Relations between tech giant's Microsoft and Google may not have always been rosy, but this latest incident is sure to further exasperate their issues. On Friday morning, an update to Microsoft Security Essentials mistakenly flagged Google Chrome as malware. Users who followed the program's instructions wound up having the browser removed from their computer.
The issue was obviously a mistake, as false positives happen from time to time, but that will do little to calm the ire of those who had their browser automatically removed. The rumor is that MSE flagged Google Chrome as part of the Zues malware family due to the program's communication with a central server. While the details are unconfirmed, it makes some sense that MSE could see this activity as malicious. However, it's kind of odd that the MSE testers never checked the update for false positives on such a major program.
According to a SlashGear article, Microsoft has corrected the issue later in the morning and issued updated signatures for MSE. Google has also issued a set of instructions for people affected by the mistake, which pretty much just says to ensure that Chrome has been deleted, update MSE, and then reinstall Google Chrome.
The issue of foul-play is sure to rear its ugly head over this, although claims to that effect are fairly out of line. False positives do happen, and while Microsoft should have had a better testing process in place, sometimes even the best systems let mistakes slip through.
Image from Wikipedia.
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