Security outfit Symantec created IT havoc by releasing a diagnostic patch for some of its older Norton productsthat did not identify its origin. The patch sent lots of user firewalls into panic stations, the company admitted.

For some reason the patch for 2006 and 2007 versions of Norton Internet Security and Norton Antivirus, called "PFST.exe," was distributed to collect anonymous statistics on matters such as how many computers are using the products and their operating system.

Jeff Kyle, group product manager for Symantec consumer products, said the software was unsigned and firewalls started prompting users with messages asking them if they trust the patch. Symantec pulled he patch after three hours and then started to delete any forum posts that related to the mistake.

Kyle told CNET  it was not trying to cover up its error but was trying to stop a spam attack. Apparently at the same time that Symantec pulled the patch a spammer created a new account on our forum and minutes after that there were 200 new users all targeting the same thread.  In an first hour there were 600 posts to that thread. Obviously it was a bot creating this, he said.