Huge Security Hole Found in Symantec Antivirus Software

[dbarrow]

http://www.dailytech.com/Article.aspx?newsid=2561

Symantec is working hard to investigate a possible security flaw found in its antivirus software. Researchers at eEye Digital Security uncovered a vulnerability that would allow a hacker to take complete control of a host machine. ...

*read some of the comments

[mylanta]

Larry,
Can this possibly be true?

[casey]

Larry,
Can this possibly be true?

Probably, but did you stop using Microsofts Operating systems or browsers when they found holes in them?

[mylanta]

Just wanted to see if you were paying attention...and actually I have been playing with Linux because of this and have not decided to take the plunge. But then there has never been a bad update or security flaw in my antivirus program.

[Terry Hanushek]

Doug

*read some of the comments
Sounds just like the AV debates we have here on Kicken. :eek: Kinda like talking about religion and the New Deal.

Larry made a good point that no one here has dropped Windows as their o/s just because of a reported security 'hole'.

Terry

[mylanta]

Doug


Sounds just like the AV debates we have here on Kicken. :eek: Kinda like talking about religion and the New Deal.

Larry made a good point that no one here has dropped Windows as their o/s just because of a reported security 'hole'.

Terry


Does anyone really see the correlation between a program that has a problem and an operating system...I mean there are 15 other antivirus programs to use but how many other operating systems. I have never understood this answer. Larry, have you used other OS because of the problem?

[dbarrow]

Will you boys relax and back away from the grill....
Somebody found a flaw ... big deal
Symantec is now aware of it and working to fix it.
It has not yet been used as an exploit.
I'm sure it will be fixed before it is.

What I found funny was the same anti-Norton flaming we see often going on in the comments.
This gets so much like debating religon or politics ....

[casey]

Does anyone really see the correlation between a program that has a problem and an operating system...I mean there are 15 other antivirus programs to use but how many other operating systems. I have never understood this answer. Larry, have you used other OS because of the problem?

No I haven't, but then I'm not worried about the hole in Symantec either, so why would I use another AV.
As for using other OS's, I must say I have tried a variety of Linux. The latest being SUSE which I still have on a computer somewhere around here. Over the years I have tried OS2 Warp Connect, DR-DOS and just aout
all the Linux versions that came out. But still stayed with Microsoft....

[Terry Hanushek]

Symantec has acknowledged the vulnerability in its Norton Antivirus product as a high impact risk and has issued a range of intrusion detection signatures (IDS) and intrusion prevention signatures as an interim fix for users.

Researchers at intrusion prevention software company eEye Digital Security brought the vulnerability to the attention of Symantec and the world yesterday. Symantec has since confirmed the vulnerability as genuine and affecting its Symantec Client Security 3.1 and Antivirus Corporate Edition 10.1 products.
Emphasis added

Article at:
http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/4443/53/

It seems that this vulnerability only affects the corporate version. I guess we can back down from Defcon 3 :)

Terry

[dbarrow]

Symantec patches antivirus worm hole

http://news.com.com/Symantec+patches+antivirus+worm+hole/2100-1002_3-6078160.html?tag=cd.top

Users of Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition and Symantec Client Security should apply the appropriate update as soon as possible, Vincent Weafer, a senior director at Symantec Security Response, said Tuesday. However, because there are no known attacks that exploit the flaw, the need to patch is not urgent, he added.

[Pi rules]

Oh well...there are flaws with every product out there, hackers just try to exploit the most popular products.

Rich, give Linux another chance. It's awesome!

[mylanta]

Oh well...there are flaws with every product out there, hackers just try to exploit the most popular products.

Rich, give Linux another chance. It's awesome!

PI, there is no other way I can get to internet but wireless and I have 9 versions laying around here none of which even came close to recognizing that. I am done trying to do that and not about to start dialing up at this stage of my life....