Microsoft's next-generation free antivirus for Windows 7, Windows Vista SP2/SP1/RTM and Windows XP SP3 has been leaked into the wild. Users with a BitTorrent client can already grab the bits via their favorite torrent tracker, but even less is needed for warez websites that supply the direct download links. With the leak comes confirmation of the official build under which the Redmond company will offer the security solution that will kill Windows Live OneCare. Codename Morro has been branded Microsoft Security Essentials, and version 1.0 is currently available for download, just not from Microsoft. What you are getting? A very basic, Windows Defender-basic, product, capable of offering protection against viruses, spyware, rootkits and trojans, but that's about it.

Illegal third-party sources are offering no less than three packages of Microsoft Security Essentials 1.0. There's one for Windows XP, and two for Windows 7 and Windows Vista, tailored to the 32-bit and 64-bit flavors of the operating systems. What too-eager users can grab from the wild is version 1.0.2140.0, namely the pre-Beta release of the security product. Speculations indicate that Microsoft started dogfooding codename Morro on June 1st, 2009. The company offered no official confirmation of this, nor did it comment in any manner on codename Morro or Microsoft Security Essentials details and bits leaked.

At this point in time, Microsoft Security Essentials 1.0 seems completely functional. Users should know that in order to install the security solution their operating systems will have to pass Windows Genuine Advantage Validation. This aspect manages to conflict with the target audience of codename Morro announced in November 2008, namely users in emerging markets. If WGA validation is kept, the vast majority of users in emerging countries will in fact be locked out from running the antivirus since they are relying on pirated copies of Windows. Still, Microsoft did in the past offer Internet Explorer 7 only to genuine Windows platforms, but the company gave that tactic up, and opened up the browser to everyone, not before it managed to push users away from IE and onto rival browsers, specifically Mozilla Firefox.

Still, following installation, Microsoft Security Essentials 1.0 gets its malicious code signatures with no problem, suggesting that the company is getting closer to the public Beta of the release. The Microsoft Security Essentials brand is validated not only by the leaked bits, but also by National Cyber Alert System, Cyber Security Alert SA07-009A from US-Cert (via Mary Jo Foley). The webpage in question points to Microsoft Security Essentials - <http://www.microsoft.com/protect/> - though nothing there is yet related to codename Morro.

The brand selected is extremely interesting, especially due to the Essentials moniker. Microsoft is already offering Windows Live Essentials, a collection of clients designed to integrate with Windows and stretch the OS in the Cloud, including Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Photo Gallery, Windows Live Movie Maker, Windows Live Writer, etc. In this regard, Microsoft Security Essentials might just end up as a part of Windows Live Essentials, although then again it might not, as Microsoft has made no plans for the security solution public.