WannaCrypt Patch for Windows XP?

jrepperger

Why did Microsoft decide to patch XP to fix the exploit used by this ransomware if they stopped supporting it in 2014? I thought for sure they'd completely cut off anything to do with with XP at all. Do you think there may be more security patches in the future since they're acknowledging that a lot of people still use XP in businesses and hospitals?

yourepicfailure

Mainly because it would look bad if they don't, and you said it yourself:

they're acknowledging that a lot of people still use XP in businesses and hospitals?

But no, this is likely the one in a million that microsoft actually patched an unsupported os.

I've got a Server 2003 vm to spare, I actually want to go download this virus and see what gives.

jrepperger

you said it yourself

Yeah true, I tend to do that.

I wonder if they'd do this if another one in a million widespread virus comes up in the future, or if they'll just push even harder for everyone to leave XP for real this time. Again.

Bry89

Well, those businesses had it coming for not getting up their backsides and take the time to upgrade their bloody machines, and lack of funding is not an excuse. And, I hope that's not the first patch Microsoft has made for XP since they cut support for it. If there's going to be another, then something's wrong. Very wrong.

SomeGuy

Those businesses had it coming for not implementing network security. Who would have thought that exposing SMB ports to the internet and/or shared public networks would still be an issue after all the vulnerabilities in the past?

I remember back in the 95 days when one could connect to any shared folder with a Linux box, change directory to "\..", or some such, and see the entire user's hard drive.

THIS TIME it looks like Windows 10 was not affected, but don't be so sure and smug that that won't be the case next time.

BigCJ

Microsoft just fueled the fire they've been trying to extinguish. Releasing a patch for XP now is going to make the few hold-outs (who thank God are a minority) stick with XP that much longer. Honestly, I don't know any place that still uses XP except for a couple point-of-sale machines. The warehouse where I used to work, the local hospital, just about every place I can think of has upgraded to Win7.

yourepicfailure wrote:

Mainly because it would look bad if they don't

My entire point here is that keeping XP patched and up-to-date is not Microsoft's problem anymore, it shouldn't be held against them if they refuse to fix an OS they dropped support of more than three years ago.

How do you even get this ransomware crap? I don't get strange e-mails with infected documents or go to shady warez sites, so I have no clue.

30-286

I worked for one of the largest multi-national cargo companies in the world and every single machine on the warehouse floor ran XP. XP is not going away because this company refuses to spend any money to replace all the very old Dell Optiplexes they have on the floor.

BlueSun

I think they pretty much had to release this patch simply because there's still so many businesses running XP. But it's dropping all the time... I wouldn't get used to receiving these kind of patches.

As far as WannaCry goes... There seems to be a lot of people that think this SMB vulnerability is the only way to get this virus, but that's just not the case. The primary way it gains a foothold in a network is through malicious email attachments.

Also, even if you didn't receive patches, this vulnerability attacks SMB v1.... turn that shit off. You most likely don't need it unless you have some ancient clients and also, please, please, please... turn file sharing off on workstation machines and non-file share / DC servers... If you aren't explicitly sharing files with other machines, then you don't need that feature running.

And further more, every box should have a firewall on and configured... if you're not providing services to the network, block all inbound traffic. You can pretty much stop infections like this dead in their tracks with some simple network security.

You can (and should) go even further by blocking workstation-to-workstation communication on your switches... especially if you're running a large enterprise network. Workstations don't need to talk to each other.

Slight mini rant, but I've been dealing with this all day.