Microsoft resolves incorrect Defender Antivirus alerts

Coverage from Bleeping Computer indicates that Microsoft has addressed a bug causing false alerts that Microsoft Defender Antivirus was disabled. This issue affected users across supported Windows client and server versions.

The problem, which surfaced in the Windows Insider program as early as June and was acknowledged by Microsoft in late August, led to erroneous notifications in the Windows Security app. These alerts incorrectly stated that Microsoft Defender Antivirus was turned off, despite the software functioning correctly. Microsoft has now resolved this issue with an update to Microsoft Defender Antivirus, version 4.18.26080.4, released on September 17.

This is not the first time Microsoft has had to issue guidance to users regarding incorrect alerts following software updates. Previously, the company addressed similar issues with BitLocker encryption errors, Windows Recovery Environment failures, Windows Firewall alerts, and certificate enrollment errors. Additionally, Microsoft recently released emergency updates to fix problems with Remote Desktop Services, Hyper-V, and USB audio that stemmed from September security updates.

Source: Bleeping Computer