Lenovo Issues Apology Over Use of Superfish Adware
The PC and server manufacturer says software will be removed from future hardware releases.
February 23, 2015 at 07:03 PM
2 minute read
On Feb. 19 news broke that PC-maker Lenovo, preloaded consumer laptops with adware that compromised the security of its users. The computers in question came with “Superfish” software, which reportedly opened security vulnerabilities by giving itself permission to alter the way the computers connected and also reportedly funneled risqué ads to users.
Following public outcry over Superfish, and the threat of several lawsuits, Lenovo has issued an apology for its use of the software. In a statement from the desk of chief technology officer Peter Hortensius, Lenovo said, “Beginning in September 2014, we made a decision to ship some of our consumer notebooks with Superfish. This software frustrated some users without adding value to the experience so we were in the process of removing it from our preloads. Then, we saw published reports about security vulnerability created by this software and have taken immediate action to remove it. “
In addition to stopping the preloads of the software, Lenovo partners at Web-security firms like Symantec Corp. and McAfee Inc. have implemented fixes that will automatically deactivate Superfish once the antivirus software has been updated. The company hopes that these efforts will remove any lingering possibility of exploitable security gaps left by the software.
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
Trending Stories
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250