maintenance hook

A trapdoor in software that allows easy maintenance and development of additional features and that may allow entry into the program at unusual points or without the usual checks. [2382-pt.8] 2. Special instructions (trapdoors) in software allowing easy maintenance and additional feature development. Since maintenance hooks frequently allow entry into the code without the usual checks, they are a serious security risk if they are not removed prior to live implementation. [INFOSEC-99]