Dell Will Remove Dangerous Certificate Of Computers

Computer manufacturer Dell will begin today with the removal of a certificate that allows users to be attacked, as the company has announced. Since August this year, laptops and desktops from Dell comes with a certificate that contains the private key.

Attackers can use this key to sign malware for example, so it looks like that comes from Dell, and are also man-in-the-middle attacks on HTTPS sites possible. According to Dell, the certificate is no malware or adware. It was deliberately placed on systems to help customers. Through the certificate Dell's help desk can identify the service tag of the system and quickly identify the computer model, operating system and other components.

The computer manufacturer states in a blog posting that the certificate inadvertently introduces vulnerabilities. Something that Dell makes excuses for that. The company now has instructions (docx) put online how the certificate can be removed in question, and will also release an update starting today to remove the certificate. Also, all new systems will be delivered without a certificate. In the blog posting thanked Dell also researchers Hanno Böck, Joe Nord and Kevin Hicks who published about the security issue. Dell customers who want to know whether they are vulnerable to these via this website testing.

Update

"The security and privacy of our customers are of utmost importance to Dell. The recent situation relates to an" on-the-box "support certificate is intended to provide customers a better, faster and simpler support experience. Until Dells regrets the license shall carry an unintended security vulnerabilities along with it. To solve this problem we will provide our customers with instructions to remove this certificate permanently from their systems, "

"We go to the instructions via email on our support website and communicate via our technical support, we go the Certificate of all remove Dell systems that need to be made. Please note:. Business customer an image of their own Managing this issue does not affect systems. Dell does not install any adware or malware. The certificate will not reinstall itself if it is properly disposed of according to the process recommended by Dell. "

It also has CERT Coordination Center (CERT / CC) at Carnegie Mellon University, a warning issued to the certificate. It is also recommended to remove the certificate.

Fuss About Self-Signed Certificate On Dell Laptops

On the Internet fuss about a self-signed certificate which all Dell laptops would be delivered. On social news site Reddit reports reader Kevin Hicks how his new XPS Dell laptop a self-signed root certificate discovered called eDellRoot. Allows users could be attacked, for example via malware that uses the certificate.

The certificate on the Dell laptops is its own private key features that can not be exported. The key however, been found to be able to be copied. Dell user Joe Nord discovered on his laptop the same root certificate using the same private key.According to Nord Hicks and this is exactly the same situation as with Lenovo and Superfish debacle. The laptops from Lenovo came with adware that could intercept the encrypted traffic using a self-signed certificate to inject in here then ads.

In the case of Dell, however, the situation looks very different. The certificate can not be used namely to issue other certificates to perform eg man-in-the-middle attacks on HTTPS sites, says another reader on Reddit. Yet there is also criticism that Dell does not use a certificate from a valid certificate authority. Dell leaves in front of Hicks that eDellRoot is a trusted certificate and not a threat. Hicks's remark that the certificate or a security risk is the Dell Webcare team announced that the company will come with an explanation of the presence of the certificate. A spokesman confirmed to Security.NL Dell later today comes with an explanation.