Vulnerable Pre-Loaded BIOS in Laptops

If you just bought a new laptop, the chances are, there is a rootkit in the BIOS of your recently acquired computer that is vulnerable to hackers. Computrace LoJack for Laptops is installed in close to over 60% of laptops manufactured by big names like HP, Lenovo, Dell, Asus, Toshiba, Gateway, and Panasonic.

LoJack for Laptops is a security device that enables computer owners to erase important data or locate laptops in the event of theft. According to researchers from Core Security Technologies, Alfredo Ortega and Annibal Sacco, this BIOS agent that resides in BIOS of laptops is vulnerable to attack. This rootkit, when attacked by malicious hackers, compromises the security of the laptop. Researchers working on BIOS-based software discovered the security threat.

The Computrace LoJack for Laptops works by calling home to a central authority in the event of laptop theft. The central authority then instructs the device to erase all data in the computer or trace the location of the system. This is a good idea unless it gets into the wrong hands. In the case where this goes wrong, it sounds like the tale of the thief policing the police!