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Microsoft Patches ‘Wormable’ Flaw in Windows XP, 7 and Windows 2003

krebsonsecurity.com

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Re: Microsoft Patches ‘Wormable’ Flaw in Windows XP, 7 and Windows 2003

#11

Post by Carpetsmoker »

baroffoos wrote: post #7

I don't understand why they would do this. If I was a microsoft manager I would be glad something like this happened because it would force people off of old OSs without having the bad rep of doing it through nag popups. Now everyone on XP will feel safe because its still getting updates.

In the real world, there understaffed IT departments, insufficient budgets, time-consuming logistics, and complex systems which are not easily upgraded. Microsoft's options here are either "to hell with it, not my problem, just let the world burn" or taking responsibility and fixing problems which will affect people.

Re: Microsoft Patches ‘Wormable’ Flaw in Windows XP, 7 and Windows 2003

#12

Post by sagebird »

baroffoos wrote: post #7

I don't understand why they would do this. If I was a microsoft manager I would be glad something like this happened because it would force people off of old OSs without having the bad rep of doing it through nag popups. Now everyone on XP will feel safe because its still getting updates.

I would not be shocked if Windows XP had less vulnerabilities than Windows 10. Also, who cares? How would your behavior change if you learned one was more or less vulnerable than the other?

Re: Microsoft Patches ‘Wormable’ Flaw in Windows XP, 7 and Windows 2003

#13

Post by baroffoos »

jafingi wrote: post #9
baroffoos wrote: post #7

I don't understand why they would do this. If I was a microsoft manager I would be glad something like this happened because it would force people off of old OSs without having the bad rep of doing it through nag popups. Now everyone on XP will feel safe because its still getting updates.

Many institutions and hospitals still use XP. And they pay Microsoft a lot to support it.

Those still using XP should have networking and USB features disabled.

Re: Microsoft Patches ‘Wormable’ Flaw in Windows XP, 7 and Windows 2003

#14

Post by baroffoos »

Carpetsmoker wrote: post #11
baroffoos wrote: post #7

I don't understand why they would do this. If I was a microsoft manager I would be glad something like this happened because it would force people off of old OSs without having the bad rep of doing it through nag popups. Now everyone on XP will feel safe because its still getting updates.

In the real world, there understaffed IT departments, insufficient budgets, time-consuming logistics, and complex systems which are not easily upgraded. Microsoft's options here are either "to hell with it, not my problem, just let the world burn" or taking responsibility and fixing problems which will affect people.

Budgets will find room for an update when an out of date OS starts causing damage to the business.

Patching an ancient OS is enabling the delay of updates with the excuse "Whats the point, it still works"

Re: Microsoft Patches ‘Wormable’ Flaw in Windows XP, 7 and Windows 2003

#15

Post by baroffoos »

sagebird wrote: post #12
baroffoos wrote: post #7

I don't understand why they would do this. If I was a microsoft manager I would be glad something like this happened because it would force people off of old OSs without having the bad rep of doing it through nag popups. Now everyone on XP will feel safe because its still getting updates.

I would not be shocked if Windows XP had less vulnerabilities than Windows 10. Also, who cares? How would your behavior change if you learned one was more or less vulnerable than the other?

If I was managing systems that were EOL many years ago and an active risk of being exploited my behavior change would be either to update them or disconnect them from the outside world.

Re: Microsoft Patches ‘Wormable’ Flaw in Windows XP, 7 and Windows 2003

#16

Post by DKnoll »

kbumsik wrote: post #10
jafingi wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many institutions and hospitals still use XP. And they pay Microsoft a lot to support it.

Do they really still pay for XP? I thought it went completely EOL some years ago.

Yep, NHS for example.

Re: Microsoft Patches ‘Wormable’ Flaw in Windows XP, 7 and Windows 2003

#17

Post by vkou »

baroffoos wrote: post #14
Carpetsmoker wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the real world, there understaffed IT departments, insufficient budgets, time-consuming logistics, and complex systems which are not easily upgraded. Microsoft's options here are either "to hell with it, not my problem, just let the world burn" or taking responsibility and fixing problems which will affect people.

Budgets will find room for an update when an out of date OS starts causing damage to the business. Patching an ancient OS is enabling the delay of updates with the excuse "Whats the point, it still works"

I've worked at a company where the build server was full of viruses, because devs kept spinning up unpatched XP VMs, who would inevitably get Conficker, and whatever other shit was hanging around on our intranet.

Nobody gave a shit about it. And this wasn't some crazy seat-of-the pants startup. It was a mature software company, employing >40 engineers (in that division alone), that had been building, and selling software for many, many years.

Re: Microsoft Patches ‘Wormable’ Flaw in Windows XP, 7 and Windows 2003

#18

Post by NKCSS »

rincebrain wrote: post #2

Not even a wormable flaw could convince them to patch Vista, apparently (assuming it's not somehow magically invulnerable when the versions before and after it weren't).

RDP is not on by default, so I don't see how that's a big deal.

Re: Microsoft Patches ‘Wormable’ Flaw in Windows XP, 7 and Windows 2003

#19

Post by Carpetsmoker »

baroffoos wrote: post #14
Carpetsmoker wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the real world, there understaffed IT departments, insufficient budgets, time-consuming logistics, and complex systems which are not easily upgraded. Microsoft's options here are either "to hell with it, not my problem, just let the world burn" or taking responsibility and fixing problems which will affect people.

Budgets will find room for an update when an out of date OS starts causing damage to the business. Patching an ancient OS is enabling the delay of updates with the excuse "Whats the point, it still works"

There are reasons there is no budget. A budget doesn't magically appear. Take health care, education, or police services for example. Do you really want to take away resources from providing the stuff that's actually needed just for some artificial easily preventable crisis?

The entire situation is ridiculous really. So what that XP is "ancient"? For many purposes it works just fine. The only reason this situation exists is because people can't fix their own computers. The entire thing is a massive waste of resources.

Re: Microsoft Patches ‘Wormable’ Flaw in Windows XP, 7 and Windows 2003

#20

Post by growtofill »

baroffoos wrote: post #14
Carpetsmoker wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the real world, there understaffed IT departments, insufficient budgets, time-consuming logistics, and complex systems which are not easily upgraded. Microsoft's options here are either "to hell with it, not my problem, just let the world burn" or taking responsibility and fixing problems which will affect people.

Budgets will find room for an update when an out of date OS starts causing damage to the business. Patching an ancient OS is enabling the delay of updates with the excuse "Whats the point, it still works"

What you create today creates a liability for tomorrow. Maybe they wouldn’t have to do this if Windows 7/10 were free updates with a smooth upgrade experience?
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