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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteThe 2018 report was about attackers repurposing an older version of Computrace/LoJack, a legitimate laptop anti-theft service with a firmware-assisted persistence mechanism. Arbor Networks researchers attributed the activity to APT28 (also known as Fancy Bear) and said the modified agent redirected its normal connection to attacker-controlled infrastructure. That did not prove that every laptop was compromised, that the firmware module itself was malicious, or that current Absolute software remains vulnerable to the same technique.
What Computrace and LoJack were designed to do
Computrace, marketed as LoJack for Laptops and now associated with Absolute, was built to help locate, manage and recover stolen computers. Its unusual feature was persistence: a component could be included in a supported computer’s manufacturer firmware, allowing an installed agent to survive common operating-system replacement or disk changes.
That design created a trusted foothold for recovery software, not proof of malware. The security concern was that an attacker who could alter or hijack the agent’s communications might gain an unusually durable position on a device.
Firmware presence is not the same as activation
Absolute’s current consumer FAQ separates three conditions that are often conflated:
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- A compatible computer may contain an Absolute Persistence Technology module in its manufacturer firmware.
- The module may exist while no Absolute software agent is installed or active.
- Persistence is activated when the relevant software is installed; an unsupported computer cannot have the embedded module added later.
Consequently, seeing a Computrace or Absolute entry in firmware or BIOS is not, by itself, evidence that the laptop is tracking its owner or has been compromised.
What the 2018 APT28 report alleged
Arbor Networks’ 2018 research, reported by CyberScoop on May 10, said APT28 had modified an older LoJack agent and redirected the connection that agent normally made to its external command-and-control service. The researchers described the redirection as a man-in-the-middle-style operation and placed it in an espionage context.
APT28 and Fancy Bear are names used for the same threat actor in this reporting. The attribution is Arbor’s research assessment, not an independently adjudicated finding presented by the sources as a court-tested fact.
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Why a legitimate recovery agent was attractive
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The important distinction is that the reported operation did not require Computrace to have been created as a hacking tool. It involved modifying an older agent and using its trusted deployment and communications path for a different purpose.
What Kaspersky found before the APT28 report
Kaspersky’s work began after researchers found Computrace active on privately owned laptops without their authorization. Its February 2014 FAQ said the team observed signs of unauthorized activation, examined weaknesses in the agent’s protocol, and demonstrated a live hijack at the 2014 Security Analyst Summit.
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Scope and limits of the 2014 testing
The details matter:
- The laptops studied were new devices purchased in 2012.
- The demonstration agent had been compiled in 2012.
- Kaspersky said it had confirmed the vulnerability in the Windows agent.
- The researchers had not analyzed or confirmed the same issue on other platforms.
Those observations were a research finding about specific software and test conditions, not a conclusion that every laptop, every operating system, or every Computrace installation was affected.
Vitaly Kamluk, who led the Kaspersky work, described the 2014 issue to CyberScoop this way: “The agent lacked a digital signature and could be modified by anyone. Also it’s communication could be hijacked by a MiTM [man-in-the-middle] attack or tampered registry value which would lead to RCE (remote code execution) as user system.”
How the 2018 reporting, vendor response and evidence fit together
| Period | What was reported | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| 2012–2014 | Kaspersky investigated unauthorized activation and demonstrated a Windows-agent hijack using older equipment and a 2012-built agent. | It was not a current, cross-platform security assessment. |
| 2018 | Arbor said APT28 had modified an older LoJack agent and redirected its command-and-control connection. | It does not show that all Computrace-equipped laptops were targeted or compromised. |
| Absolute’s 2018 response | Absolute said the samples supplied by Arbor were modified 2008-era binaries, that it had patched the issue after reviewing Kaspersky’s 2014 work, and that it knew of no incidents based on that research. | These are the company’s statements, not independent proof that every newer version was secure. |
| Researchers’ 2018 limitation | CyberScoop reported that the researchers interviewed had not reverse-engineered newer versions. | The available reporting could not confirm the security of the latest iterations at that time. |
Absolute spokesperson told CyberScoop: “Nothing is more important to us than the security of our customers, and the idea that someone could maliciously use our old technology is deeply concerning. We are taking every precaution to ensure any issues are immediately addressed.”
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What the current Absolute guidance means
Absolute’s current support material still describes Computrace, also called Absolute Persistence Technology, as a component of Absolute Home & Office on compatible devices. The vendor’s model remains that firmware can carry the persistence module while software activation is a separate event.
A separate firmware advisory
Absolute’s current security notice addresses a different, specific condition: some computers with security firmware older than version 2.8 may be affected when Absolute software has never been activated. The notice directs users to check their device and follow the manufacturer’s update process or use the free product offered by the vendor.
That advisory should not automatically be treated as the 2018 APT28 hijack. It concerns stated firmware versions and activation conditions, whereas the 2018 reporting concerned an older agent and redirected communications.
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Vendor scale claims need context
In a 2026 announcement, Absolute said its firmware-embedded persistence technology is present on more than 600 million endpoint devices. That is a vendor-published marketing figure, not an independently validated statistic, and it cannot be used to prove that the historical software was either secure or insecure.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to do if your laptop shows Computrace or Absolute
Do not remove firmware or install a generic “BIOS cleaner” solely because a Computrace entry appears. Use a device-specific process:
- Identify the exact computer model and firmware version. Record the manufacturer, model or service tag, BIOS/UEFI version and any Absolute or Computrace status shown in firmware or the operating system.
- Check whether Absolute software was ever activated. A firmware module can be present without an installed or active agent.
- Read the manufacturer’s current support instructions. Determine whether a firmware update is available for that exact model.
- Compare the device with Absolute’s current security notice. Pay particular attention to the stated security-firmware version and the condition concerning software that has never been activated.
- Contact the manufacturer or Absolute for device-specific guidance. Keep purchase, ownership and activation details available if support asks for them.
- If compromise is suspected, use your organization’s incident-response process. Preserve logs and system images before changing firmware or reinstalling software; a routine antivirus scan is not a substitute for forensic review of a suspected firmware or agent issue.
The published material does not support recommending a universal BIOS-removal utility or a particular antivirus product as a fix for the historical issue.
Why the “supply-chain” label can mislead
The phrase “buried in the supply chain of laptops” captures why firmware-associated software drew attention: the capability could be delivered as part of a manufacturer-supported device rather than downloaded as obvious malware. But the phrase should not be read as proof that laptop manufacturers knowingly shipped a malicious implant.
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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →In the documented account, the underlying product was legitimate, the firmware component could be inactive, and the reported abuse involved an older agent that researchers said had been modified. Those distinctions are essential when assessing an individual computer today.
Quick Recap
What is established—and what remains unproven
- Established in the cited reporting: Computrace/LoJack was a legitimate anti-theft and recovery product with firmware-assisted persistence; Kaspersky reported unauthorized activation and a Windows-agent hijack in older research; Arbor attributed a modified-agent operation to APT28; and CyberScoop reported Absolute’s 2018 patch and no-known-incidents statements.
- Not established by that reporting: that every laptop with a Computrace firmware module was compromised, that every operating system was affected, or that the current product has the same flaw.
- Current practical point: firmware presence, software activation and an active security incident are separate questions. Resolve them using the exact device model, firmware version and current manufacturer or Absolute instructions.
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