Keylogger
The keylogger captures a person’s keys on a keyboard. They identify the pressed key and capture the information, usually to send to the person who wants to collect the details. Some authorized, or at least legally uncertain, uses of this technology include parents or employers who want to monitor or observe their child’s online safety to check employees’ internet usage.
However, criminals can also use it to collect personal information. Web-based keyloggers can find ways to get to a site via malware that has been installed in various ways. This includes clicking on a phishing link in an email or infecting with a virus or worm. Security researchers warn that some HP notebooks include a keylogger that can secretly record keystrokes for all users. It was discovered that the keylogger is hidden in an audio driver developed by the manufacturer of the Conexant audio chip. This driver is included and can be downloaded from the HP website and preinstalled on some HP laptops.
The driver recognizes when a key has been pressed to perform a particular task, e.g. For example, turn off the microphone or change the recording level of the computer. Instead, it was discovered that each keystroke was recorded on the keyboard and stored in a text file on the user’s hard drive.
The keylogger has been used on HP notebooks since 2015, and 28 models with Windows 7 through Windows 10 are affected. The technology used by cybercriminals to collect sensitive information has been preinstalled on a number of laptops. Hundreds of laptops sold by HP include keyloggers that let you capture all the input on your device’s keyboard. By default, the keylogger is disabled, but hackers can use it to access private details such as passwords and passwords. HP has created a website where users can see if their laptop is at risk. It is estimated that 475 HP notebooks are affected, including the EliteBook, ProBook, ZBook, Envy and Pavilion versions. The keylogger is used by the Synaptics touchpad software, which controls the touchpad interface and serves to monitor and correct any errors that may be present.
HP has released patches to remove the keylogger (recommended for customers to download the keylogger) through its Web site and Windows Update and a complete list of affected models. MailOnline contacted the company to post a comment, but did not respond at the time of publication. HP acknowledged in its patch notice that the vulnerability could cause a “loss of confidentiality” for affected customers. As a result, neither Synaptics nor HP can access customer data. It’s not the first time that HP laptops include keyloggers. The audio driver uses a keylogger to determine when to press the volume keys on the keyboard. Security researchers have discovered that the features installed in many HP laptops record all keystrokes performed by laptop users.
When the user is press the entire contents of the keyboard, the software records confidential information, and by storing the information in an easily accessible file, the researchers claim that this could expose the user’s password to the attacker, According to the study network security organization Modzero, this feature is not intended to monitor users, but their implementation can record all user input. This means that from the moment a user logs on to Windows on an affected HP laptops, every key he presses is recorded and stored, including the password for entering online banking and the email account, the security company claims that this “poses a high risk for loss of sensitive user input. Users are not aware that every keystroke that occurs when entering sensitive information.
