Some Windows 10 apps show malware ads

Several applications in Windows 10 show notifications that there are viruses on the system via fraudulent advertisements. They appear in apps that come pre-installed on the operating system.

Ghacks spotted the first reports. Later, the problem also appeared on a German support page of Microsoft, and now the American page also reports this. The ads show a text stating that the user is a victim of a virus and that they should have their PC scanned quickly. There are also reports of advertisements telling the user that they have won a prize and that they should click on a link.

That link leads to a page where a program called Reimage Repair can be downloaded. Windows Defender marks that program as “potentially dangerous,” but the software doesn’t block it. Some other virus scanners do. The ads are often arranged in such a way that they appear to come from Windows.

The ads mainly appear in Microsoft applications, which are installed by default on Windows 10, such as the News and Weather apps. These are loaded by Microsoft itself. On its own forums, Microsoft recommends clicking away the ads.

Source: