Microsoft Defender SmartScreen has blocked this unsafe content

dirkdirk
(@dirkdirk)

3 years, 10 months ago

Madam, Sir,

I have for about two years enjoyed the use of your pdfjs-viewer on a website with Elementor using the shortcode version.

You can see this at: https://reddemostheuvellaan.be/verhaal-van-de-bomen/ where the shortcode for the pdf reads: [pdfjs-viewer url=https://reddemostheuvellaan.be/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/190924-JP-Inventarisatie-en-waardebepaling-paardenkastanjes-Mostheuvellaan-e.pdf viewer_width=600px viewer_height=1200px fullscreen=false download=true print=true]
This page also shows up well in the browser Microsoft Edge.

On another site that I have created this worked well I thought. I must admit that I may not have tested it on Microsoft Edge which is not my main browser and has only a 5% market share. But my sites should still show up well on Microsoft Edge.

With the shortcode version of you plugin I encountered problems with the Edge browser on a page like https://jghva.be/wedstrijdkalender-2022-retrievers-elementor-pdfjs-2/. There I got the “Microsoft Defender SmartScreen has blocked this unsafe content” message. I don’t like that.

And I hope you can provide me a solution to this problem. I can use other pdf viewers. But I prefer yours.

I look forward to your swift reply.
Kind regards,
Dirk Janssens
Malle, Belgium

The page I need help with: [log in to see the link]

Viewing 13 replies - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)

goviral
(@goviral)

3 years, 8 months ago
This seems to be an ongoing problem with this plugin and Edge browser.

I have also received the same error message. I did report it as not a suspicious site a couple of times and I hope that this will help to remove it eventually.

If I find a better solution, I’ll come back and let you know.

Screenshot: https://imgur.com/a/CY0k00c
- This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by goviral. Reason: added screenshot
Florence
(@floortjahh)

3 years, 7 months ago

Hi, has anyone found a solution to this yet? This issue kind of makes the plugin unusable.

nherber
(@nherber)

3 years, 7 months ago

I get the same result and I have reported the site as safe to Microsoft – they want 24 hours to look at it. Curiously, one of the PDFs displays without the red screen of death, but the rest on different pages are blocked. This includes a single page title-card PDF that I use as a placeholder while waiting for content from presenters.

This one is OK: https://oarc.net/ve2cra-repeaters/

This one fails: https://oarc.net/executive/

This single-page placeholder fails: https://oarc.net/2022-10-12-john-portune-w6nbc-magnetic-loops/

Please note that the placeholder will disappear after 2022-10-12.

nherber
(@nherber)

3 years, 7 months ago

It has now been about 24 hours since I filed the report with Microsoft, and all of the PDFs now display without triggering the Defender SmartScreen warning. Possibly they just whitelisted the base URL. No idea what the problem is/was or what the solution is/was because the reporting process is like dropping a letter into a black hole.

Plugin Author Thomas McMahon
(@twistermc)

3 years, 7 months ago

Does this issue still happen with the beta Alternative PDF Loading version?

nherber
(@nherber)

3 years, 7 months ago

I can’t answer that question because I have no idea of where to find the beta version. Also, of the 3 URLs I reported above, they ALL displayed properly a day after I reported to Microsoft and made no other changes. However, as of today, the last URL is showing the red screen of death.

andyggraves
(@andyggraves)

3 years, 6 months ago

hi there,
is there any news on this?
Still facing the problems below…
Microsoft Defender SmartScreen has blocked this unsafe content
trbhicks
(@trbhicks)

3 years, 6 months ago
Is there a way to report this to Microsoft except through the users who have Defender in place?
- This reply was modified 3 years, 6 months ago by trbhicks.
Plugin Author Thomas McMahon
(@twistermc)

3 years, 6 months ago

Is anyone trying the Alternative PDF Loading version which can be enabled in the settings?

I don’t have any updates otherwise.

theonewhoneedshelp
(@usamaqasem)

3 years, 6 months ago

@dirkdirk I saw your pdf is showing, how did you fix it?
Any updates from anyone?

nherber
(@nherber)

3 years, 6 months ago

To answer some of the questions above, I have made absolutely no change to the plugin and now all of the PDFs display correctly. The only change has been an upgrade to WP ver 6.1.
As for reporting to Microsoft, when the red screen of death appeared it had some links on it to report the page, including one for the “owner” of the site. It takes you to a form to fill where you essentially say what your site is, is it family friendly, is it selling anything, etc.
I did fill that in, but it only “fixed” a few of the PDF displays.

Boundary
(@boundarynursery)

3 years, 5 months ago

I uploaded all my pdf files to the WordPress Media Library and copied all the links to them. Then on a page, I just put a link to that pdf file.

BUT most if not all, show the blocking Microsoft Defender SmartScreen. What used to be a popular section of my website has dramatically dropped in visitors!

I have filled in Microsoft’s form: “Report that this site doesn’t contain phishing threats” and had to put all the pdf addresses in that were displaying the red screen of death, but I am not holding my breath!

So I do not believe that this is a plugin problem.
Also, many website owners may not realise this is going on.

Adrian
(@adriandw)

3 years ago

I’ve been using this plugin very successfully but users using the Edge browser on desktops (Windows or Mac) have started seeing the “SmartScreen has blocked this unsafe content” red screen of death.
This happens on some but not all my sites (all with the same hosting provider). Filling in the online feedback form hasn’t helped.
Edge on my iPhone is OK and no other browser reports problems.

You can see the problem at 2023 Spring Talks : Winchester Photographic Society (winphotosoc.uk)

I have arranged that (for users of the Edge browser on desktop only) the same PDF is displayed using the Gutenberg File block which works fine.

So there must be something about the code in this plugin which is susceptible to being treated as a scam.