Still running Windows XP? Leaked source code is a red flag
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Key notes
- Microsoft confirms that the newly-leaked source code for Windows XP is indeed legitimate.
- The leak doesn't present any danger to software developers. However, it affects daily users.
- Since protection is mandatory, take a look at these free antimalware tools for Windows XP.
- Interested in discovering the latest articles about the digital world? Just visit our News Hub.
Reports have constantly emerged during the past few days regarding the source code of Windows XP and other operating systems. As confirmed by Microsoft, it has indeed leaked online.
Microsoft is aware of the incident and an official statement reveals their plans:
We are investigating the matter.
While the leak does have an impact on certain privacy-conscious users, it poses no real threat to software developers.
In fact, while this seems to be a big problem for many, some users aren’t at all affected by the leaked source code. Here’s what one of them said:
Much of my equipment is older and the software only supports up to XP. With XP being the best operating system, I don’t really mind.
Which Microsoft Windows source codes have been leaked?
The sources under discussion were initially published last week on a file-sharing site called Mega (4chan), with the actual OS codes packed in a torrent file that weighs in at just under 43GB.
Then, they got leaked all over the Internet. Besides Windows XP, the pack includes the source code for a variety of older Microsoft operating systems as well:
- Windows Server 2003
- Windows 2000
- MS-DOS 3.30
- MS-DOS 6.0
- Windows CE 3
- Windows CE 4
- Windows CE 5
- Windows NT 3.5
- Windows NT 4
- Windows Embedded 7
- Windows Embedded CE
As you can see, none of the platforms included in the leaked file are modern.
For example, Embedded used to be Microsoft’s connected experiences platform currently replaced by Windows IoT.
Even Windows XP hasn’t been supported by Microsoft since 2014. However, it’s still there and this means one thing.
Vulnerabilities of all kinds do exist on the millions of computers that still run it, even if Windows XP has a tiny market share.
Therefore, are you willing to break the old habit and try something new or do you intend to keep on using Windows XP and risk hackers create new exploits targeting this OS?
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