CrowdStrike Falcon Sensor antivirus software caused widespread outages not only in Windows systems, but also in various Linux distributions, resulting in kernel instability and panic errors .
Anti-virus crisis
Global failure of computer systems
Recently the world shocked by a large-scale computer incident. Many organizations, including banks, transport and financial services companies, have experienced non-functioning computers due to the Blue Screen of Death and endless Windows reboots. It later turned out that the cause of the problem was not Windows itself, but the CrowdStrike Falcon Sensor corporate antivirus.
Problems in the Linux world
However, the problem turned out to be broader, affecting not only modern versions of Windows. According to The Register, Linux users have been reporting kernel panics and crashes related to CrowdStrike software since April of this year.
The importance of kernel stability
The kernel is a separate layer of the operating system that interacts directly with the hardware and is isolated from the user interface. Only a small number of programs require access to the kernel to perform their functions. While security software may be an exception, it is critical to ensure it runs smoothly without causing kernel crashes on any target platform.
Scale of the problem in Linux
Something went wrong with CrowdStrike. Users of various Linux distributions have reportedly experienced problems, including Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Debian Linux (which is the basis for the popular Ubuntu), and Rocky Linux. All of the issues mentioned affect the base Linux kernel and cause crashes on any distributions running kernel versions 5.14.0-42713.1 and later.
Historical Context
Interestingly, CrowdStrike's current CEO, George Kurtz, previously held a similar position at McAFee during the high-profile a 2010 update that caused some PCs to experience a boot loop. This makes George Kurtz likely the first CEO in history to be involved twice in massive global PC crashes caused by poor security software updates.
Glossary
- CrowdStrike Falcon Sensor - enterprise antivirus software that caused widespread system outages
- Linux - a family of open operating systems based on the Linux kernel
- Windows - a family of proprietary operating systems from Microsoft
- George Kurtz is the CEO of CrowdStrike, having previously held a similar position at McAFee
- McAFee is an antivirus software company
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Answers to questions
What caused the recent massive computer crash?
Which operating systems are affected by the crash?
Why can software access to the operating system kernel be problematic?
What is the relationship between the current outage and the previous McAfee incident?
Which organizations were affected by a computer failure?
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Discussion of the topic – CrowdStrike Critical Failure: From Windows to Linux - No One Is Safe
CrowdStrike Falcon Sensor antivirus caused widespread failures not only in Windows systems, but also in Linux. The problem affected banks, transport and financial companies, causing blue screens of death and cyclic reboots.
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Isabella
Wow! I can't believe that one antivirus can cause such havoc. 😱 I wonder how CrowdStrike is going to fix the situation?
Hans
This is a serious blow to CrowdStrike's reputation. I can imagine how many companies suffered. By the way, Isabella, do you use any antivirus yourself?
Isabella
Hans, I'm using built-in Windows Defender. After such news, it’s even scary to stage something else. 😅 And you?
Pierre
Guys, I’m actually on Linux. I thought that I was protected from such problems, but it turns out that not everything is smooth there either. 🤔 Maybe it's time to switch to some exotic OS?
Viktor
Ugh, again these newfangled things of yours. In my time, computers worked flawlessly and no antivirus software was required. All these updates only spoil the equipment.
Maria
Viktor, times are changing, and security is now more important than ever. But I agree that such global disruptions are unacceptable. 😕 I wonder how events will develop now?
Hans
Isabella, Pierre, I'm also on Windows Defender. After this incident, I think many companies will reconsider their choice of antivirus. Maria is right, safety is critical, but reliability is equally important.
Sophia
Guys, have you noticed that this is the second time that the CEO of CrowdStrike has found himself in such a situation? 😳 Maybe it’s time for him to change his field of activity? 😄