$ 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