Windows 7 Exploit

So, by now I'm sure you've heard of the new Windows 7 exploit that involves outbound connections on TCP ports 139 and 445. The SMB protocol can be exploited to crash the victim's system. There won't be a security update until next month, so Microsoft has advised blocking outbound connections from these ports. Naturally, I went directly to Windows Firewall and set rules blocking those ports. What I forgot was that file and printer sharing needs port 139 to function so no one on my home network can use my USB printer anymore. Luckily, there is no reason to block these ports on computers in the LAN, as long as your gateway router has those ports specifically blocked. That way, your LAN can still use NetBIOS, but you don't have to compromise security.