Which MS patch(es) should I apply to my Windows XP SP3 machine?

[Ben321]

I the wake of that leak about NSA malware that exploited security flaws in Windows XP, Microsoft (for the first time in serveral years) released security patches for Windows XP. As I've been doing some research, it seams that throughout the month of May, they released several updates. To secure my Windows XP SP3 machine, will I need to install all of these updates (there appears to be about 10 of them on this list https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/new...hacking-tools/ )? And furthermore, a Google search turned up this update (KB982316) that isn't on the previously mentioned list, but was released around the same time as the other security updates. Does anybody here know which update (or updates) I will need to install? Is there a cumulative update I can download that includes all of the security updates pertaining to this particular exploit?

[jmcilhinney]

Is there a cumulative update I can download that includes all of the security updates pertaining to this particular exploit?

There are a couple to choose from. One is named Windows 7 and the other is named Windows 10. Seriously though, you should always install all security updates.

[Ben321]

There are a couple to choose from. One is named Windows 7 and the other is named Windows 10. Seriously though, you should always install all security updates.

Already got a Win10 laptop. My older PC has WinXP, and I want it to stay that way, as there are some older games and applications that don't run properly on WIn10. I want to make sure that my XP machine has all the newest security updates that were released this year, and was hoping that one of them might be cumulative (so I wouldn't have to download multiple updates).

[jmcilhinney]

I'm not aware of one and, under the circumstances, I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft didn't consider it worth their time to create one. I'm sure that there are plenty of things that I'm not aware of that actually do exist though, so I certainly don't claim my knowledge as definitive.

[topshot]

There are no cumulative patches for XP anymore since it out of support. They only released a couple recently because of the seriousness of the threat. It's certainly possible they will release others for other similar threats but those would be few in number. Anyone running XP should not connect to the internet ideally, and if you must make sure you're behind a solid firewall (e.g., do not rely on the one built in) and have decent AV and malware detection.

Edit: Looks like they have released a few more than I had heard about. You can try installing all the ones listed in the 3 tables here.

[Ben321]

There are no cumulative patches for XP anymore since it out of support. They only released a couple recently because of the seriousness of the threat. It's certainly possible they will release others for other similar threats but those would be few in number. Anyone running XP should not connect to the internet ideally, and if you must make sure you're behind a solid firewall (e.g., do not rely on the one built in) and have decent AV and malware detection.

Edit: Looks like they have released a few more than I had heard about. You can try installing all the ones listed in the 3 tables here.

ANd then there's the table on this site here https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/new...hacking-tools/
Which of those will I actually need? Am I going to need to manually install like 20 updates individually, just to block the exploit that the NSA was using (and that allowed hackers to launch the WannaCry virus)?

[topshot]

Yes, you must install everything manually since I don't believe Windows Update will work with XP anymore. However, SOME of those on the MS page I linked should have been installed years ago. So you can try to find whether you've already applied a particular one or just download and attempt to install them all.

[PlausiblyDamp]

ANd then there's the table on this site here https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/new...hacking-tools/
Which of those will I actually need? Am I going to need to manually install like 20 updates individually, just to block the exploit that the NSA was using (and that allowed hackers to launch the WannaCry virus)?

Unfortunately that is the consequence of running an unsupported operating system, if you must remain on XP then you are going to have to do the updates manually. You also run the risk of leaving yourself wide open to future exploits and there isn't a guarantee that Microsoft will even produce a patch to protect against future exploits.

[jcis]

If i'm not mistaken no patch has been released for WinXP to make it inmune to ransomware attacks like WannaCry, so upgrade.. or at least unplug the internet cable.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/03/t...-security.html

[topshot]

If i'm not mistaken no patch has been released for WinXP to make it inmune to ransomware attacks like WannaCry, so upgrade.. or at least unplug the internet cable.

That article did say a patch was released for WannaCry and Petya. Just don't expect that to always occur, which is what we've already said on this thread. No OS is immune to ALL future ransomware attacks.

[dilettante]

Even Windows 7 is highly vulnerable. It is on its last legs of extended support and Microsoft has publicly stated that it is impossible to fix many security holes because the dying OS lacks the necessary infrastructure.

But using XP at this late date is inexcusably hazardous, both to you and to everyone else on the Internet. Microsoft did give in and release a patch for this particular issue, but only because the risks are so high.

The list of known unpatched vulnerabilities is so high now that XP is the number one target of botnet delivery systems.

Be more responsible, move to Windows 10 before it moves so far away from you that you can never catch up. Current "Windows 10" is really more like "Windows 12" or so today. They just stopped the numbering at 10.