Samsung caught selling new computers with a keylogger (update: it was a false positive)

Matthew DeCarlo

Matthew DeCarlo

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Update: Samsung has issued a statement via its Samsung Tomorrow blog denying that its notebooks are shipping with any kind of keylogger software. It's been concluded that Vipre Antivirus was reporting a false positive on the folder C:\WINDOWS\SL, which corresponds to the Slovenian language directory for Windows Live. This same directory path is used by the StarLogger keylogger. We apologize for reporting this false information, although the original source had a Samsung technical supervisor confirming that the computers were shipping with logging software for performance monitoring purposes. Samsung has further stated that they launched an internal investigation as soon as the Network World report was brought to their attention. The original story is below.

If you own a computer manufactured by Samsung, you should run a scan with your preferred antivirus software immediately. According to a two-part report published by Network World, researcher Mohamed Hassan discovered that the company's 15.6-inch R525 and R540 notebooks ship with a commercial keylogger.

Called StarLogger, the software launches with Windows and runs in the background, making it tricky to detect without some form of antimalware program. StarLogger can record every keystroke made on the system and it's also capable of taking screenshots. That data is emailed to an address specified by the installer (I.e. Samsung).

After initially denying the claims, Samsung admitted to installing StarLogger on new computers to gather customer usage data -- without consent, mind you. It's unclear exactly what data StarLogger is collecting, but a Samsung supervisor said it's used to "monitor the performance of the machine and to find out how it is being used."


Besides that tidbit, the company has been incredibly quiet about the matter. Network World contacted three Samsung public relations offers for a comment, but none of them replied after a week. Likewise, other publications have sought a response from Samsung, but the company appears to be ignoring emails and phone calls.

In 2005, Sony BMG Music Entertainment sold music CDs with a copy protection scheme that installed rootkit software on computers. Customers were furious when they found out and quickly filed a class-action suit forcing Sony to recall 4.7 million CDs and pay $575 million in damages -- undoubtedly more than it gained by using the DRM.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/43063-samsung-caught-selling-new-computers-with-a-keylogger-update-it-was-a-false-positive.html

 
"to find out how the computer is being used?"

So basically when some poor samsung customer is fapping away on his samsung lappy, suddenly samsung have a picture of it? What about when they're browsing facebook? All of a sudden samsung have birthdays, friends names, phone numbers...

**** off samsung.
 
Emin3nce said:
"to find out how the computer is being used?"

So basically when some poor samsung customer is fapping away on his samsung lappy, suddenly samsung have a picture of it? What about when they're browsing facebook? All of a sudden samsung have birthdays, friends names, phone numbers...

**** off samsung.
Click to expand...

It's a keylogger; it can only see what you're typing. However, I'm worried about people's online banking accounts and their passwords sitting there in some Samsung database.
 
Nima304 said:
Emin3nce said:
"to find out how the computer is being used?"

So basically when some poor samsung customer is fapping away on his samsung lappy, suddenly samsung have a picture of it? What about when they're browsing facebook? All of a sudden samsung have birthdays, friends names, phone numbers...

**** off samsung.
Click to expand...

It's a keylogger; it can only see what you're typing. However, I'm worried about people's online banking accounts and their passwords sitting there in some Samsung database.
Click to expand...
StarLogger can record every keystroke made on the system and it's also capable of taking screenshots.
read more carefully
 
wow, i feel abit more insecure by this,

Just think about other manufacturers whos doing the same thing with out our consent.

Abit freaky....
 
i'm going to reconsider buying Samsung products. i don't care if there not laptops. this is absurd!
 
this makes Sony's rootkit look like a minor nuisance.

i say 2 or 3 billion would be an appropriate reminder for Samsung.
 
This is why you should immediately format any new computer and install the software yourself. God knows what else these manufacturers put in these machines.
 
These companies think they can pull this bullshit back and forth and pretend it's all fine and dandy like we should be used to it.

**** off, Samsung. And any other company who thinks we're stupid sheep forced to buy their crap.
 
How can you tell if your gaming console is not 'equiped' with a keylogger to snoop on hackers or would be hackers. With all the firmware updates they occasionaly get, it's easy to add one. Plus you can't run anti-malware on a console to find-out.....
 
I have that lappy!! The R540, I havnt had it long. Good thing the hard drive broke from a 2 foot fall off my bed and I installed a new drive.
 
I wonder if they thought that no one would notice o.o.
EDIT: You know what, I feel that there is no way they thought they could have gotten away with this.
Wonder what they did.
 
I always make clean installs on new notebook/pc/netbook... lets leave it at computer, nothing ever works as good as you want when someone else has put their hands on YOUR computer and you avoid this kind of crap.

Hope Samsung gets their *** sued for so much that they have to sell.
 
I've always thought of Samsung as cheap and low quality.... Now I know why. This is one of the stupidest things that they could have done. It would surprise me if a few people were fired in the next week or two. Someone above also made a good point about consoles. There is much less to lose, but still its your privacy being invaded.
 
They will receive a lot of **** as they should for this.

I think they under thought what keyloggers were generally used for, and not for "Their purpose".

Man oh man are people stupid.
 
Something doesn't seem right with this story....

The keylogger isn't cleverly hidden and would be picked up by security software, and I also don't think you can take the "confession" of a samsung support supervisor to be gospel truth.

Why hasn't this been found on computers across the world rather than two computers (2) owned by the same person...who also happens to run a security consulting business?

Where is the proof it came from Samsung, or the flipside, Where is the proof he didn't do it, or put on somewhere in the distribution process.

Where are the screenshots showing identical install dates for the OS and the keylogger?

I'm sure more info will come out but this seems very flaky to me.
 
Guest@09:16 PM "Where is the proof it came from Samsung"

"After initially denying the claims, Samsung admitted to installing StarLogger on new computers..."

That part sounds like a confession.. If they were sure it wasn't their fault, they'd have defended themselves and launched a counter-offensive to prove it was someone else or have launched an internal investigation in case it had been something within the company but not approved of by the company (ie: someone broke the rules). Probably cheaper to admit it and play innocent/naive than to launch investigation or risk independent audit. Just my speculations though, you may have a different perspective..
 
That does it!! I am a hbig fan of Samsung but now they can go stuff themselves when it comes to pc's. from now on, I wil have much less trust in them, dude you are right, these pc makers really think we are stupid dam anamals!!!! what a disappointment!
 
aaaand that's why I"m happy that I do clean installs on new computers, kind of a shame, I was really digging their latest series 9 laptops, but stuff like this would keep me from supporting a company that makes stupid fkn decisions...a keylogger, Really?? lolz
 
Never again will I purchase a Samsung product, TV or anything else. This is criminal.
 
so since keyloggers are pretty much hidden, how do i check for it? running processes? installed programs? or active connections? this is very bad news for Samsung, but they deserve it if they really did it.

-edit: cnet shows how to remove starlogger if you have one.
 
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