SAP, McAfee, Symantec reportedly let Russia review their code

Source: CNET

Russia was able to dig for vulnerabilities in software used by the US government, according to Reuters.

SAP, Symantec and McAfee, which all sell their business and security software to clients around the world, allowed Russian authorities to dig into their code, Reuters reported. That's a concern since US federal agencies also use the software, and Russian knowledge of those vulnerabilities presents a security risk, said US lawmakers and security experts cited by Reuters.

In order for the companies to operate in Russia, they had to allows local authorities to look at the code, Reuters said.

The revelation comes amid increased chatter over Russia's potential influence over the US presidential election and an overall concern that we're all increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks.

Reuters said it didn't find any instances where knowledge of the source code played a role in a cyberattack.

Spokesmen for SAP, Symantec and McAfee weren't available for comment.