Worldwide IT Outage (Crowdstrike update)

[Magdalen Road]

My wife just turned up to work at Waitrose, all their payment systems are down, cash still accepted though but the ATM isn't working either. Probably be a quiet day...

Went to Waitrose earlier, their tills were ok, my contactless payment went through. Guess it depends on the provider.

 

[Ediswan]

Appears to be Windows 10, I'm running Windows 11 on my main all-in-one (all-in-one as in if one thing crashes it all does) but stlll running good old Windows 7 on my PC upstairs. Is this purely a W10 problem?

Given some of the systems affected, I suspect that versons of Windows Server are involved.

 

[theageofthetra]

More here...

Hospitals, banks, media, airlines hit by major IT outage

Cyber-security firm Crowdstrike said its update had caused the problem on computers running Windows.

www.bbc.com

Extract...


Govia Thameslink Railway also advising of issues, as @MarkWi72 has hinted at...

x.com

x.com

Extract...

Why diagrams should be printed of several days in advance

 

[dosxuk]

Issue is millions of locked down corporate machines that won't allow anyone but IT staff to do this.

Especially those managed by the types of team that have decided to install crowdstrike across their entire fleet of machines - the ones who are a bit lax and have their machines able to be logged in by random staff probably wouldn't have thought to install it.

 

[birchesgreen]

Aha card readers at my wife's Waitrose are working again apparently, the middle classes of Harborne won't starve now.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Given some of the systems affected, I suspect that versons of Windows Server are involved.

It is a problem with the Crowdstrike anti-malware software. It affects any device with that installed, conversely it doesn't affect any device on which it is not installed.

Aside from the fact that it is a piece of Windows software (so Macs, Android etc are not affected) it's not a MS problem.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Jul 2024 ==

Especially those managed by the types of team that have decided to install crowdstrike across their entire fleet of machines - the ones who are a bit lax and have their machines able to be logged in by random staff probably wouldn't have thought to install it.

I know of a company that has just asked for it to be installed across their estate...twinges of regret I suspect!

(No, I'm not naming them!)

 

[Flying Snail]

Almost certainly just corporate and only those who have Crowdstrike software installed. Most consumers either will be using Windows Defender or one of the other big anti-virus/malware providers like McAfee, Norton, Avast or Malwarebytes.

The first time in the history of computing that someone can say "thank god I have McAfee/Norton on my PC" without it being sarcasm.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Is there anyone left who still thinks a cashless society is a good idea?

 

[Howardh]

Thanks for the info r/e safe mode!

All these shops that have missed out on £m's of income today, can/will they sue Crowdstrike for the loss of earnings?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Jul 2024 ==

Is there anyone left who still thinks a cashless society is a good idea?

Think I mentioned exactly that in the "cashless" thread - a global crash!! I'm ahead of the times!!

 

[signed]

Lawsuit will come in due course

Mainly from the suit-loving Americans of course

 

[Ediswan]

Issue is millions of locked down corporate machines that won't allow anyone but IT staff to do this and as they are unable to boot they can't be fixed remotely.

Some systems will have remote console management for the IT staff to use. Either in hardware, or as virtual machines.

 

[birchesgreen]

Is there anyone left who still thinks a cashless society is a good idea?

Well as ATMs have been down as well, getting the cash in the first place is problem number 1.

 

[Bletchleyite]

All these shops that have missed out on £m's of income today, can/will they sue Crowdstrike for the loss of earnings?

I think plenty of businesses will - would be very surprised if they survive this. If I worked for them I'd be job hunting now.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Jul 2024 ==

Some systems will have remote console management for the IT staff to use. Either in hardware, or as virtual machines.

I suspect many who don't will now be planning to deploy that...

 

[Bantamzen]

Is there anyone left who still thinks a cashless society is a good idea?

Well as ATMs have been down as well, getting the cash in the first place is problem number 1.

Exactly, its no good having a cash only society if the cash dispensers go down....

 

[FGW_DID]

That comment has been posted ten million times on social media and I’m not exaggerating …much!!!

Not original at all but a standard response to any IT issue isn’t it?

The solution is only a little more complex than that and already posted on this thread.…….

It was humour, (definitely not original humour ). Presume you have never watched ‘The IT Crowd’?

 

[JamesT]

Exactly, its no good having a cash only society if the cash dispensers go down....

Or even if the ATM is up, if the till is down they’re not accepting cash either.

 

[Howardh]

I think plenty of businesses will - would be very surprised if they survive this. If I worked for them I'd be job hunting now.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Jul 2024 ==



I suspect many who don't will now be planning to deploy that...

You mean Crowdstrike, or the companies affected? Surely this won't bring down the likes of Waitrose, Morrisons etc?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Or even if the ATM is up, if the till is down they’re not accepting cash either.

Policies will vary on this. I was once in an Asda during a power cut and they switched to cash only and estimating (underestimating) the value of the trolley, change was not given but rather they just dumped it all in the note "cache" thing which doesn't require power.

 

[signed]

If I worked for them I'd be job hunting now.

Nothing will happen (apart from stock bottoming) before at least a decade, suits a MASSIVELY long

 

[Bletchleyite]

You mean Crowdstrike, or the companies affected? Surely this won't bring down the likes of Waitrose, Morrisons etc?

Crowdstrike, yes. They'll be sued into oblivion.

M$, Google or Amazon could survive something like that - no way a smaller firm will.

 

[Bill57p9]

I would discourage anyone from disabling Crowdstrike on a corporate device as a workaround without evidence of higher level approval as such bypassing of security measures - even if well intentioned - could have serious consequences.

 

[Howardh]

If you are on a train, can't buy a ticket as the mobile system's down, and you can't get any cash to pay the guard, considering the circumstances could a "promise to pay" ticket suffice if the guard has all your details (maybe even your card number) and you pay within 28 days, no penalty?

 

[birchesgreen]

I would discourage anyone from disabling Crowdstrike on a corporate device as a workaround without evidence of higher level approval as such bypassing of security measures - even if well intentioned - could have serious consequences.

Indeed, many companies use systems like this for legal certification reasons so if you disable it you open yourself up to a lot of potential issues.

 

[eoff]

If you are on a train, can't buy a ticket as the mobile system's down, and you can't get any cash to pay the guard, considering the circumstances could a "promise to pay" ticket suffice if the guard has all youDon't

Don't you have the right to pay with your chosen form of payment at the first opportunity?

 

[dk1]

If you are on a train, can't buy a ticket as the mobile system's down, and you can't get any cash to pay the guard, considering the circumstances could a "promise to pay" ticket suffice if the guard has all your details (maybe even your card number) and you pay within 28 days, no penalty?

The guard wouldn’t take any card details. They would advise other stations and if the problems are that severe gatelines will be opened to allow free passage.

 

[J-2739]

Yes, clearly.

CrowdStrike file update bricks PCs around the world

Updated: Falcon Sensor putting hosts into deathloop - but there's a workaround

www.theregister.com

It is hardly the most difficult concept that removing part of the faulty program (or deleting the whole thing but a dev from the company behind it aren't going to advise that are they) will solve the issue.

Yes, that's the fix.

Problem is that you have to do it on each machine, so it's going to cost a fortune for the likes of Tesco to go round doing it on each till (their staff won't be allowed to do it themselves).

No, I was asking if Flying Snail thought FGW_DID was being serious in his suggestion to turn off and on the systems. Sorry, I didn't really make it that clear!

 

[The exile]

Harsh but funny

View attachment 162012

Where’s the “like” button?

 

[Bantamzen]

Lawsuit will come in due course

Mainly from the suit-loving Americans of course

Well the bug grounded all of the big 3 airlines in the US, so the bill for that alone will wipe CrowdStrike out of existence!

 

[jamieh27]

Given some of the systems affected, I suspect that versons of Windows Server are involved.

If they are using an out of date system you mean?

 

[Starmill]

If you are on a train, can't buy a ticket as the mobile system's down, and you can't get any cash to pay the guard, considering the circumstances could a "promise to pay" ticket suffice if the guard has all your details (maybe even your card number) and you pay within 28 days, no penalty?

The guard isn't going to have time to collect a name and address for everyone in these circumstances. It's also unclear it's correct. If the ticket machine wasn't working at the origin station and the guard can't issue tickets, they'll simply be asked to pay for the correct ticket at their destination.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Jul 2024 ==

The guard wouldn’t take any card details. They would advise other stations and if the problems are that severe gatelines will be opened to allow free passage.

Indeed. Recording full card numbers like that is likely to be unlawful nowadays too.