- The crash was caused by a faulty CrowdStrike Falcon update.
- Millions of Windows devices across key sectors were affected.
- Microsoft and CrowdStrike have implemented solutions to mitigate the problem.
- Manually deleting a file is recommended to restore affected systems.
In the summer of 2024 the famous event took place CrowdStrike failure at Microsoft, which caused a massive outage in Windows systems worldwide. It was all due to a faulty update to its Falcon softwareMany businesses, public services, and private users suddenly found themselves facing the dreaded blue screen of death.
What really happened? What was the true impact of this bug? Microsoft even confirmed that millions of devices were affected by the problem. Although measures have already been taken, Many users and IT administrators are still looking for answers about what happened and, above all, effective solutions.
What happened to CrowdStrike and Microsoft?
The problem was caused by a CrowdStrike Falcon update faulty, its cybersecurity platform used to protect Windows systems. The update contained a critical bug in its drivers, which caused Windows systems to experience catastrophic failures, rendering them inoperable with the blue screen of death.
Sensor updates are common processes for responding to new threats. However, in this case, a update validation failure allowed a faulty version to reach users' devices.
The incident took place on July 19, 2024 at 07:00 AM UTC. Over the next few hours, the problems continued to spread, gradually affecting millions of devicesFull recovery began on July 20, when Microsoft and CrowdStrike implemented temporary fixes.
The Effects of the CrowdStrike failure on Microsoft were felt globally, affecting multiple key sectors of the world economy:
- Transport: Delays in numerous domestic and international flights and service disruptions on several public transport networks worldwide.
- Health: Many hospitals had to cancel non-urgent operations due to computer system failures.
- Finance: Banking systems slowed down, affecting various types of transactions and payments.
- Companies: Many companies saw their operations compromised due to computer system crashes.
How many teams were affected?
According to Microsoft estimates, the failure impacted approximately 8,5 million Windows devices worldwide. This seems like a significant figure, but it actually represents less than 1% of all active Windows systems.
Despite this relatively low percentage, the CrowdStrike breach at Microsoft had a significant impact, affecting critical systems and infrastructure.
The issue affected only Windows systems with the CrowdStrike Falcon sensor enabled. The following were observed:
- The teams who were online before 05:27 UTC were affected.
- The devices Those who logged in after that time did not experience the problem..
- The systems with Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 were not compromised.
- The teams with macOS or Linux did not present any errors.
How to fix the CrowdStrike crash on an affected computer
Although solutions to fix the CrowdStrike bug have already been implemented at Microsoft, Its effects are still being felt in many teams.However, it is possible to try solve them manually and thus recover the affected equipment. These are the recommended steps:
- Boot Windows into Safe Mode: Start the system using the boot option in safe mode to prevent the error from stopping the equipment.
- Locate the CrowdStrike folder, navigating in the browser to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\CrowdStrike.
- Delete the faulty file: Locate the file C-00000291*.sys and eliminate it.
- Restart your computer: Turn the equipment off and on to check if the problem has been resolved.
This solution helps mitigate the problem temporarily while the improvements are implemented. official fix updates.
This incident has highlighted the importance of having strict quality control processes in the development of cybersecurity software.Both Microsoft and CrowdStrike have been criticized for the magnitude of the failure., and it is not ruled out that some affected companies will take legal action.
In any case, the CrowdStrike failure at Microsoft makes it clear the importance of the stability of computer systems and the need for constant reviews in the security updates.
Measures taken by CrowdStrike and Microsoft
On one side, CrowdStrike The company released an emergency update to fix the bug in its Falcon sensor and prevent future systems from being affected. It has also strengthened its validation protocols to prevent a similar failure from occurring again.
For their part, Microsoft has developed a tool that speeds up the repair of affected systems. To use it, you need a Windows computer with 64-bit architecture and at least 8 GB of free storage.
Does this mean that the CrowdStrike failure at Microsoft will never happen again? Let's hope not, although it's impossible to be 100% sure.
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