Targeted Attacks Spotted Exploiting Microsoft XP Zero
Targeted Attacks Spotted Exploiting Microsoft XP Zero: Researchers late last week discovered targeted attacks in the wild exploiting a previously unknown kernel vulnerability in Microsoft XP in what security experts say may be a sign of things to come as attackers home in on the older operating system, which Microsoft will no longer support as of April 2014.
One-fifth of all operating systems in use today are Windows XP machines, according to Microsoft, and XP machines are six times more likely to be infected by malware, even though Windows 8 and XP actually encounter the same volume of malware. That, and the fact that there will be no more patches for the twelve-year-old operating system as of April 8, are making XP an even more attractive target by cyberespionage actors and ultimately, traditional cybercriminals.