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Source code Windows XP and leaks online

Both operating systems can be downloaded online from specific torrent websites since this weekend. It is the very first time that the source code of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 has been publicly leaked.

According to The
Verge
it was only a matter of time before the source code of both systems would appear online. The leaked files have been privately shared in a limited circle for years. The source code is legitimate, which is a major concern for Microsoft.

Windows XP has not been supported by Microsoft since 2014, so exploiting sensitive parts in the source code has little consequences. Only in 2019 did Microsoft posthumously released another patch for in response to an advanced version of the famed Wannacry hack. Support for Windows Server 2003 ended in 2015.

Microsoft has long made parts of the source code of Windows XP available to governments through a special security program. The leak may be coming from that side.

Not the first leak

It is not the first time that the source code of a Microsoft operating system has been leaked online. Leaked a few years ago at least 1 GB of Windows 10 code online and this year segments of Xbox OS source code also leaked.

Portions of the Windows XP source code refer to Windows CE operating systems, MS-DOS, and other leaked Microsoft materials. The leaked code would also contain NetMeeting root signing keys.

A spokesperson for Microsoft says it is investigating the matter.

Tip: End of Windows 7: What You Need to Know Before Upgrading to Windows 10

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