Keylogger-like behavior has apprehensive some Corsair K100 keyboard clients. Many customers have described that their peripheral device is randomly coming into text into their computer system that they beforehand typed times or weeks previously. Having said that, Corsair instructed Ars Technica that the behavior is a bug, not keylogging, and may perhaps be connected to the keyboard’s macro recording feature.
A reader pointed us to an ongoing thread on Corsair’s aid community forums that a consumer commenced in August. The person claimed that his K100 started out typing on its possess whilst employing it with a MacBook Professional, gaming computer system, and KVM swap.
“Every handful of days the keyboard would commence randomly typing on its individual whilst I was working on the MacBook. Generally it appears to be to style messages that I beforehand typed on the gaming computer system and it will not end until I unplug the keyboard and plug it back in,” wrote the user “brendenguy”.
Ten consumers appear to have responded to the thread (we are unable to verify the validity of each claim or account, but Corsair has verified this is a acknowledged issue) and reported identical encounters.
One said his keyboard started out typing a “certain line from a extremely sensitive e-mail” when interacting with his Computer system in harmless method with customer information. One user commented that they really don’t use Corsair’s iCue software program to application peripherals, but had a comparable expertise. One more mentioned his K100 typed additional than 100 letters in opposition to his will and that a manufacturing unit reset and wiping the keyboard memory didn’t fix the issue. There are also some threads on the Linus Tech Tips discussion board the place persons assert the similar issue. Some clients explained they feared they had been hacked at the time, whilst some accused Corsair of top secret keylogging.
Corsair confirmed to Ars that it has acquired “a number of” reviews of the K100 behaving this way, but confirmed that “there is no components element on the keyboard that functions as a keylogger.” The business did not straight away reply to stick to-up concerns about how quite a few keyboards were being affected.
“Corsair keyboards evidently do not log consumer input and do not have the capability to log person keystrokes,” Corsair’s rep explained to Ars Technica.
They also insisted the trouble is not widespread, with only a “little range” of complaints from “tens of countless numbers” of K100 income.
The business is investigating the induce of the issue but thinks it could be connected to the keyboard’s capability to report macros. Some, but not all, users observed that the challenge was fixed with a recent firmware update from Corsair, according to Corsair and 1 man or woman on the Corsair discussion board (though they did claim to have other challenges right after the update).
“The macro aspect could inadvertently switch on and history keyboard and maybe mouse enter. These macros are then activated and reflect input at a afterwards time and are misinterpreted as keylogging. We are even now investigating the correct nature of the concern with our customer,” the Corsair spokesperson claimed.
A user on the Corsair forums said that when their K100 unintentionally entered textual content they had typed days in the past, the enter contained the same backspaces and pauses they remembered when they initially typed the articles, which is like a macro perform appears. Corsair’s K100 permits macro taking pictures with or without having proprietary program.
This is also not a unique difficulty. We discovered many years of discussions on Reddit reporting similar habits with Logitech keyboards, and some concluded that accidental macro recording was the offender.
Still, we never blame people for being cautious. Following all, we all know how unobtrusive keylogging technology can be. We have noticed keyloggers secretly lurking in anything from laptop touchpads and audio motorists to corporate laptops and networks and laptop equipment like keyboards and cables.
Even in the absence of destructive activity, any erratic conduct from a peripheral as subtle and expensive as the K100 is irritating. Corsair is a person of the most nicely-regarded brand names of gaming peripherals, and the K100 is one of the most high-priced keyboards. With an MSRP of $200, the K100 has some of the most eye-catching functions, such as the debut of Corsair’s Axon system-on-chip, capable of an 8,000Hz polling level, opto-mechanical switches, a row of macro keys, and a programmable watch deal with enables. We have not observed any reports of equivalent challenges with the Corsair K100 Air or any of the brand’s other keyboards.
All influenced prospects should speak to Corsair’s help team, Corsair’s representative mentioned. They also said affected people could reset the K100 by unplugging the keyboard and then keeping Esc for 5 seconds though plugging it in.
In response to any person who is nonetheless worried about the security of the Corsair keyboard, the business spokesperson mentioned, “Corsair usually takes purchaser privacy really severely, and even if an particular person person is impacted, we will perform swiftly to resolve the problem.” to resolve.” We have asked Corsair to supply refunds on the K100 and will update this piece if we get suggestions.
Corsair’s K100 came out in October 2020 and has a two-year guarantee.
