Update: 4/8/14 4:10 pm ET: These patches should be live now, and available for download via Windows Update.
Microsoft has released details regarding the final patches for Windows XP and Microsoft Office 2003, which it will push to users on Tuesday, April 8. That’s also the company’s end-of-support deadline for both pieces of software. According to Microsoft’s advance notification for the updates, users will get two updates apiece for XP and Office 2003. All four updates address remote code execution vulnerabilities, including one “Critical” issue for both XP and Office.
According to ZDNet, the “Critical” Windows XP fix addresses problems in Internet Explorer versions 6-9 and 11, though it doesn’t apply to Internet Explorer 10. Meanwhile, the second update is marked “Important” for all versions of Windows, including XP.
The “Critical” Microsoft Office 2003 patch deals with a Microsoft Word exploit allowing hackers to remotely take control of a compromised user’s PC. The update comes almost two weeks after Microsoft issued a security bulletin warning users of the threat.
Despite multiple warnings from a variety of sources, including a bulletin from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, many users plan to continue running XP after Microsoft drops support. If you’re one of those people, you should take a look at our guide to keeping your system secure after Microsoft abandons Windows XP.
