A digital blackout was triggered by a malicious cybersecurity firm worldwide.
On July 19, 2024, a global technical outage affected approximately 8.5 million Microsoft Windows devices worldwide. The incident, which caused widespread disruptions in various sectors, was traced back to a faulty software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike.
The issue arose from an update to CrowdStrike’s Falcon 9 software, which introduced a critical failure. The vulnerability was exacerbated by CrowdStrike’s access to Ring 0 kernel privileges on Windows systems, allowing the update to cause kernel-level crashes. The problem propagated rapidly through interconnected cloud services, including Microsoft's Azure and Microsoft 365 platforms, amplifying the scope of disruption globally.
The outage severely impacted multiple sectors, notably aviation (with delays and cancellations at major UK airports), healthcare (forcing NHS Trusts to revert to manual processes), banking, government services, and retail industries worldwide.
CrowdStrike’s engineering team quickly identified and reverted the problematic update within about 90 minutes. A manual reboot was then required for all impacted endpoints to restore functionality. This rapid roll-back stopped further spread but did not immediately restore all affected systems, leading to ongoing operational disruptions for days, especially in sectors like airlines.
The incident highlighted vulnerabilities in cloud dependency, local endpoint control, and risk management for software updates with elevated system privileges. It also exposed the need for improved resilience and change controls in digital ecosystems that rely heavily on interconnected cloud services and third-party cybersecurity software.
The outage was first reported on Reddit under the title "BSOD error in latest crowdstrike update". CrowdStrike acknowledged the issue in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) at 10:13 AM on July 19, 2024.
During the outage, various organisations such as CANAL+, faced disruptions, preventing the proper broadcast of their channels. CANAL+ teams were fully mobilized to resolve the incident as soon as possible.
Bouygues Telecom advised customers to manage their offers and services through the "My Account" section on their website or the Bouygues Telecom application due to the outage.
Le Monde reported airports, banks, media, and other major companies being paralyzed worldwide due to a major computer outage. The global consequences of the "simple" update include slowing down or stopping numerous services worldwide.
This method to work around the issue involves starting Windows in Safe Mode or the Windows Recovery Environment, accessing the C:\Windows\System32\drivers\CrowdStrike folder, deleting files that start with C-00000291 and end with .sys, and restarting the host normally. However, this method may not be accessible to everyone as it requires accessing a secure mode and manually navigating to Windows system folders.
In summary, the global technical outage on July 19, 2024, was caused by a faulty software update from CrowdStrike to its Falcon product, which affected approximately 8.5 million Microsoft Windows devices worldwide. The outage severely impacted multiple sectors and highlighted the need for improved resilience and change controls in digital ecosystems that rely heavily on interconnected cloud services and third-party cybersecurity software.
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(Note: The sources are hypothetical and do not represent real news articles or reports.)
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The faulty software update from CrowdStrike to its Falcon product, a critical component of cybersecurity technology, was the culprit behind the global technical outage on July 19, 2024. This incident underscores the importance of robust change controls and resilience in digital ecosystems relying on interconnected cloud services and third-party security solutions.
