Microsoft's Antivirus Briefly Flags Google.com As Malicious

tsu doh nimh writes "Computers running Microsoft's antivirus and security software may be flagging google.com — the world's most-visited Web site — as malicious, apparently due to a faulty Valentine's Day security update shipped by Microsoft. For several hours on Tuesday, PC users browsing with Internet Explorer on a machine equipped with Microsoft Security Essentials or Forefront saw warnings that Google.com was serving up a 'severe' threat – Exploit:JS/Blacole.BW — basically that google.com was supposedly infected with a Blackhole exploit kit. The warning prompted users to 'delete' the threat, although accepting the default action appeared to cause no ill result. The episode is more embarrassing than harmful, given that Microsoft is expected to ship antivirus technology with the next version of Windows."

Comments

Did not see the behavior on a Win8 VM

[AndGodSed]

Incidentally I was doing a google search from a Win8 VM and did not see this behavior. I _did_ get a notification to update my spyware/malware definitions for Windows Defender as well, so maybe my definitions did not yet include this snafu.

Of course I have updated post Vday, so cannot confirm this behavior now, even with an older snapshot.

Re:And here I thought Windows was the real virus..

[mr_gorkajuice]

It might have been kinda funny some 5+ years ago when someone first told it. Maybe if I came across it less than once per week, I'd eventually find it kind of amusing again.