Yesterday, we reported that a bug in Microsoft's Internet Explorer would never be patched for Windows XP users. However, in an unexpected move, Microsoft has now pushed out a fix for this vulnerability to all machines - including those running Windows XP.
This change of heart is somewhat surprising given the publicity push surrounding the end of support for Windows XP. However, this doesn't mean XP users can rest easy again. This is likely to be a one-off fix due to the fact that it occurred so close to the end of support date. Microsoft is still advising people to move away from XP as soon as possible in a press release about the bug.
Microsoft tend to release their operating system patches on the first Tuesday of every month. This month will be the first time that XP isn't included in this batch of updates. Once detailed, these updates will likely help would-be attackers to identify where the holes in XP's security are likely to be, and will make the job of compromising machines much easier.