The source code for Windows XP SP1 and other versions of the operating system was allegedly leaked online today.
The leaker claims to have spent the last two months compiling a collection of leaked Microsoft source code. This 43GB collection was then released today as a torrent on the 4chan forum .
Included in this torrent is the alleged source code for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, as well as an assortment of even older versions of the operating system.
The contents of the torrent include:
The torrent also includes a media folder containing a bizarre collection of conspiracy theory videos about Bill Gates.
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In addition to the torrent, a smaller 2.9GB 7zip file containing only the source code for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 is being distributed online as well.
The leaker states that the Windows XP source has been passed around privately between hackers for years, but was released publicly for the first time today.
BleepingComputer has seen the source, but we have no way of confirming if it is the actual source code for Windows XP or Windows Server 2003.
We have contacted Microsoft to confirm whether the leaked source is legitimate but have not heard back.
BleepingComputer will not be sharing links to the leaks.
While Windows XP was released almost 20 years ago, if any code is still used in modern versions of Windows, this leak could be a potential security risk.
Source code is human-readable instructions that tell a computer how a program should run. This source code is then compiled into a binary executable format that can be executed by the computer.
It was always possible to reverse engineer Windows to find bugs, but by having the source, it makes it much easier to get a detailed look into the inner workings of the Windows operating system.
If exploitable bugs are found in the Windows XP source code, and the code is still used in Windows 10, threat actors could exploit the bug in the modern version of the operating system.
For most people, though, this leak will just let them get a peek into Windows history.
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