Yahoo News Hidden HP laptop software can track everything you type
Hardware manufacturer HP has been found to have a major security flaw in its laptops, dating back to 2012.
The company's devices use Synaptics Touchpad software, and security researcher Michael Myng discovered an exploit in the code while looking for a way to adjust the backlight (via BBC News).
Myng found out that there is an option within the software's code to track everything that is typed on the device, which would include passwords and other sensitive personal information.
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The 'keylogger' is disabled by default, and HP say that it was used for debugging purposes when they were testing the software, and"neither Synaptics nor HP has access to customer data as a result of this issue".
But the danger here is that if a hacker managed to get into your device and activate the keylogger, they could see everything that you are doing.
HP have released updates for the Synaptics Touchpad drivers, along with a list of affected devices, so just look through the list to see if your device is there and if it is, download and install the relevant fix.
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While we're on the subject, let's have a look back through some of the most embarrassing consumer hacks of all time.
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