On Friday, the Shadow Brokers hacking group published a cache of documents revealing Windows hacking tools allegedly belonging to the NSA. But Microsoft said it has already patched the flaws.
Previous updates protect customers from the vulnerabilities listed in the dump, the company said.
“We’ve investigated and confirmed that the exploits disclosed by the Shadow Brokers have already been addressed by previous updates to our supported products,” a Microsoft spokesperson told CNNTech. “Customers with up-to-date software are already protected.”
Microsoft said three exploits don’t reproduce on “supported platforms,” meaning people should upgrade to Windows 7 or a newer version.
The documents published by the hacking group list exploits for Windows servers and Windows computers. Researchers were able to replicate some of the hacks. In a blog post late Friday, Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30) listed specific updates — including one released as recently as March — that protect users against the vulnerabilities.
Windows users should make sure their software is up-to-date. Microsoft offers Auto Update to tell you when updates are available for your machine. Here’s how to turn it on.
Matthew Hickey, founder of Hacker House whoo reproduced the hacks, said businesses who delay patches for operational purposes should make sure their software is up to date.
“Consumers should ensure auto updates ran on desktops and that the personal firewall is enabled to prevent attacks,” Hickey told CNNTech in an email.
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Source: CNN