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WeChat Work said on Saturday afternoon that a third-party plug-in software service was compromised, causing corporate accounts related to brands such as Nike and Anker to send messages suspected of directing users to pornographic content. The affected accounts have been forcibly logged out and the relevant links have been banned, according to an announcement released by WeChat Work.

According to the announcement, the WeChat Work security team has completed its investigation and confirmed that the root cause was the compromise of a third-party plug-in software, which affected accounts using that service.

The incident drew widespread attention after netizens reported on Saturday morning that corporate WeChat accounts linked to brands including Nike and Anker had sent pornographic messages. Some netizens complained to the relevant brands' customer service, which responded that an urgent investigation was underway and reminded users not to click the link.

To safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of enterprises and users and maintain a secure and healthy platform ecosystem, WeChat Work said it would step up crackdown on unauthorized plug-in software.

It will continue scanning and removing such plug-ins, while improving its ability to detect and respond to unauthorized plug-in activities, including client software tampering and attempts to circumvent platform security controls and usage limits. The platform will keep targeting the development and sale of these tools and hold relevant parties legally accountable, said WeChat Work.

WeChat Work will impose penalties on accounts using unauthorized plug-ins in line with its terms and rules, based on the severity of violations. Businesses and users relying on these plug-ins are urged to discontinue use immediately and check their accounts for security risks to prevent further disruptions to their operations and customer service.

Global Times