Requires local access to the machine, but this is more of a company goof. Then you have Malware access via Gigabyte. https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/gigabyte-releases-new-firmware-to-fix-recently-disclosed-security-flaws/ Chinese spyware would be a concern if you are working inside an organization that has specified IT hardware such as no laptops brands headquartered in China but 100% of all laptops have some components that are made in China. Supply chain attacks but not for the regular gaming laptop user. If you plan on living in a internet free device its really going to be painful to game without some sorta path to the internet. Answer from FrequentWay on reddit.com
Reddit
reddit.com › r/gaminglaptops › dont lenovo laptops have chinese spayware in them after being caught last year?
r/GamingLaptops on Reddit: Dont lenovo laptops have chinese spayware in them after being caught last year?
June 24, 2023 -
Im seeing alot of people here wanting to fet a lenovo laptop but apparently they are considered a saftey risk right now.
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Yeah no. Both AWS and Google Cloud have huge CIA/Pentagon contracts and their employees are issued Lenovo laptops (in addition to macs and chromebooks).
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Requires local access to the machine, but this is more of a company goof. Then you have Malware access via Gigabyte. https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/gigabyte-releases-new-firmware-to-fix-recently-disclosed-security-flaws/ Chinese spyware would be a concern if you are working inside an organization that has specified IT hardware such as no laptops brands headquartered in China but 100% of all laptops have some components that are made in China. Supply chain attacks but not for the regular gaming laptop user. If you plan on living in a internet free device its really going to be painful to game without some sorta path to the internet.
Quora
quora.com › Does-Lenovo-still-have-spyware
Does Lenovo still have spyware? - Quora
Answer (1 of 3): yes, yes they do. I ordered a lenovo flex last year and loved it so i ordered another and it came in pre-loaded with a chinese browser. i bought it from costco and other reviewers reported the same thing. It’s on the hard drive and can’t be uninstalled.
Tom's Hardware
tomshardware.com › tech industry
Lenovo Denies Chinese Government Ties as U.S. Lawmakers Ask Questions | Tom's Hardware
October 6, 2023 - "[Lenovo's] links to state-run cyberespionage campaigns are well documented, and it is believed to have been complicit in installing Superfish spyware and potentially a BIOS backdoor on a number of its computer products," the letter reads.
AskWoody
askwoody.com › home › forums › cyber security information and advisories › cyber security for home users › do lenovo laptops pose a security or privacy risk?
Topic: Do Lenovo Laptops Pose a Security or Privacy Risk? @ AskWoody
Of course. Lenovo laptops, tablets… Motorola Smartphones.. all come with backdoors pre-installed with access by the Chinese Communist party and Chinese government.
Chinatechthreat
chinatechthreat.com › home › lenovo quietly remains major threat – and their products are everywhere
Lenovo Quietly Remains Major Threat – And Their Products Are Everywhere - China Tech Threat
January 3, 2023 - Lenovo’s Watch X sent user locations to a server in China without their knowledge; its Superfish adware installed in hundreds of thousands of computers allowed third-parties to spy on browser traffic, resulting in a settlement with the Federal ...
Lenovo Community
forums.lenovo.com › t5 › General-Discussion › Lenovo-amp-Chinese-Govt-Spyware › td-p › 262009
Re: Lenovo & Chinese Govt. Spyware
August 11, 2010 - Welcome to Lenovo and Motorola community. If the website doesn't work properly without JavaScript enabled. Please enable it to continue
Reddit
reddit.com › r/laptops › are lenovo laptops safe or do they still have spyware?
r/laptops on Reddit: Are lenovo laptops safe or do they still have spyware?
September 5, 2024 -
Wanna buy a laptop but confused between a dell inspiron 14 plus 7440 and lenovo ideapad 5 pro 14 inch core ultra 9(igpu). Heard lenovo was caught with a Spyware.
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I guess I shall tell you the story of Intel, AMD, Apple and Qualcomm systems. They all have a "security" chip build in that have a secret backdoor build in to an unknown location. A well known Intel Minix and Intel Management Engine have these. People figured this out and came with a "solution" called Coreboot, and they think these "security" chips are there so US intelligent services can hack into your system without you knowing and spy on you.
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Can't speak about spyware, but I bought a Lenovo yoga about a month ago and was pleasantly surprised with the amount of bloatware that was on the laptop, more of Microsoft's stuff than Lenovo. Didn't even have to uninstall McAfee/Norton
Medium
medium.com › aardvark-infinity › in-depth-analysis-of-cybersecurity-threats-from-lenovo-products-to-canada-a-critical-osint-report-9afe34cb9e1e
In-Depth Analysis of Cybersecurity Threats from Lenovo Products to Canada: A Critical OSINT Report | by Aardvark Infinity | Aardvark Infinity | Medium
August 31, 2024 - This spyware, referred to as “PhoenixEye” (File Name: PhoenixEye_Spyware.dll, SHA-256: 3d5f7b8c9f92ed6d1f6e5a3b2d7ed4e7fa53b8887a40f091d3a65c3e5144cdbc), was found on Lenovo laptops and smartphones, primarily targeting high-profile users, ...
CNBC
cnbc.com › 2018 › 10 › 05 › lenovo-tumbles-after-report-about-alleged-chinese-spy-chips.html
Lenovo shares tumble following report about alleged Chinese spy chips
October 5, 2018 - Bloomberg said the chips, which have been the subject of a top secret U.S. government investigation starting in 2015, were used for gathering intellectual property and trade secrets from American companies and may have been introduced by a Chinese server company called Super Micro that assembled machines used in the centers. Apple, AWS and Super Micro dispute the report. Shares of the iPhone-maker fell 1.75 percent and Amazon declined about 2.21 percent in Thursday trading. In a statement to CNBC, Lenovo said that Super Micro "is not a supplier to Lenovo in any capacity.
Quora
quora.com › Is-it-safe-to-buy-Chinese-branded-electronics-such-as-Lenovo-computers-and-laptops-or-Hisense-TVs-Can-their-devices-be-used-from-the-Chinese-government-to-spy-on-Americans
Is it safe to buy Chinese branded electronics such as Lenovo computers and laptops or Hisense TVs? Can their devices be used from the Chinese government to spy on Americans? - Quora
Answer (1 of 8): I hate to break it to you. All those Apple, HP, Dell, Asus, and other brand laptops sold here are all made in China. I think the Chinese government has better things to do than spy on you. They don’t care about you and what you post on Facebook, Twitter, Quora, Reddit, etc.
Baltimorepostexaminer
baltimorepostexaminer.com › home › lenovo’s pcs spy for china
Lenovo's PCs spy for China - Baltimore Post-Examiner
August 13, 2020 - Did you know that the Lenovo PC or laptop sitting on your desk likely has firmware and components built in that allow the Chinese government to spy on you?
Tom's Guide
forums.tomsguide.com › home › apps › antivirus / security / privacy
Do we need to worry about leak of data and being spied using Lenovo and Huawei laptops? | Tom's Guide Forum
June 12, 2018 - Just like many other things, reports of Chinese-made laptops being "doctored" for easy hacking are often circulated by die-hard, misguided conspiracy theorists who have to put a sinister spin on almost anything. ... Look at it this way: everything on your computer can be accessed remotely without your knowledge.
Quora
quora.com › All-professional-people-are-saying-Lenovo-is-insecure-about-data-privacy-but-why-most-of-big-companies-s-employees-using-Lenovo-thinkpads-for-work-Are-they-careless-about-Chinese-government-s-data-stealing
All professional people are saying Lenovo is insecure about data privacy but why most of big companies’s employees using Lenovo thinkpads for work? Are they careless about Chinese government’s data stealing? - Quora
Answer (1 of 2): You cannot trust ANY gov’t. Full-stop. Intel put a backdoor into their CPU’s years ago. Hmm. Google: Minix cpu. Then see how they either brush it off or strenuously deny it’s a backdoor. They’re all criminals and the lowest end of the scale will be serfs, soon enough.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/lenovolegion › lenovo is a chinese company should i be worried about spyware
lenovo is a chinese company should i be worried about spyware : r/LenovoLegion
August 27, 2023 - https://www.pocket-lint.com/laptops/news/lenovo/132827-worried-about-lenovo-s-pre-installed-spyware-here-s-how-to-remove-superfish-from-pcs/#:~:text=Anyone who owns a new,whether it compromised their security. ... All manufacturers have issues like this. I'm pretty sure updating MSI laptop firmware is still dangerous as they got hacked a while ago. ... They were harvesting user data to sell to advertisers. ... no. watch TechAltar channel on youtube as to why Lenovo isn't sanctioned despite being a 'Chinese' company compared to Huawei.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/thinkpad › you guys worry about china spyware on thinkpads?
r/thinkpad on Reddit: You guys worry about China Spyware on thinkpads?
August 8, 2020 -
I know they're on there, really. My question is, how do you guys get rid of them? Like....do I have to learn how to install Linux and what not?
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I just write utter garbage code and litter it with comments like "access china mainframe" and hope that it's taking up the resources of at least 15 elite cyber warriors to make heads or tails of anything I'm doing.
To my elite cyber warriors - it might look like a bad pong knock off, but can you be sure? Probably should review my code again.
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That's not much of a concern unless you're a chinese citizen with a compatible blood type needed for urgent organ donation. Or a company with intellectual propety who made the mistake of ordering directly which risks an implant being installed, instead of sourcing from a local third party or retailer.
For other users it's actually the Intel M E sirveilance eengine which is rather horrific, located in the CPU, which can be theoretically disabled using bios flashers or other software tools depending on your model.
If you use Windows, this is far easier to exploit than any of the above, especially in combination. So yes, Linux is a good start.
Komando Community
community.komando.com › home › posts › lenovo – chinese gov’t – spying on us citizens
Lenovo - Chinese Gov't - Spying on US Citizens | Komando Community
February 28, 2021 - John, Got 2 issues that I’m struggling with regarding Lenovo. First is the security (or lack thereof) where the Chinese Government could spy. Yeah, I know all these other manufactures and apps all spy on us to a certain extent. Secondly, there is the part that Lenovo is owned by the Chinese government.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/thinkpad › lenovo's reputation compared to other chinese technology firms
r/thinkpad on Reddit: Lenovo's reputation compared to other Chinese technology firms
February 3, 2019 -
This is probably a dumb question, but it doesn't cost anything to ask questions...
Chinese tech companies in the past have had a reputation for stealing intellectual properties. Huawei and ZTE is a recent example of this, as some consider their products a security threat for customers. I'm wondering if any of you Thinkpad users had any concerns regarding this issue when considering buying Lenovo or Thinkpad products, with respect to your data and privacy.
*I know a lot of western companies had also been scrutinised for the same issue, but my concern is with Lenovo as I am strongly considering buying a Thinkpad.
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Lenovo originated as a purely Chinese company. However, when it bought IBMs PC business, the company wasn't purely Chinese anymore – after all, Lenovo has three headquarters , one in Beijing, one in Singapur and one in North Carolina in the US. The ThinkPad-brand was a central part of the deal, but Lenovo not only acquired the brand, but also the people who developed ThinkPads under IBM. To this day, the main-line ThinkPads are not developed in the PRC. Instead, they are developed in the USA, Japan & Taiwan. I imagine Lenovo kept this structure because they knew that Western companies & governments would most likely start to become sceptical of the security. This is different from Huawei and ZTE, which are purely based in mainland China and have more obvious ties to the Chinese government. As far as I know, Huawei has been caught trying to steal Western technology before and what makes their case more peculiar is their involvement as a manufacturer of network gear. This is most likely the reason why they face such public pressure now, as Western governments are sceptical if the upcoming 5G networks should really be entrusted to a company with such close ties to the government of the PRC.
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Lenovo did install permement malware onto older machines that would affect ads you see, but also leave your data wide open. That also have a history with fucked up BIOS settings, even in their premium and secure thinkpad line
Reddit
reddit.com › r/lenovo › security concerns about thinkpad from china?
Security concerns about ThinkPad from China? : r/Lenovo
November 9, 2024 - Lenovo is NOT a 100% chinese owned company. There are NO security concerns with Lenovo. I doubt the DoD would buy Lenovo products if there was a security risk. ... Wipe Windows and reinstall if you're that worried. ... Just replace the hard drive and you will be safe.
Quora
quora.com › Is-there-a-danger-of-hacking-or-spying-when-buying-a-Chinese-made-computer-such-as-Lenovo
Is there a danger of hacking or spying when buying a Chinese made computer such as Lenovo? - Quora
Answer (1 of 4): No worse than any non-Chinese brand. The thing about laptops is that practically all laptops have some component that are made in China. Just because it doesn’t have a Chinese name, doesn’t mean it wasn’t made in some Chinese factory.
Lenovo StoryHub
news.lenovo.com › lenovo storyhub › statement by lenovo on the january 25, 2024 bloomberg article “dell, micron backed a group raising alarms on rivals’ china ties”
Statement by Lenovo on the January 25, 2024 Bloomberg article "Dell, Micron Backed a Group Raising Alarms on Rivals’ China Ties" - Lenovo StoryHub
January 30, 2024 - Any suggestion that Lenovo is controlled by the Chinese government, or that our ties to China compromise our cybersecurity, is false.