Starting on April 8th, 2014, we’re poised to see a single critical security issue impact 30% of the desktop market without any chance of having a patch released according to Microsoft. For those involved in vulnerability research, this is a great time to start looking for Windows XP bugs (again). Further, imagine the number known vulnerabilities that have been held onto for months or even years waiting for this day to come. The potential price of a Windows XP 0-day vulnerability could be quite impressive if sold to the appropriate party (read: government).
In addition to the lack of operating system patches, Windows XP users will also find their browser not being updated, either. While Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome are currently alternatives to that problem, they may not be maintaining a Windows XP version much longer, either.
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Oh, and don’t forget the number of “things” that run Windows XP – from kiosks to ATMs – which could dramatically impede the daily lives of millions of people if those machines were affected by this future lack of support and patching. Suffice to say, this situation is a much bigger deal than anyone running Windows XP still would like to openly admit.
Mark Stanislav | Duo Security | @markstanislav
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