There’s an interesting discussion that’s sprouted up on the Microsoft discussion boards relating to Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) — Microsoft’s out-of-the-box malware prevention software.

A user by the handle “edc678” reports that a virus signature from the “DOS/STONED” virus was uploaded to the bitcoin blockchain. And since we’re only dealing with the virus signature, there doesn’t seem to be a threat to users.

But users of Microsoft Security Essentials are getting a whole lot of grief from their software. MSE is essentially recognizing the signature, reporting it to the user as a threat.

Even worse, when MSE attempts to scrub the “infection” from the computer, it effectively deletes the block chain file, forcing the bitcoin client to re-download it (which many know is a very large file, indeed).

So – what exactly is the DOS/STONED virus?

For starters, it’s over twenty-five years old, and it isn’t nearly as complex as today’s malware. Developed in New Zealand in 1987, a message saying “Your PC is now Stoned!” would appear approximately once every eight boots.

Aforementioned “edc678” took to the discussion board to find three bits of information. Whether or not MSE is detecting the signature of DOS/STONED; That there isn’t danger to bitcoin users; and whether MSE can be updated to bypass these sort of signatures found in the blockchain.

The user writes:

“…as its constant alerts of finding threats in the blockchain is not only worrisome, but can create panic and negative perception of bitcoin as a whole, damaging its reputation and annoying users. It’s important that MSE be updated with a more selective virus detection algorithm for blockchain files.”

Have you had first-hand experience with this scenario?

[textmarker color=”C24000″]Source[/textmarker] Microsoft Community