HP Keylogger: Security Firm Finds Keylogger Installed In HP Audio Driver

HP Laptop — A keylogger that stores a user's every keystroke was discovered in HP audio drivers. 1588877/Pixabay

The audio driver installed on some laptops from HP contain a keylogger that records all of a user’s keystrokes and stores the information in a way that could be compromised easily, security company Modzero reported.

The Switzerland-based cybersecurity firm first discovered the keylogger, which is found in Conexant HD Audio Driver Package versions 1.0.0.46 and earlier, on April 28 and publicly disclosed its findings Thursday.

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Within the audio driver, which comes preinstalled on several models of HP laptops, is a file called MicTray64.exe. The executable starts every time a user logs into their computer and “monitors all keystrokes made by the user.”

According to Modzero, this practice is done by the audio driver to “capture and react to functions” as a user interacts with buttons on the keyboard such as volume controls or the mute/unmute button.

This practice is relatively common and on its own, not necessarily something for users to worry about. What is troubling about audio driver’s MicTray64.exe file is the way it stores all of the keystrokes it records.

The driver stores the user’s keystrokes in a local file, which can expose a user’s full keystroke data — including passwords, communications logs, web history and other sensitive data — to anyone who knows where to find the audio driver’s log.

The audio driver will also pass all keystrokes through a local application program interface (API) named OutputDebugString API. If infected by malware or otherwise compromised, the API could effectively perform real-time keystroke monitoring for any malicious actor.

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According to Modzero, the potential exploit is present on most Windows 7 and Windows 10 systems. There are 28 HP laptops that have been confirmed to use the Conexant HD audio driver package that contains the MicTray64.exe file, and other manufacturers that use the same audio driver may also be at risk.

The vulnerable devices from HP are listed below: