Microsoft corrects a new security vulnerability in Windows XP



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Unusually, Microsoft today released a security patch for Windows XP, which has not been officially released since 2014.

"Today, Microsoft has released fixes for a remote code execution critical vulnerability in Remote Desktop Services, formerly known as Terminal Services, affecting some older versions of Windows," says the document. support desk. "The Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) itself is not vulnerable … [Instead,] the vulnerability is "wormable", which means that any future malware exploiting this vulnerability could spread from a vulnerable computer to a vulnerable computer in the same way as the WannaCry malware spread around the world Although we have not seen any exploitation of this vulnerability, it is very likely that malicious actors will write a exploit for this vulnerability and incorporate it into their malware. "

Vulnerable systems include Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, two software not supported by Microsoft, as well as Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2.

"Customers running Windows 8 and Windows 10 are not affected by this vulnerability, and it's no coincidence that later versions of Windows are not concerned," summarizes the support note in a bit of marketing. "Microsoft is investing heavily in enhancing the security of its products, often through major architectural improvements that it's not possible to transfer to earlier versions of Windows."

Although publishing an update for Windows XP is unusual, it is not unprecedented. Microsoft legitimately and secretly corrected a serious flaw in the platform after the end date of its support when WannaCry destroyed the National Health Service in the UK in 2017. (A person familiar with the subject told me that Microsoft had little choice, despite its desire never to update XP again.)

If you are running Windows XP for any reason, you can obtain the fix for this latest vulnerability from the Microsoft Support website.

Tagged with Windows XP

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