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Video reportCROWDSTRIKE

CrowdStrike sent an update with 21 input fields. It crashed Windows.

ERP LEADERS desk ·
Video: CrowdStrike
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On Friday 19 July 2024 at 04:09 UTC, CrowdStrike released a routine content update for Falcon, its security software on Windows. Airlines, hospitals and financial firms were hit, CNBC reported. In Britain, the Royal Surrey hospital declared a "critical incident" and paused radiography treatment.

CrowdStrike's own review gives the cause: the software expected 20 input fields, or slots for data, and the update supplied 21. A bug in the company's Content Validator, the tool that checks such files, let it pass.

CrowdStrike withdrew the file 78 minutes after release, but computers that had already received it stayed down. Microsoft estimated that 8.5 million Windows devices were affected. That morning CEO George Kurtz told NBC's TODAY: "we're deeply sorry for the impact that we've caused." By 29 July about 99% of Windows computers running Falcon were back online, CrowdStrike said.

Delta Air Lines says the outage cost it at least $500 million, and the companies have sued each other. CrowdStrike says its liability under the contract is capped in the single-digit millions.

One-minute true story. AI-generated illustration with narration by an AI voice.

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What the captions say

  1. CrowdStrike sent an update with 21 input fields. It crashed Windows.
  2. That Friday, 19 July 2024, airlines, hospitals and financial firms were hit.
  3. In Britain, the Royal Surrey hospital declared a "critical incident" and had to pause radiography treatment.
  4. The cause was a routine update. It gave the software 21 input fields. It expected 20. CrowdStrike said its own checker had a bug and let it through.
  5. 78 minutes after release, CrowdStrike pulled the file.
  6. But machines that already had it stayed down. CrowdStrike said about 99% of its Windows sensors were back online by 29 July.
  7. That morning, CEO George Kurtz went on NBC's TODAY show. "We're deeply sorry," he said.
  8. Delta Air Lines says the outage cost it at least $500 million.
  9. CrowdStrike answers that Delta's contract caps its liability in the single-digit millions.

Sources

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