A story was released on IT News on 14th May 2019 that Microsoft have issued a rare patch for Windows 7 and XP. Microsoft is warning users to apply a critical patch for a remote code execution vulnerability that could attack older versions of Windows. They have warned that the exploit can trigger even when no action has been taken by the user.
“In other words, the vulnerability is ‘wormable’, meaning that any future malware that exploits this vulnerability could propagate from vulnerable computer to vulnerable computer in a similar way as the WannaCry malware spread across the globe in 2017,” Microsoft’s Simon Pope warns.
As with the nasty WannaCry, a widespread attack that locked computers and held them ransom, Microsoft is taking the rare step of issuing security patches for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003—two “dead” out-of-support operating systems—to subdue the latest worm’s impact. Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2 also received critical updates to protect against this new security vulnerability.
“While we have observed no exploitation of this vulnerability, it is highly likely that malicious actors will write an exploit for this vulnerability and incorporate it into their malware,” Pope says “…It is important that affected systems are patched as quickly as possible to prevent a WannaCry-like scenario from happening.”
There is no update for Windows 8 and Windows 10 patches. “It is no coincidence that later versions of Windows are unaffected,” Pope says. “Microsoft invests heavily in strengthening the security of its products, often through major architectural improvements that are not possible to backport to earlier versions of Windows.”
Windows 10 provides stronger protection than past versions of Windows, especially if you’ve the Windows 10 Pro license. However we recommend installing secure Anti-Virus software to stay ahead of advanced threats. Anti-Virus can detect and block commonplace malware you may encounter during day-to-day life.
If you have any questions about the right anti-virus package for you and your hardware, get in touch with Smart. We will provide you with non-biased advice and support and can even install the software for you remotely if required. Contact the team.
