Microsoft says it has already patched the Windows exploits released by the Shadow Brokers group. The hacking tools, likely originating from the NSA, were released online yesterday, and Microsoft was able to test and confirm patches are already available for all currently supported versions of Windows. That does mean that older Windows XP or Windows Vista systems could still be vulnerable to three of the exploits released, but it’s unlikely that Microsoft will supply patches for these older versions of Windows as they’re already unsupported.
Microsoft’s response comes hours after unnecessary fear from several security researchers, including one who advised Windows users to turn off their machines for the weekend. Even NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden weighed in on the exploits, claiming that the “NSA did not warn Microsoft” about the leaked exploits. Microsoft itself seems to imply that the NSA didn’t warn the company. “Other than reporters, no individual or organization has contacted us in relation to the materials released by Shadow Brokers,” says a Microsoft spokesperson in a statement to Reuters.
