Chinese computer maker Lenovo has come under fire from security experts after it allegedly shipped laptops with adware that hijacks secure website connections and inserts ads into search results.
The adware, known as Superfish, was pre-loaded onto "a select number" of Lenovo's consumer Windows devices, the company confirmed. The issue only came to light last June, when users began complaining in Lenovo's forums in September.
Some users claimed that the adware used fake, self-signed root certificates (which are used to verify that you are connecting to who you think you are) to intercept data over secure web connections and inject advertisements into sessions.
This kind of adware is widely regarded in the industry as a form of malware because of the way it interacts with a user's laptop or PC.
"A blatant man-in-the-middle attack malware breaking privacy laws,"wrote one user on Lenovo's forum "I have requested return of the laptop and refund as I find it unbelievable that manufacturer as Lenovo would facilitate such applications pre-bundled with new laptops.
No comments:
Post a Comment