Microsoft Sends Malware-Like Notifications to Windows 10 Devices by Mistake

[The AchieVer]

Microsoft Sends Malware-Like Notifications to Windows 10 Devices by Mistake 

A notification test conducted by Microsoft accidentally reached production devices, making a number of Windows 10 users believe their computers got infected with malware.

The notifications, which were seemingly sent by Microsoft Movies, included weird titles that once again suggested a possible virus infection.

“Test notification,” “thsi test notification,” and “this is test notification” are some of the messages that appeared on Windows 10 devices and then saved in the Action Center.

Clicking on one of these notifications launched Microsoft News, but the app then failed with a standard “an error occurred” message. Refreshing the page didn’t make any difference.

Users who received the messages described them on reddit (another thread here) as “suspicious” and several of them thought the notifications were submitted by malware.

“I found three of them this morning. They’re all suspicious, but the first two were oddly stated and misspelled. I panicked and almost wiped the machine,” one user explains.Issue already fixedA Microsoft engineer explained in the reddit thread that it was all just a test and the notifications weren’t supposed to reach production devices.

“Due to a configuration error in the Windows 10 News app notifications (English edition), some customers reported seeing test notifications. This issue was resolved on March 29th via a configuration update for existing versions. We have also released a new version of the app that addresses the issue. The notification does not affect the application or use, and this issue should now be resolved,” the message reads.

At the time of writing this article, the issue is presumably resolved, so no such notifications should be sent to your devices. While it’s hard to understand how such blunders occur, especially because production devices are involved, it’s believed that only a small number of computers actually received the odd messages.

 

 

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[The AchieVer]

Microsoft explains 'weird' Windows 10 'Thsi test notification' that freaked out users

Microsoft alarms Windows 10 users by sending random and misspelled messages through its News app.

 

 

 

Microsoft says a "configuration error" in the Windows 10 News app was the cause of users seeing nonsensical notifications that made some of them think their machines had been infected with malware.  

 

Something went wrong last Friday at the Microsoft unit that oversees the Windows 10 News app.    

 

Windows 10 users on Reddit started to report seeing "weird" notifications from the Microsoft News app titled 'My Movies', accompanied by the message: "This is a test notification".  

 

It was then followed by the dodgy-looking "Thsi test notification". Some users also received a third notification, simply stating "Test Notification".  

 

The notifications confused users who couldn't tell whether it was just a mystery bug or a malware infection, prompting some to consider wiping their machines.  

 

A user on Microsoft's answers forums was not impressed with Microsoft, demanding answers about how the messages could appear in the app when their Norton Security and Malwarebytes anti-malware systems had not detected any malware. 

 

"I do not subscribe to ANYTHING called "My Movies." I have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA how this GARBAGE ended up in my Microsoft News Notification area (in the little Notifications area on the right side of the Taskbar)," wrote saganized.  

 

"Would you please explain how this happened? If ANYONE should know, YOU should; it's YOUR OPERATING SYSTEM. Has the Microsoft News Notifications feed been HACKED???? Are there any others who have seen this behavior in their Notifications area?" 

 

 

On Reddit, some users saw the humorous side of what Microsoft has now confirmed was just a configuration error on its side.  

 

"I bet there's some tech at Microsoft right now who will never live 'thsi' down," wrote Reddit user talsincom.   

"Someone had a bit to drink on the job lol," replied bobsagefullhouse.  

 

Microsoft support staff yesterday explained the situation in posts on Reddit and its own answers forum, this time without a single spelling error.  

"Due to a configuration error in the Windows 10 News app notifications (English edition), some customers reported seeing test notifications," wrote the Microsoft staffer. 

 

"This issue was resolved on March 29 via a configuration update for existing versions. We have also released a new version of the app that addresses the issue. The notification does not affect the application or use, and this issue should now be resolved." 

 

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