Microsoft rolls out patches to fix recently vulnerability found on all versions of Internet Explorer, and even though the company has ended the support for Windows XP, the 13-year-old operating system will also receive the security update.
In short, last weekend a major flaw surfaced on every version of Internet Explorer that could allow malicious individuals to gain full user permissions to take control of a PC with the ability to install applications, view and delete data at will, and a lot more just by visiting a particular web page. And even though Microsoft releases new updates to patch its operating systems every second Tuesday of every month, the company is acting quickly and not waiting until then next Path Tuesday, and today the security update for Internet Explorer 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, and 6 (classified as Security Advisory 2963983) is now available for download via Windows Update.
“We have made the decision to issue a security update for Windows XP users. Windows XP is no longer supported by Microsoft, and we continue to encourage customers to migrate to a modern operating system, such as Windows 7 or 8.1. Additionally, customers are encouraged to upgrade to the latest version of Internet Explorer, IE 11.” — Microsoft added on a new post today.
The company also said that decided to release the KB2964358 update for Windows XP based on the proximity of the end of support of the OS, which happened on April 8th, 2014.
For those who have automatic Windows Update enabled on Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8.x, the update will arrive shortly, for everyone else who want to install the update manually can download the KB2964358 from this page: Microsoft Security Bulletin MS14-021 – Critical.
Source Microsoft
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].