Massive Overnight Outage Caused by Faulty CrowdStrike Software Update
A faulty software update issued by cybersecurity giant CrowdStrike has caused a massive overnight outage affecting Windows computers worldwide. This outage has disrupted businesses, airports, train stations, banks, broadcasters, and the healthcare sector. CrowdStrike confirmed that the outage was not the result of a cyberattack but was caused by a defect in a software update for its flagship security product, Falcon Sensor. The defect caused Windows computers with Falcon installed to crash without fully loading.
CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz stated that the issue has been identified, isolated, and a fix has been deployed. However, due to the complexity of the fix, many businesses and organizations expect the outages to continue into the weekend or next week. Kurtz also apologized for the disruption and acknowledged that some systems may take longer to recover.
What Happened?
The IT problems began late Thursday and continued into Friday, with Windows computers getting stuck on the “blue screen of death.” Reports of the outages emerged first in Australia and quickly spread to Asia, Europe, and the United States. CrowdStrike confirmed that a malfunctioning software update for Falcon was causing the crashes.
At around the same time, Microsoft reported a significant outage in one of its Azure cloud regions, unrelated to CrowdStrike’s incident. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella stated that the company was aware of the CrowdStrike update issue and working closely with them and others in the industry to help customers bring their systems back online safely.
Who is Affected?
Anyone interacting with a computer system running CrowdStrike software is affected by these outages, even if the computer doesn’t belong to them. This includes devices like cash registers at grocery stores, departure boards at airports and train stations, school computers, work-issued laptops and desktops, airport check-in systems, ticketing and scheduling platforms of airlines, and healthcare networks. Due to CrowdStrike’s widespread use, the outages are causing chaos globally and disrupting various sectors. A single affected Windows computer can disrupt an entire network.
The U.S. Government’s Response
As the problem originated from a company, the federal government has limited options in terms of intervention. The U.S. federal government is a customer of CrowdStrike and has been affected by the outage. President Biden has been briefed on the situation, and his team is in touch with CrowdStrike and impacted entities. Federal agencies like the Department of Education and Social Security Administration are also affected. The government is working with CrowdStrike, Microsoft, and other partners to address the system outages.
How Can Affected Customers Fix Their Windows Computers?
The major challenge lies in fixing the malfunctioning Falcon Sensor software. CrowdStrike has issued a patch and provided a workaround to help affected systems function until a permanent solution is available. However, fixing the file manually can be challenging for organizations with numerous computers or servers in different regions or countries.
CISA Warns of Malicious Actors Exploiting the Outage
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has confirmed that the outages were not due to a cyberattack but warns that malicious actors are taking advantage of the incident for phishing and other malicious activities. Organizations are urged to stay vigilant and verify identities before taking sensitive actions.
Beware of Misinformation
Given the sudden and widespread nature of the outages, it’s understandable that some may have initially suspected a cyberattack. Misinformation is already circulating, with social media sites incorrectly flagging topics as “cyberattack.” It’s crucial to rely on official sources of news and information to avoid falling for false information.
In conclusion, the faulty CrowdStrike software update has caused significant disruptions worldwide. While a fix has been deployed, it may take time for all systems to recover fully. The incident highlights the potential impact of software glitches on critical infrastructure and the need for organizations to have contingency plans in place.
