The source code of Windows XP is currently freely accessible. The media says that data first appeared on 4chan and is currently being exchanged with torrents online.
If the leak is confirmed, that would be very bad news for many companies. Because Windows XP devices are used even more frequently in the system than many are aware of. A final check is still pending and will probably be a few days away. This means, the greatest danger will remain for all users of the corresponding systems. Windows XP runs in older production systems. The last security update for Windows came out 6 years ago; since then Microsoft has stopped its support.
XP Users Should Update To The Latest Version
Cyber criminals could quickly get a very detailed insight into the remaining vulnerabilities of Windows XP and shortly afterwards roll out the first wave of the new malware. All Windows XP users are now urgently advised to update their system to the latest Windows version.
In case of doubt, it is also conceivable to take the systems off the grid for the time being in order not to take any unnecessary risk until the situation has been clarified. The best measures must be assessed on a basis; If it is not possible to change the system for whatever reason, the components should be isolated from the rest of the network in order to prevent them from spreading to the entire system from the outset.
It also never hurts to keep your malware solution up to date in order to detect an attack early. Although this cannot guarantee security, it is an initial defense against the coming attacks of cyber criminals.
It’s not immediately clear how much of the Windows XP source code is included in this leak. But one Windows internals expert has already found Microsoft’s NetMeeting user certificate root signing keys.
