Security vendor
Symantec has admitted to
using a rootkit-like technology in its Norton SystemWorks
appliction.
The company admitted in a
security
advisory that the technology hides a directory from the user and the
operating system.
"Files in the directory might not be scanned during scheduled or manual virus
scans. This could potentially provide a location for an attacker to hide a
malicious file on a computer," the vendor stated.
The technology aims to help the user recover files without running the risk
of accidentally deleting them.
"In light of current techniques used by malicious attackers, Symantec has
re-evaluated the value of hiding this directory," the advisory continued.
The security vendor has published an update that can be downloaded through
Symantec LiveUpdate. The update requires a system reboot.
The firm emphasised that it is not aware of any attempts by hackers or worm
authors to exploit the feature.
Symantec credited fellow security vendor
F-Secure and software
developer Mark
Russinovich with finding the vulnerability.
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