If you own a Dell laptop, you might have a problem with security. A newly discovered pre-installed SSL certificate, eDellRoot, is causing quite the stir, as it could cause potential for SSL attacks.
According to Reddit user rotorcowboy, the problem with the pre-installed SSL certificate exists because it uses "the exact same root certificate and private key" on affected units. So how would this SSL certificate become a problem? If someone decided to create a fake certificate and host it on a website, the downloaded certificate could then be used to run code on the affected Dell unit.
Naturally, this issue is still in its infancy, but it is a problem nonetheless. While Dell has yet to comment on the situation, it could become a larger issue much like what we saw with Lenovo's 'Superfish' earlier this year. Luckily, Dell has squashed the issue by offering instructions to clients via email or their support site. Dell will also be removing the offending item from future shipped products.
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