Microsoft Investigates Bug That Mistakenly Flags Chromium-Based Apps as Malware

Windows' "Defender" software is supposed to detect malware. But its Microsoft team is now investigating reports that it's mistakenly flagging Electron-based or Chromium-based applications - as malware. "It's a false positive, and your computer is OK," wites the blog Windows Central:This morning, many people worldwide experienced Microsoft Defender warning them of a recurring virus threat.... People on Reddit are "freaking out" over not just a reported threat from Microsoft Defender but one that keeps popping up and recurring despite the alleged threat being blocked. The threat is revealed in a pop-up message noting that "Behavior:Win32/Hive.ZY" has been detected and is listed as "severe." However, after taking action to rectify the issue, it does not go away, and the user will keep receiving the same prompt. The reminder may return after 20 seconds, with the cycle repeating endlessly. This detection appears to be a false positive, according to a Microsoft Support forum... From DaveM121, an Independent Advisor:[I]t is a bug currently being reported by hundreds of people at the moment, it seems to be related to all Chromium based web browsers and Electron based apps like Whatsapp, Discord, Spotify, etc.... Also affected are Google Chrome and even Microsoft Edge, as well as "anything that runs Visual Studio Code," according to the article. "The problem seems to originate from Defender's Definition/Update Version 1.373.1508.0, meaning Microsoft needs to update that file, and the issue should be resolved."

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