The insertion of Rootkit-type features in their products seems to have become somewhat of a habit for some of the most important companies on the entertainment and IT markets. But when such hacker-type tactics are used by security companies, who, in this way, leave backdoors wide open for attacks, the situation really becomes critical.

Thus, anti-virus vendor Symantec Corp admitted that it was deliberately hiding a directory from Windows APIs as a feature to stop customers from accidentally deleting files but, prompted by warnings from security experts, the company shipped a SystemWorks update to eliminate the risk, according to eWeek.
A spokesman for Symantec referenced the similar problem in which Sony BMG has been recently involved in a statement sent to eWEEK, but downplayed the risk to consumers. “In light of current techniques used by today’s malicious attackers, Symantec re-evaluated the value of hiding the [previously cloaked] directory. Though the chance of an attacker using [it] as a possible attack vector is extremely slim, Symantec’s update further protects computers by displaying the directory,” the spokesman said.
Mark Russinovich, the Windows internals guru who blew the whistle on Sony’s controversial DRM rootkit, was credited with the SystemWorks discovery along with researchers at Finnish anti-virus vendor F-Secure Corp.
Russinovich, creator of the RootkitRevealer anti-rootkit utility, said the use of rootkit-type features by commercial vendors is “very worrisome.”
In any case, all’s well that ends well. Now, the users of Norton SystemWorks can download the patch now through LiveUpdate. “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.”
Ok, this time they’ve managed to fix this situation just in time. But I can’t help but wonder, just how many companies out there are using such features? Just how endangered are we, the users?