It has been years since Microsoft ended support for Windows XP. A thread seen on Twitter says that the source code of Windows XP has leaked.
Somebody released the source code of the operating system on Mega, 4Chan, and other platforms. People have been regularly asking Microsoft to release the source code for years. Getting access to the source code would let consumers create their version of it. For years, Microsoft did not officially release it.
We do not share leaks. However, you're free to try the method suggested in this attached image. pic.twitter.com/MwQYAvNTpK
— vx-underground (@vxunderground) September 24, 2020
The 42.9GB sized leak contains source code for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows 2000. The code got posted to a torrent and on the file-sharing service: Mega. A lot of initial reactions to the leak suggested that the leak is official. But there is no official word from Microsoft yet.
It is not the first time that these Microsoft files are released online. 1GB worth of Windows 10 related source code leaked a few years ago. Files related to Microsoft’s USB, storage, and Wi-Fi drivers in Windows 10 got posted to Beta Archive. We also saw a few Xbox-related source code leaks this year. Earlier in May, Original Xbox and Windows NT 3.5 source code appeared online. The graphics source code of Xbox Series X also got stolen and leaked online in March.
The leak doesn’t present any direct danger to Windows XP users. The OS is fairly old, and the idea of lurking behind these old operating systems doesn’t seem likely. Financially, older operating systems do not make an attractive target for hackers.
As this leak got spread widely, Microsoft was not able to protect the Windows XP source code. Representatives from Microsoft commented that they are looking into the matter currently.
