Symantec has patched a widely reported flaw in the English versions of its corporate antivirus software. The flaw, which affects recent versions of its Client Security and Antivirus Corporate Edition products, is considered serious, and could be exploited by hackers to run unauthorized software on unpatched PCs.It was discovered by rival security vendor eEye Digital Security and first disclosed last Wednesday. Three days later, Symantec patched the problem, according to an alert published Saturday on Symantec’s website.The patches are for English-language versions of Symantec’s products only, and a Symantec spokesman could not say when the complete line of products would be patched. Symantec did not release many details on the flaw, but eEye has warned that it is the kind of vulnerability that could be used to build a self-replicating worm attack, similar to the Blaster and Slammer outbreaks of 2003.That has not happened to date, and Symantec is “not aware of any customers impacted by this vulnerability, or of any exploits of this vulnerability,” the alert said. The problem affects version 3.0 and above of Client Security, and version 10 and above of Antivirus Corporate Edition. Symantec’s Norton line of consumer antivirus products is not affected.A number of other flaws have been reported in Symantec’s security products over the past year. In December, researcher Alex Wheeler discovered a flaw in Symantec’s Antivirus Library that could allow remote attackers to gain control of systems that used Symantec’s products. Research about the flaw can be found online.In October, a critical flaw was found in the company’s Scan Engine software. Information about the flaw can be found online.EEye’s note on the flaw can be found here.-Robert McMillan, IDG News ServiceFor related news coverage, read Flaw Found in Symantec Antivirus. Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content brandpost Sponsored by Freshworks When your AI chatbots mess up AI ‘hallucinations’ present significant business risks, but new types of guardrails can keep them from doing serious damage By Paul Gillin Dec 08, 2023 4 mins Generative AI brandpost Sponsored by Dell New research: How IT leaders drive business benefits by accelerating device refresh strategies Security leaders have particular concerns that older devices are more vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks. By Laura McEwan Dec 08, 2023 3 mins Infrastructure Management case study Toyota transforms IT service desk with gen AI To help promote insourcing and quality control, Toyota Motor North America is leveraging generative AI for HR and IT service desk requests. By Thor Olavsrud Dec 08, 2023 7 mins Employee Experience Generative AI ICT Partners feature CSM certification: Costs, requirements, and all you need to know The Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) certification sets the standard for establishing Scrum theory, developing practical applications and rules, and leading teams and stakeholders through the development process. By Moira Alexander Dec 08, 2023 8 mins Certifications IT Skills Project Management Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe