Microsoft to Disable SMBv1 (WannaCry Attack Vector) Starting This Fall

An anonymous reader writes: Starting this fall, with the public launch of the next major Windows 10 update — codenamed Redstone 3 — Microsoft plans to disable SMBv1 in most versions of the Windows operating systems. SMBv1 is a three-decades-old file sharing protocol that Microsoft has continued to ship "enabled by default" with all Windows OS versions.

The protocol got a lot of attention recently as it was the main infection vector for the WannaCry ransomware. Microsoft officially confirmed today that it will not ship SMBv1 with the Fall Creators Update. This change will affect only users performing clean installs, and will not be shipped as an update. This means Microsoft decision will not affect existing Windows installations, where SMBv1 might be part of a critical system.