[Infowarrior] - Why are there keyloggers on Samsung laptops?

[Richard Forno]

March 30, 2011 1:52 PM PDT
Why are there keyloggers on Samsung laptops?

by Elinor Mills

http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20048896-245.html

A security researcher says he discovered keylogging software installed on two brand-new Samsung laptops that could be used to monitor all activities on the computer remotely.

Mohamed Hassan, founder of NetSec Consulting, discovered StarLogger software on Samsung laptops with model numbers R525 and 540 after running security scanning software on the systems after he bought them last month, he writes in a guest column in Network World posted today.

Windows-based StarLogger starts up when the computer is turned on, records all keystrokes made on the computer, can be difficult to detect, and can be set to periodically send surreptitious e-mails with information gleaned from the computer to a predetermined e-mail address, with screen capture images attached.

When Hassan called and logged an incident report with Samsung on March 1, support personnel initially denied that keylogging software was on Samsung laptops and then referred him to Microsoft, saying "all Samsung did was manufacture the hardware," he writes. Eventually, a supervisor got on the phone and confirmed that Samsung put the software on the laptop to monitor machine performance "and to find out how it is being used."

"In other words, Samsung wanted to gather usage data without obtaining consent from laptop owners," Hassan wrote.

He said he contacted three public relations representatives at Samsung for comment and went public with the matter after they failed to reply after one week.

Samsung representatives did not immediately respond to a phone call and e-mail from CNET seeking comment this morning.

The incident could incur the wrath of customers similar to the backlash that occurred after Sony BMG Music Entertainment sold copy-protected compact discs that installed so-called rootkit software hidden inside computers in 2005. Sony was forced to recall 4.7 million of the discs.

Updated 2:44 p.m. PT CNET Reviews could not find the keylogger on a Samsung Series 9 laptop.