![]() This month's patches, released on Tuesday, clean up vulnerabilities that could be attacked with The Shadow Broker exploits as well as older issues, some going back as far as nine years, that could still pose a risk. Those updates blocked attacks using exploits likely stolen from the National Security Agency and released by a mysterious group called The Shadow Brokers (see WannaCry Outbreak: Microsoft Issues Emergency XP Patch). Microsoft took an unprecedented step in May to patch older systems. Microsoft published a list of 15 vulnerabilities it believes are at "imminent risk" of being exploited, some of which date back to 20. "Our decision today to release these security updates for platforms not in extended support should not be viewed as a departure from our standard servicing policies," writes Eric Doerr, general manager of Microsoft's Security Response Center, in a blog post. But the company sought to emphasize that updates for older systems will not be routine. ![]() ![]() It's the second time in a month Microsoft has taken the unprecedented move to patch those systems, which include Windows XP, Server 2003, Vista and Windows 8. See Also: OnDemand | API Protection – The Strategy of Protecting Your APIs On Tuesday, it released software fixes again for its older operating systems in hopes of averting a repeat of last month's infection of tens of thousands of computers with ransomware. Windows XP's market share, however, is expected to drop significantly in the coming months, especially because many large companies with thousands of computers are projected to complete the transition to a newer operating system by the end of the year.Microsoft fears that nation-state actors may unleash viral code that could devastate users. Stats released earlier this month indicate that more than 25 percent of the desktop computers worldwide are still running it right now, despite the many warnings released by Microsoft in the last couple of years. “While it's true that you can keep using your PC with Windows XP after support ends, we don’t recommend it.”Īnd still, that doesn't necessarily mean that users are ready to give up on Windows XP. “For starters, it’ll become five times more vulnerable to security risks and viruses, which means you could get hacked and have your personal information stolen,” Microsoft said. Microsoft has been telling the same thing for months, warning that once support comes to an end, Windows XP computers are very likely to become hackers' preferred target due to the large market share this operating system still owns. ![]() The difference is that all the other Windows builds will actually get patches, while XP systems are left vulnerable to attacks. XP computers won't be getting any other updates, which makes users still running it even more vulnerable because some of the vulnerabilities found in the other Windows versions could also exist on Windows XP. The remaining five bulletins are considered to be of a critical severity rating and are supposed to address flaws in Office and Windows, the company revealed.Īs you can see, Windows XP is again left out of Patch Tuesday, after the software giant pulled the plug on it on April 8. The remote code execution vulnerability exists in the majority of versions, with the exception of Office 2013. No other details have been provided right now, as Microsoft still wants to keep users protected until it officially rolls out the patches.Ī second bulletin is supposed to repair a critical hole in Windows and Office. The first bulletin is supposed to address a critical security flaw in all versions of Internet Explorer, including the very latest Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 8.1. In the advance notification for this month's Patch Tuesday updates, Microsoft said that two of the vulnerabilities it found are critical and affect Internet Explorer, Windows, and Office. Microsoft will launch a set of seven different security updates next week, as part of its monthly Patch Tuesday rollout, with Windows XP again to be left out and thus not getting any improvements that could block potential exploits.
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