Computers incorporating anti-theft tools are claimed to be vulnerable to cyber attacks, a new Kaspersky research revealed.
According to security researchers Absolute Software’s Computrace anti-theft software installed on laptops could be used by hackers to hijack PCs by turning a useful defensive utility into a powerful instrument.
However, Absolute Software claims that its tool assists businesses in tracking and securing their endpoints.
Kaspersky Lab Global Research and Analysis team principal security researcher Vitaly Kamluk said that such a powerful tool as Absolute Computrace software must use authentication and encryption mechanisms to continue serving the greater good.
"It’s clear that if there are a lot of computers with Computrace agents running, it is the responsibility of the manufacturer (in this case Absolute Software) to notify users and explain how the software can be deactivated and disabled," Kamluk said.
"Otherwise, these orphaned agents will keep on running unnoticed and provide a possibility for remote exploitation."
