Symantec has issued a patch for a vulnerability in its corporate antivirus software that could allow an unauthorized person to access a company"s servers. The flaw, in version 9 of its AntiVirus Corporate Edition product, exposes the server login name and password used by the administrator who authorizes updates to the software, Symantec says.
The AntiVirus product comes with a LiveUpdate client that can be set to check for product updates. After the client receives the updates from the LiveUpdate server, information about the transaction is stored in a local log file.
The LiveUpdate server login and password are included in that log file as clear text, Symantec says. The file is accessible to all users on the system, meaning workers across the enterprise could view the login name and password. The danger is most apparent if that same login and password are used for accessing other, more critical corporate systems.