City
Epaper

Flaw fixed in HP's controversial bloatware app

By IANS | Updated: October 13, 2019 13:10 IST

HP has issued a security advisory for its Touchpoint Analytics, which was said to be containing a security flaw that could let malware gain admin rights and take over vulnerable systems, as noted by security researchers from SafeBreach Labs.

Open in App

HP has released updates this month to address the issue.

HP desktop and laptop owners were advised to follow instruction details in the company's security advisory and updated its Touchpoint Analytics client at their earliest convenience, ZDNet reported on Friday.

The researchers had found the security flaw in HP Touchpoint Analytics in July, according to the Tech republic.

Security researchers at SafeBreach said that they uncovered a new vulnerability which meant every version below 4.1.4.2827 was affected by what they found.

The HP Touchpoint Analytics app is falls under the category of bloatware which essentially a type of software that comes pre-installed on new devices.

The app's purpose is to collect diagnostics data about hardware performance and send the information back to the firm.

The app usually whitelisted and runs with admin rights on HP systems, to be able to access various details from software drivers and other hardware components.

According to Peleg Hadar, a security researcher with SafeBreach Labs, there is a way to hijack the application's normal mode of operation and load malicious DLL files to run rogue code with elevated privileges.

Hadar found that what security experts call a local privilege escalation (LPE), a type of vulnerability that's quite common in modern software, the ZDNet report added.

( With inputs from IANS )

Tags: Tech
Open in App

Related Stories

InternationalOpenAI Superapp Plan: ChatGPT, Codex, and Browser To Merge into a Single Desktop Platform

TechnologyYouTube Offers Massive Earning Potential; Do This Right and Earn Lakhs Every Month

TechnologyTop 5 Smartphones of 2025: From Google Pixel 10 Pro to iPhone 17 Pro Max

TechnologyLaptop Care Tips: Why You Should Never Use Your Laptop on a Bed or Pillow

LifestyleWinter Alert: Rising Cases of Geyser Explosions — Know the Safety Rules Before You Switch It On

टेकमेनिया Realted Stories

TechnologyEV charging hub unveiled at Anand Vihar Namo Bharat Station, 10 vehicles can be charged simultaneously

TechnologyAmaravati to be growth engine for $2.4 trillion economy: Andhra CM​

TechnologyJan Vishwas Bill, 2026 decriminalises minor offences in health sector

TechnologyFood prices to rise further globally if West Asia crisis stretches beyond 40 days: FAO

TechnologyGoogle now allow Gmail users to change their usernames