If the Hackers were not Bad enough - False Alarm

With Apologies to Samsung.

http://antivirus.about.com/b/2011/03/30/samsung-installs-keylogger.htm?nl=1
from JoeUser Forums

A  report out by NetSec Consultants Corp. is reporting that Samsung is installing a hidden keylogger on all their new laptops!  While no official statement has been forthcoming from the company, a support person at the company has confirmed it.

The key logger is invisible to the user and records every keystroke the user(s) makes.  It can then send that information to any email it is set up to work with (or to any email that is hijacked by it).  Keyloggers in a class room (or a marital situation) are one thing.  Perhaps necessary in some cases, the programs are a severe security threat and really bad news!  It can steal all of your credit card information, bank account information, and just about everything that makes you unique (if you do anything on a computer).

I have not bought Samsung laptops in the past.  Given this revelation, I will not be buying any in the future either.  This is one of the biggest blunders a company has done in recent memory.  They have destroyed any trust they may have had with their clientele.

182,257 views 63 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I hope others don't take up that particular habit. I'd really hate to give up my HP lappy. They could easily sneak that in on one of the updates. Nice.

Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top

A hacker is a hacker, even if the hacker's name is "Samsung". That's pretty disgusting.

Offworld Trading Company
Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top

Worse than the Sony rootkit debacle, if true.  I wouldn't buy any Samsung products if this is independently corroborated.  I suspect it is true, but at the moment it is from just one source.

Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I'm sure if other companies were looked at some of the same would be found, they just ain't been caught yet.  :-"

Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Know any good rootkit killer?

Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Giving Sophos a run.

Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I'm running Sophos root-kit. So far it has identifed several unknown hidden files. Some of them from DesktopX widgets 7, ObjectDesktop 1, Raimeter 4, Glary Utilities 1, I stopped the scan for a looksee. Apparently you have to let the scan finish before you view any of the files. I'll resume it or barring that, do another when there is more time.

Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Why?

The only reason I can think of is the government asked them to. Perhaps the South Korean government wanted a way to spy on others. What a stupid move.

taz is now looking, with suspicion, at his Samsung phone

 

Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I have not bought Samsung laptops in the past. Given this revelation, I will not be buying any in the future either.

 

Quoting Daiwa, reply 3
Worse than the Sony rootkit debacle, if true.

and that's way Sony don't get my MONEY any more Now Samsung won't get any More of my MONEY (EDIT IF IT'S TRUE)  EVER  and that's how you tell a company too stick it TAKE your money else where 

Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I got shafted by Samsung, Microsoft and AT&T when I bought a Samsung Focus running Windows Phone 7. The damn thing came with microSDHC support that didn't work. All three companies knew about the problem, but do you think they would warn the consumer? NO! I returned the piece of junk and bought an iPhone 4, but I had to eat the $200 I paid for the microSDHC card because Microsoft activates the security feature which makes the card useless in any other application.

I will never buy another Samsung product!

Reply #13 from Elemental Forums Top

Laptops usually come with a ton of bloatware, seems Samsung are no different. Format, format, format.

Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting tazgecko, reply 12
Samsung denial http://www.samsungtomorrow.com/1071

 

Time for someone to sue the living shit out of someone else.

I would.

Reply #15 from JoeUser Forums Top
NetSec better have very good documentation.
Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Oh my.  :O

Reply #17 from Elemental Forums Top

This same thing happened in 2005 with Dell laptops, where a guy found a hardware keylogger.   That was later "found out" to be a hoax.   You got first a denial, from Dell, followed by an admittance, followed by another denial after it got through their PR department.   With Samsung it looks like it went straight to admitting it, to denial.

I think it's time we hacked into the keyboard drivers to spoof a flood of spurious keyboard events.  It's like a DOS attack for keyloggers.  It may even be a good way to test to see if you have one installed.  If your network traffic spikes when your keyboard traffic spikes, you've got something.

Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting tazgecko, reply 12
Samsung denial http://www.samsungtomorrow.com/1071

 

I believe this more than I believe Samsung would do anything so ...well, stupid.

Quoting Jafo, reply 14

Quoting tazgecko, reply 12Samsung denial http://www.samsungtomorrow.com/1071

 


Time for someone to sue the living shit out of someone else.

I would.

Yep... man, I can smell this "settlement"... time to buy Samsung stock. lol.

 

Reply #19 from WinCustomize Forums Top

No major PC manufacturer would do this, it would be suicide.  What an idiot that person is who accused them of doing so without checking into it further.  If he gets sued, he deserves it.

Reply #20 from WinCustomize Forums Top

The only thing I have that is Samsung is a 250 gig portable drive. NO more Samsung products for this old fart

Reply #21 from Stardock Forums Top

This was identified as a false positive.  Shoddy tech journalism from these sites who published this.

 

Reply #22 from JoeUser Forums Top

Quoting Uvah, reply 1
I hope others don't take up that particular habit. I'd really hate to give up my HP lappy. They could easily sneak that in on one of the updates. Nice.

Given the bad press Samsung is doing, if any others were thinking about it, they are probably thinking twice now.

Quoting DaveRI, reply 2
A hacker is a hacker, even if the hacker's name is "Samsung". That's pretty disgusting.

I think Samsung took the "Hire a hacker" a step too far.

Quoting Daiwa, reply 3
Worse than the Sony rootkit debacle, if true.  I wouldn't buy any Samsung products if this is independently corroborated.  I suspect it is true, but at the moment it is from just one source.

I had forgotten about that one!  Thanks for a timely reminder.

Quoting Philly0381, reply 4
I'm sure if other companies were looked at some of the same would be found, they just ain't been caught yet. 

The company that found it routinely scans computers from different manufacturers.  But unless you scan yours with a good root kit killer, I guess we cannot be sure.

Reply #23 from Elemental Forums Top

I would love to know how SAMSUNG said they do it to collect customer data about your configuration to assist with technical problems, followed by SAMSUNG claiming it was a technical error.  

Reply #24 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Island, reply 21
This was identified as a false positive.  Shoddy tech journalism from these sites who published this.

 

Precisely. Or someone with an axe to grind. Don't let this affect your use of Samsung products. That would be punishing the victim, wouldn't it.

Reply #25 from JoeUser Forums Top

Quoting DrJBHL, reply 6

Quoting Uvah, reply 5Know any good rootkit killer?
Uvah:  http://www.sophos.com/products/free-tools/sophos-anti-rootkit.html

 

As an aside, I wonder if it's on their phones/smart phones as well?

Good find, Dr Guy.

High praise form the Guru of geekdom!  Thanks  And thanks for the link as well.

I guess we have to be vigilant on the phones.  Hopefully this company or another like it is doing the same thing with smart phones.