The number of computers being hit by hackers exploiting the loophole in Microsoft Windows XP’s Help & Support system is rapidly increasing and the total number of PC’s affected is expected to hit over 100,000 by this weekend.
Currently there is no patch that can fix the “hole” found in the Windows XP Help & Support system that is allowing hackers to take control of machines by exploiting the “remote support” function originally designed to allow Microsoft to go into the machine and provide support and assistance.
It is however, possible for owners of machines with Windows XP to protect themselves by disabling the function in the Help & Support area, it is reported that Micrososft have released a tool that will automatically change the Help & Support settings and effectively protect against the virus, but as of 1st July it wasn’t available on their website.
Unless a proper patch or fix is developed soon the Windows “Help & Support” XP hack/virus threatens to be one of the worst attacks in a long time, it is already spreading at a rapid speed with randomly generated websites appearing that carry the virus.
Have you been affected? Leave a comment…
Thank god i haven’t been attacked yet. But one thing i would like to say here is that Windows XP is getting worst day by day. Everyday a new security whole comes out and effects hundreds of thousand of machines until antivirus companies detect the behavior of that virus and release the update of it. That’s why i recently switched on to Windows 7 in my other PC, i think it’s safest operating system as of now!
Why don’t XP users change to Windows 7? In my opinion is far better than previous editions.
until now i still use windows xp. Because I like to customize and hack my windows xp. Hehehehe…
As a security analysist I recommend that people urgently upgrade there machine to windows 7 or windows vista. I originally hated 7 but after using for a while you think it is great.
I recently paid a visit to a small business running a workgroup and all of there XP based machines were infected and at the time of sniffing traffic, they were DDOSing a site.
Take precautions, disable Help & Support or upgrade.
the issue does not get that serious for individuals as it does for companies and organization especially the socially serving and responsible ones where information is of highly confidential nature. it is very difficult to constantly keep a check or sue the hackers for that matter keeping in mind the limitations of time and resources.