Comment 4 for bug 1289719

$ uname -a
Linux mike-HP-Pavilion-dv7-Notebook-PC 3.11.0-17-generic #31-Ubuntu SMP Mon Feb 3 21:52:43 UTC 2014 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

mike@mike-HP-Pavilion-dv7-Notebook-PC ~ $ ls -l /boot/vmlinuz*
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 5600016 Nov 26 05:01 /boot/vmlinuz-3.11.0-12-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 5631792 Feb 3 16:20 /boot/vmlinuz-3.11.0-17-generic
mike@mike-HP-Pavilion-dv7-Notebook-PC ~ $

dmidecode

Onboard Device
        Reference Designation: Ralink Ripple3 RT5390F_802.11 b/g/n 1x1
        Type: Other
        Status: Enabled
        Type Instance: 1
        Bus Address: 0000:04:00.0

mike-HP-Pavilion-dv7-Notebook-PC ~ # lsmod
Module Size Used by
nls_iso8859_1 12713 0
usb_storage 62062 0
x86_pkg_temp_thermal 14162 0
intel_powerclamp 14705 0
coretemp 13435 0
kvm_intel 138567 0
kvm 431720 1 kvm_intel
crct10dif_pclmul 14289 0
crc32_pclmul 13113 0
ghash_clmulni_intel 13259 0
aesni_intel 55624 2
aes_x86_64 17131 1 aesni_intel
lrw 13286 1 aesni_intel
gf128mul 14951 1 lrw
glue_helper 13990 1 aesni_intel
ablk_helper 13597 1 aesni_intel
cryptd 20359 3 ghash_clmulni_intel,aesni_intel,ablk_helper
snd_hda_codec_hdmi 41117 1
snd_hda_codec_idt 50341 1
joydev 17377 0
uvcvideo 80885 0
snd_hda_intel 52267 3
videobuf2_vmalloc 13216 1 uvcvideo
videobuf2_memops 13362 1 videobuf2_vmalloc
videobuf2_core 40499 1 uvcvideo
snd_hda_codec 188738 3 snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_codec_idt,snd_hda_intel
videodev 133509 2 uvcvideo,videobuf2_core
snd_hwdep 13602 1 snd_hda_codec
snd_pcm 102033 3 snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel
snd_page_alloc 18710 2 snd_pcm,snd_hda_intel
snd_seq_midi 13324 0
snd_seq_midi_event 14899 1 snd_seq_midi
snd_rawmidi 30095 1 snd_seq_midi
snd_seq 61560 2 snd_seq_midi_event,snd_seq_midi
dm_multipath 22873 0
snd_seq_device 14497 3 snd_seq,snd_rawmidi,snd_seq_midi
scsi_dh 14882 1 dm_multipath
arc4 12608 2
snd_timer 29433 2 snd_pcm,snd_seq
microcode 23656 0
rt2800pci 18719 0
rt2800lib 79992 1 rt2800pci
rt2x00pci 13287 1 rt2800pci
rt2x00mmio 13603 1 rt2800pci
rt2x00lib 55362 4 rt2x00pci,rt2800lib,rt2800pci,rt2x00mmio
psmouse 97655 0
mac80211 597268 3 rt2x00lib,rt2x00pci,rt2800lib
serio_raw 13413 0
snd 69141 17 snd_hwdep,snd_timer,snd_hda_codec_hdmi,snd_hda_codec_idt,snd_pcm,snd_seq,snd_rawmidi,snd_hda_codec,snd_hda_intel,snd_seq_device,snd_seq_midi
cfg80211 480503 2 mac80211,rt2x00lib
rtsx_pci_ms 18151 0
memstick 16760 1 rtsx_pci_ms
eeprom_93cx6 13344 1 rt2800pci
crc_ccitt 12707 1 rt2800lib
mei_me 18421 0
lpc_ich 21080 0
soundcore 12680 1 snd
mei 77782 1 mei_me
parport_pc 32701 0
ppdev 17671 0
bnep 19704 2
rfcomm 69130 0
bluetooth 372041 10 bnep,rfcomm
binfmt_misc 17468 1
mac_hid 13205 0
hp_accel 26012 0
lis3lv02d 20156 1 hp_accel
input_polldev 13896 1 lis3lv02d
lp 17759 0
parport 42299 3 lp,ppdev,parport_pc
dm_raid45 76698 0
xor 21411 1 dm_raid45
dm_mirror 22086 0
dm_region_hash 20813 1 dm_mirror
dm_log 18411 3 dm_region_hash,dm_mirror,dm_raid45
hid_generic 12548 0
rtsx_pci_sdmmc 23527 0
i915 661339 3
ahci 25819 1
r8169 67581 0
libahci 32009 1 ahci
usbhid 53014 0
i2c_algo_bit 13413 1 i915
hid 101762 2 hid_generic,usbhid
mii 13934 1 r8169
drm_kms_helper 52710 1 i915
drm 297056 4 i915,drm_kms_helper
rtsx_pci 45546 2 rtsx_pci_ms,rtsx_pci_sdmmc
wmi 19070 0
video 19318 1 i915
mike-HP-Pavilion-dv7-Notebook-PC ~ #

$ uptime
 02:44:29 up 1 day, 4:13, 3 users, load average: 0.22, 0.37, 0.43

Would an Ubuntu Developer like me to run something with strace? valgrind is useful, but I don't believe the issue is memory leakage.

The computer was purchase while this practice was (and still is) in affect. The computer may have been afflicted at the BIOS level.

http://www.theverge.com/2013/12/29/5253226/nsa-cia-fbi-laptop-usb-plant-spy
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/catalog-reveals-nsa-has-back-doors-for-numerous-devices-a-940994.html

I discovered a log on a hidden from Windows partition through Linux of a BIOS firmware upgrade being taken place on midnight of the New Year 2014 with limited details.
dd if=/dev/mem bs=1k skip=768 count=256 2>/dev/null | strings -n 8
flashrom -L