Lenovo has released an automated tool in hopes of protecting its customers from the Superfish adware installed on the company’s laptops.
The tech firm updated its statement on the matter to further assuage user concerns over the potential vulnerability of the software.
Lenovo also says it’s working with both McAfee and Microsoft to have the Superfish software and certificate quarantined or removed.
This means that Lenovo will be able to automatically fix the vulnerability for users who don’t even know that the problem exists.
Lenovo has apologised for the issue in its statement, saying: “
In continued: “We will continue to take steps to make removal of the software and underlying vulnerable certificates in question easy for customers so they can continue to use our products with the confidence that they expect and deserve.”
The Superfish fiasco proper began last week, after Lenovo came under fire when a security analyst revealed adware installed on some of its laptops could be exploited by hackers.
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The third-party software, titled Superfish, was capable of forging its own spurious security certificates to bypass website safety checks.
While that sounds nefarious, Superfish only used that method to crawl behind-closed-doors pages for images to provide you with more relevant ads.
Unfortunately, it meant that hackers could exploit the program and forge their own certificates for otherwise secure sites like, for example, your bank.
Since then, Lenovo’s Chief Technology Officer has admitted the firm ‘messed up’ by leaving customers vulnerable to attack.
Users of Lenovo laptops can download the Superfish removal tool here.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
