Around the World Panic Due to Faulty Crowdstrike Update – Krebs on Security
A defective software patch from cybersecurity supplier Crowdstrike caused widespread havoc on numerous Microsoft Windows devices globally today, leading to disruptions in various sectors such as air travel, financial institutions, hospitals, and online enterprises. Crowdstrike mentioned that a solution has been implemented, but experts believe that the recovery process from this incident could be time-consuming, as the fix by Crowdstrike needs to be manually applied on each device.
An image taken at San Jose International Airport today showcases the infamous Microsoft “Blue Screen of Death” on all screens. Credit: Twitter.com/adamdubya1990
Earlier today, a flawed update released by Crowdstrike began triggering the appearance of the feared “Blue Screen of Death” on Windows systems with the software, rendering those systems temporarily inoperable. Similar to most security software, Crowdstrike needs deep integration with the Windows OS to protect against digital threats, and within such an environment, even a minor coding error can swiftly lead to severe consequences.
In a tweet on Twitter/X, Crowdstrike CEO George Kurtz stated that a patch to rectify the coding error has been rolled out, confirming that Mac and Linux systems remain unaffected.
“This incident is not related to a security breach or cyberattack,” Kurtz remarked on Twitter, echoing a public statement by Crowdstrike. “The problem has been identified, isolated, and a solution has been implemented.”
Sharing on Twitter/X, the head of Crowdstrike’s threat detection efforts mentioned that the resolution involves booting Windows into Safe Mode or the Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE), removing the file “C-00000291*.sys”, and then restarting the device.
The software glitch may have been exacerbated by recent service disruptions seen in Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform, as The New York Times reports. Nevertheless, it remains uncertain if these Azure issues are in any way connected to the faulty Crowdstrike update. Update, 4:03 p.m. ET: Microsoft clarifies that the Azure problems today were not linked to the defective Crowdstrike update.
A reader shared this image taken earlier today at Denver International Airport. Credit: Twitter.com/jterryy07
Matt Burgess from Wired explains that within the healthcare and emergency services sector, numerous medical providers globally have reported issues with their Windows-connected systems, sharing updates on social media and their official websites.
“The US Emergency Alert System, which issues hurricane alerts, reported various 911 service outages in multiple states,” Burgess wrote. “The University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein in Germany mentioned the cancellation of non-urgent surgeries at two locations. In Israel, more than a dozen hospitals were affected, along with pharmacies redirecting ambulances to unaffected medical facilities.”
According to NHS England, appointment scheduling and patient record systems have been impacted by the outages.
“One hospital declared a ‘critical’ situation after a third-party IT system it utilized was affected,” Wired disclosed. “Furthermore, UK train operators reported network delays, affecting various companies in the sector.”
Responses to today’s incident were immediate and harsh on social media, flooded with images of people at airports surrounded by screens displaying the Microsoft blue screen error. Several Twitter/X users criticized the Crowdstrike CEO for the lack of an apology over the highly disruptive event, while others pointed out the potential legal ramifications if an apology were issued.
Meanwhile, the global Windows service disruption rapidly became the trending topic on Twitter/X, where AI-driven bots compiled a set of satirical posts from cybersecurity experts pretending to be new Crowdstrike employees in their first week. Surprisingly, Twitter/X’s AI summarized these comical posts into an optimistic narrative about Crowdstrike, promoted as the most-discussed issue on Twitter this morning.
“Recent individuals who joined the cybersecurity company Crowdstrike expressed their enthusiasm and pride in their new roles,” the AI summary highlighted. “They detailed their experiences of deploying code on their debut day and expressed excitement about the positive outcomes in their work.”
The main story today on Twitter/X, brilliantly summarized by X’s AI bots.
This story is still developing. Stay tuned for further updates.
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