4 ms·

this is just propaganda that was consumer side Lenovo laptops, IdeaPad and the like 7+ years ago. They learned their lesson and even there don't do it any more

by chx 3y ago

this is just propaganda that was consumer side Lenovo laptops, IdeaPad and the like 7+ years ago. They learned their lesson and even there don't do it any more. This didn't affect ThinkPads. Every time Lenovo is mentioned someone brings this up and I am thoroughly sick of it.

vorpalhex 3y ago
My Lenovo android tablet started installing adware suddenly, more than a year after purchase. This was a clean device with a single program and the adware came with.. Lenovo ads. Yeah I think it's fair to say Lenovo is still no good here.
miohtama 3y ago
Lenovo got fined for $3.5M for installing spyware that hijacks HTTPS connections, so it’s a bit stretch to call it propaganda https://www.zdnet.com/article/lenovo-receives-3-5m-fine-for-pre-installing-adware-that-hijacks-https-connections/ https://www.zdnet.com/article/lenovo-receives-3-5m-fine-for-... When a company engages to such deceptive business and outright illegal business practices, there is little reason to trust them for a decade or two until we can be sure everyone who worked there by the time is gone.
- freedomben 3y ago
  > until we can be sure everyone who worked there by the time is gone. That seems a little extreme. I always maintain a skeptical eye, but most corporate leaders have an eye for profits and PR, and their personal integrity/moral compass doesn't play a large role in their decision making. As long as it's bad/risky PR for Lenovo to do stuff like that, the incentives are on our side. Always be watching though, and I personally favor vendors who have good track records.
  - BossingAround 3y ago
    Well... I can look at it from the other perspective; in my previous org, the director came like 15 years ago from Oracle, and his ideas, management style, and goals were very much aligned with what you'd expect Oracle was like 20 years ago. It took firing him and two managers below him to turn around the org, despite adopting new practices, new ideas, working in completely new directions, etc. I wouldn't completely discard the idea to be honest.
    - freedomben 3y ago
      Thanks for sharing, that does make sense. Humans are creatures of habit and the way we are brought up is a strong lean on us in future decision making. Changing philosophies can be very hard
autoexec 3y ago
History is not propaganda. Lenovo repeatedly sold out their customers, lied to them, and put them at risk of everything from spying to remote code execution. They've more than earned their reputation and it should haunt them every time they are mentioned. Maybe after several decades have gone by without incident I might consider that they've changed their ways, but I sure wouldn't count on that happening. Here's them still not having learned their lesson in Feb of 2021 https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/03/lenovo_indelible_adware/ https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/03/lenovo_indelible_adwa... Here's them still not having learned their lesson in April of 2022 https://www.zdnet.com/article/lenovo-patches-uefi-vulnerabilities-impacting-millions-of-device-users-worldwide/ https://www.zdnet.com/article/lenovo-patches-uefi-vulnerabil... Today, I wouldn't trust this company to make an alarm clock (https://blog.talosintelligence.com/vulnerability-spotlight-hard-coded-password-vulnerability-could-allow-attacker-to-completely-take-over-lenovo-smart-clock/ https://blog.talosintelligence.com/vulnerability-spotlight-h...) let alone a laptop.
rnk 3y ago
Hey chx, got a response to the details listed here?
- unethical_ban 3y ago
  Not chx, but note that none of the linked articles mention Thinkpads.
  - hfsh 3y ago
    Sure, but nobody but chx even brought up Thinkpads in the first place.
  - autoexec 3y ago
    All of these links do though and they include examples of more hard coded passwords, more Lenovo spyware, and more insecure Lenovo software that exposed users to threats: https://www.theregister.com/2018/01/26/lenovo_thinkpad_fingerprint_manager_vulnerability/ https://www.theregister.com/2018/01/26/lenovo_thinkpad_finge... https://www.computerworld.com/article/2984889/lenovo-collects-usage-data-on-thinkpad-thinkcentre-and-thinkstation-pcs.html https://www.computerworld.com/article/2984889/lenovo-collect... https://www.crn.com.au/news/thinkpad-vulnerable-in-latest-lenovo-scare-403646 https://www.crn.com.au/news/thinkpad-vulnerable-in-latest-le... https://www.pcworld.com/article/633410/up-to-100-lenovo-laptops-are-a-security-risk.html https://www.pcworld.com/article/633410/up-to-100-lenovo-lapt... https://www.itpro.com/security/vulnerability/369491/lenovo-patches-thinkpad-yoga-ideapad-uefi-secure-boot-vulnerability https://www.itpro.com/security/vulnerability/369491/lenovo-p... https://github.com/Cr4sh/ThinkPwn https://github.com/Cr4sh/ThinkPwn
    - unethical_ban 3y ago
      Well that would do it then.
    - chx 3y ago
      Yeah, this is propaganda as I said. Now you guys are listing security vulnerabilities when the topic was spyware. Everything has vulnerabilities. They are fixed. So what?
ClumsyPilot 3y ago
> They learned their lesson and even there don't do it any more. If I did this, I'd be learning my lesson in prison for 20 years.
demandingturtle 3y ago
How is this propaganda? Either it's true or it is false. You haven't said or proved this is false. "consumer side" still Lenovo. "They learned their lesson" and so have we. "7+ years ago" it still happened The only propaganda is coming from you.

by chx 3y ago

vorpalhex 3y ago

My Lenovo android tablet started installing adware suddenly, more than a year after purchase. This was a clean device with a single program and the adware came with.. Lenovo ads. Yeah I think it's fair to say Lenovo is still no good here.

miohtama 3y ago

Lenovo got fined for $3.5M for installing spyware that hijacks HTTPS connections, so it’s a bit stretch to call it propaganda https://www.zdnet.com/article/lenovo-receives-3-5m-fine-for-pre-installing-adware-that-hijacks-https-connections/ https://www.zdnet.com/article/lenovo-receives-3-5m-fine-for-... When a company engages to such deceptive business and outright illegal business practices, there is little reason to trust them for a decade or two until we can be sure everyone who worked there by the time is gone.

freedomben 3y ago
> until we can be sure everyone who worked there by the time is gone. That seems a little extreme. I always maintain a skeptical eye, but most corporate leaders have an eye for profits and PR, and their personal integrity/moral compass doesn't play a large role in their decision making. As long as it's bad/risky PR for Lenovo to do stuff like that, the incentives are on our side. Always be watching though, and I personally favor vendors who have good track records.
- BossingAround 3y ago
  Well... I can look at it from the other perspective; in my previous org, the director came like 15 years ago from Oracle, and his ideas, management style, and goals were very much aligned with what you'd expect Oracle was like 20 years ago. It took firing him and two managers below him to turn around the org, despite adopting new practices, new ideas, working in completely new directions, etc. I wouldn't completely discard the idea to be honest.
  - freedomben 3y ago
    Thanks for sharing, that does make sense. Humans are creatures of habit and the way we are brought up is a strong lean on us in future decision making. Changing philosophies can be very hard

autoexec 3y ago

History is not propaganda. Lenovo repeatedly sold out their customers, lied to them, and put them at risk of everything from spying to remote code execution. They've more than earned their reputation and it should haunt them every time they are mentioned. Maybe after several decades have gone by without incident I might consider that they've changed their ways, but I sure wouldn't count on that happening. Here's them still not having learned their lesson in Feb of 2021 https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/03/lenovo_indelible_adware/ https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/03/lenovo_indelible_adwa... Here's them still not having learned their lesson in April of 2022 https://www.zdnet.com/article/lenovo-patches-uefi-vulnerabilities-impacting-millions-of-device-users-worldwide/ https://www.zdnet.com/article/lenovo-patches-uefi-vulnerabil... Today, I wouldn't trust this company to make an alarm clock (https://blog.talosintelligence.com/vulnerability-spotlight-hard-coded-password-vulnerability-could-allow-attacker-to-completely-take-over-lenovo-smart-clock/ https://blog.talosintelligence.com/vulnerability-spotlight-h...) let alone a laptop.

rnk 3y ago

Hey chx, got a response to the details listed here?

unethical_ban 3y ago
Not chx, but note that none of the linked articles mention Thinkpads.
- hfsh 3y ago
  Sure, but nobody but chx even brought up Thinkpads in the first place.
- autoexec 3y ago
  All of these links do though and they include examples of more hard coded passwords, more Lenovo spyware, and more insecure Lenovo software that exposed users to threats: https://www.theregister.com/2018/01/26/lenovo_thinkpad_fingerprint_manager_vulnerability/ https://www.theregister.com/2018/01/26/lenovo_thinkpad_finge... https://www.computerworld.com/article/2984889/lenovo-collects-usage-data-on-thinkpad-thinkcentre-and-thinkstation-pcs.html https://www.computerworld.com/article/2984889/lenovo-collect... https://www.crn.com.au/news/thinkpad-vulnerable-in-latest-lenovo-scare-403646 https://www.crn.com.au/news/thinkpad-vulnerable-in-latest-le... https://www.pcworld.com/article/633410/up-to-100-lenovo-laptops-are-a-security-risk.html https://www.pcworld.com/article/633410/up-to-100-lenovo-lapt... https://www.itpro.com/security/vulnerability/369491/lenovo-patches-thinkpad-yoga-ideapad-uefi-secure-boot-vulnerability https://www.itpro.com/security/vulnerability/369491/lenovo-p... https://github.com/Cr4sh/ThinkPwn https://github.com/Cr4sh/ThinkPwn
  - unethical_ban 3y ago
    Well that would do it then.
  - chx 3y ago
    Yeah, this is propaganda as I said. Now you guys are listing security vulnerabilities when the topic was spyware. Everything has vulnerabilities. They are fixed. So what?

ClumsyPilot 3y ago

> They learned their lesson and even there don't do it any more. If I did this, I'd be learning my lesson in prison for 20 years.

demandingturtle 3y ago

How is this propaganda? Either it's true or it is false. You haven't said or proved this is false. "consumer side" still Lenovo. "They learned their lesson" and so have we. "7+ years ago" it still happened The only propaganda is coming from you.