Security reseachers: update-software from Asus, Acer, Dell, Lenovo and HP contain many security issues

The update-software that Asus, Acer, Dell, Lenovo and HP install on their customer's computers by default often contain all kinds of vulnerabilities that allow cybercriminals to infect them with malware of take over control.OEM-vendor-issues

A report from Duo Security shows that software used to monitor the system or to keep it up-to-date, contain all kinds of security and configuration mistakes. These mistakes can allow an attacker to offer malicious updates that are then automatically installed by the update-software. This way an attacker can gain control over the computer without any user interaction.

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Duo Security found that some update-software doesn't use an encrypted connection or doesn't check the digital signature of the update. This means it's possible for attackers to perform a man-in-the-middle attack by replacing the actual update with a malicious one. Some update-software doesn't even notify the user that updates are installed.

In total, the researchers found 12 unique vulnerabilities of which 7 are still not patched by the PC manufacturers.

The update-software usually runs with too many rights, is easy to attack and can easily be reverse engineered, according to Duo Security. The security of this kind of software is also hardly checked which makes it an even more interesting target for attackers, especially when on the same network.

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The Duo Security researchers advise to remove or disable update-software and other preinstalled software. Even better is doing a fresh Windows installation on new computers.

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