Hackers briefly used Microsoft’s official X account to promote an unofficial cryptocurrency tied to the company’s old Clippy assistant, according to the company and reports from the incident. The posts stayed up for roughly 30 minutes before they were removed.
Microsoft later confirmed that its X account had been accessed without authorization, said it had secured the account, and said it was investigating how the breach happened. The company also rejected any suggestion that the token had any legitimate connection to Microsoft, its branding, or ownership in the company.
Promotional posts appeared on Microsoft’s account
The compromised account was used to circulate Clippy-themed promotional content, including reposted messages and a profile image linked to the campaign. The token being pushed was identified as CLIPPY, and one of the promoting accounts was listed as Clippy MSFT.
According to the source report, the campaign included claims that the token had more than $200,000 in liquidity pools. It also allegedly suggested some form of backing connected to Microsoft shares, but no verified evidence was presented to support those assertions.
Microsoft denied any connection to the token
After the promotional activity, a separate statement briefly appeared from Microsoft distancing itself from the token. In that message, the company said there was no authorization to market a cryptocurrency using Microsoft intellectual property, including Clippy.
Microsoft also said the token had no link to the company’s stock ticker or to any ownership rights in Microsoft Corporation. The statement further said legal action would be pursued to seek removal of the token and related marketing materials.
Posts were removed and the account was secured
The promotional posts were deleted about half an hour after they first appeared. An apology was also posted and later removed, according to the report.
Microsoft told The Verge that the messages did not originate from the company. It said it had secured access to the account, removed the unauthorized content, and was continuing to investigate the cause of the breach.
What is confirmed so far
The confirmed facts remain limited but clear: Microsoft says its official X account was compromised, the account was used to advertise an unauthorized Clippy-themed token, and the content was taken down shortly afterward.
Beyond that, the company has not publicly explained how the takeover occurred. The next confirmed step is Microsoft’s ongoing investigation into the breach, alongside its stated effort to challenge use of its branding in connection with the token.
Source: crypto.news