by Nikola Strahija on January 12th, 2006 Symantec was urged to fix a flaw in Norton SystemWorks that allows an attacker to hide malicious code in a hidden directory used by the product.
The problem surfaced when security experts found out that hackers could misuse the othervise useful Norton Protected Recycle Bin. This feature allows Windows users to restore file types not stored by Windows� own recycle bin after deletion.
Protected recycle bin is located in a hidden folder which anti-virus scanners do not monitor during scheduled or manual scans. The directory was hidden in the first place because Symantec wanted to ensure that users couldn�t accidentally delete its contents.
-In light of current techniques used by malicious attackers, Symantec has re-evaluated the value of hiding this directory, an advisory on its website stated. Symantec has released an automatic update via its LiveUpdate, which makes the directory visible during all types of scan.
-Symantec is not aware of any attempts by hackers to conceal malicious code in the NProtect folder. This update is provided proactively to eliminate the possibility of that type of activity, the advisory concludes.