an opportunity for hackers to enable the keylogger and record a user’s keystrokes. 

This hidden keylogger was discovered by a security researcher called Michael Myng, who is known as ZwClose online, while he was looking for a method to control his notebook’s backlit keyboard. This was when the researcher stumbled onto what appeared to be a “format string for a keylogger”. If enabled this keylogger could track every keystroke from the moment the OC is booted. 

HP has now issued a software patch that removed the keylogger on affected systems, stating that the keylogger was built into Synaptics software to solve debug error. HP has stated that neither themselves of Synaptics had “access to any customer data as a result of the incident”.  

A Keylogger has been discovered on hundreds of HP PCs

HP has created a list of devices that are known to have shipped with this keylogger with links to patches that will remove the potential exploit. This list can be viewed here. 

You can join the discussion on the keylogger that was discovered in hundreds of HP notebook models on the OC3D Forums. 

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