Samsung laptops have keylogging rootkits installed at the factory

Roadkillv1 · 31 Mar 2011 at 09:55

samsung are quite firmly saying that this was all due to an antivirus program giving a false positive on the starlogger folder, and that their software is perfectly fine.

who to believe, who to believe...

Rainmaker · 31 Mar 2011 at 09:57

Roadkillv1 said:
samsung are quite firmly saying that this was all due to an antivirus program giving a false positive on the starlogger folder, and that their software is perfectly fine.

who to believe, who to believe...

Well they're saying it ISN'T a starlogger folder, to be accurate. I'm inclined to believe Samsung at this stage - however I'm interested as to how/why the original blog hasn't been amended. According to the guy who first reported this 'story', Samsung are currently investigating and have admitted they put keyloggers on machines to 'monitor' performance and usage.

This is going to get expensive for someone...

Strife212 · 31 Mar 2011 at 09:58

If you go into your windows directory and make an empty folder called SL you will instantly get an antivirus flag from that specific antivirus.

meghatronic · 31 Mar 2011 at 10:25

Strife212 said:
If you go into your windows directory and make an empty folder called SL you will instantly get an antivirus flag from that specific antivirus.

lol

lol

Cosimo · 31 Mar 2011 at 12:42

Roadkillv1 said:
who to believe, who to believe...

No reason not to believe them:

Update 2: Samsung's official Korean language blog, Samsung Tomorrow, has a posted an update calling the findings false. According to Samsung, the confusion arose when the VIPRE security software mistakenly identified Microsoft's Slovene language folder ("SL") as Starlogger, which Sammy was able to recreate from an empty c:\windows\SL folder (see image above). So yeah, move along, it's much ado about nothing -- the R525 and R540 laptops are perfectly safe.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/31/samsung-reportedly-installing-keylogger-software-on-r525-privac/

Sin_Chase · 31 Mar 2011 at 12:57

Even before Samsungs proof of bull I would have never of believed it to be possible quite frankly.

Samsung is a huge corporate entity, something like this should/could not happen with the process they have/should have in place.

Absolutely no way such a company would do this intentionally at the risk of tarnishing their name and alienating a whole user base (Not just in the PC segment)...no chance.

tntcoder · 31 Mar 2011 at 12:57

simulatorman said:
No reason not to believe them:

http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/31/samsung-reportedly-installing-keylogger-software-on-r525-privac/

Lol what a fail, I can't believe the original 'security researcher' didn't do some actual re search before going public. 15 mins of analysis could have confirmed it was a keylogger rather that trusting AV signatures :rolleyes:

Deleted member 77746 · 31 Mar 2011 at 13:07

According to Samsung, the confusion arose when the VIPRE security software mistakenly identified Microsoft's Slovene language folder ("SL") as Starlogger

oh dear...more false positives.

MikeHunt79 · 31 Mar 2011 at 14:19

I feel like I've been trolled...

sanaxe1 · 31 Mar 2011 at 14:23

God damit ive just smashed up my laptop and burnt down my house to destroy the keylogger and it turns out it was a language folder!

Broadie · 31 Mar 2011 at 14:54

sanaxe1 said:
God damit ive just smashed up my laptop and burnt down my house to destroy the keylogger and it turns out it was a language folder!

ROFL!!

steve-h · 31 Mar 2011 at 15:06

http://www.osnews.com/story/24588/Samsung_Keylogger_Claim_Is_Bogus_and_We_Can_Prove_it