Symantec Fixes Third-Party ActiveX Bug

issued a fix for a third-party vulnerability

Cupertino, Calif.-based Symantec said the flaws affect its Automated Support Assistant, Norton AntiVirus 2006, Norton Internet Security 2006 and Norton System Works 2006 software. Symantec's 2007 Consumer, Norton 360, and corporate and enterprise products aren't affected, the company noted.

SupportSoft, which makes software that allows vendors to remotely coordinate troubleshooting and technical support, posted updates on its Web site for a remote code execution vulnerability in its SmartIssue, RemoteAssist and Probe ActiveX controls on the 5.6 and 6.x versions of its software.

When an end user's PC has a problem with a vendor's software, the vendor remotely installs SupportSoft's software on the machine to diagnose the cause of the issue. The ActiveX controls in SupportSoft's software could allow remote attackers to execute malicious code or gain unauthorized access to the user's PC, SupportSoft said.

However, a hacker would need to trick a user into visiting a malicious Web site to exploit the vulnerability, according to a Friday advisory from Danish security firm Secunia.

Secunia rated the severity of the flaw as "highly critical," or 4 on a 5-point scale, and Symantec Deepsight weighed in with an 8.3 rating out of 10.