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CrowdStrike downtime apparently caused by update that replaced a file with 42kb of zeroes (twiiit.com)

submitted 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) by Aatube@kbin.melroy.org to c/technology@lemmy.world

186 comments fedilink hide all child comments

…according to a Twitter post by the Chief Informational Security Officer of Grand Canyon Education.

So, does anyone else find it odd that the file that caused everything CrowdStrike to freak out, C-00000291-
00000000-00000032.sys was 42KB of blank/null values, while the replacement file C-00000291-00000000-
00000.033.sys was 35KB and looked like a normal, if not obfuscated sys/.conf file?

Also, apparently CrowdStrike had at least 5 hours to work on the problem between the time it was discovered and the time it was fixed.

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[–] jlh@lemmy.jlh.name 0 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Windows kernel drivers are signed by Microsoft. They must have rubber stamped this for this to go through, though.

[–] diffusive@lemmy.world 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

This was not the driver, it was a config file or something read by the driver. Now having a driver in kernel space depending on a config on a regular path is another fuck up

[–] jlh@lemmy.jlh.name 0 points 4 months ago (2 children)

isn't .sys a driver?

[–] Evilcoleslaw@lemmy.world 0 points 4 months ago

So yes, .sys is by convention on Windows is for a kernel mode driver. However, Crowdstrike specifically uses .sys for non-driver files and this specifically was not a driver.

[–] Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.works 0 points 4 months ago

Not just drivers, no https://fileinfo.com/extension/sys

[–] PythagreousTitties@lemm.ee 0 points 4 months ago (2 children)

What about the Mac and Linux PCs? Did Microsoft sign those too?

[–] Aatube@kbin.melroy.org 0 points 4 months ago

only the Windows version was affected

[–] jlh@lemmy.jlh.name 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Not sure about Mac, but on Linux, they're signed by the distro maintainer or with the computer's secure boot key.

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UEFI/SecureBoot

[–] PythagreousTitties@lemm.ee 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

So... Microsoft couldn't have "rubber-stamped" anything to do with the outage.

[–] feannag@sh.itjust.works 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

The outage only affected the Windows version of Falcon. OSX and Linux were not affected.

[–] PythagreousTitties@lemm.ee 0 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

This time. Last time it did affect Linux. It doesn't have anything to do with Microsoft.
Sorry to burst your bubble.

[–] Aatube@kbin.melroy.org 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

what are you on about? who suggested anything about microsoft?

[–] PythagreousTitties@lemm.ee 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Windows kernel drivers are signed by Microsoft. They must have rubber stamped this for this to go through, though.

Try to keep up.

[–] witx@lemmy.sdf.org 0 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

You look so kewl if I were a child again I'd speak just like you

[–] PythagreousTitties@lemm.ee 0 points 4 months ago

Quoting the comment that started this thread is speaking like a child to you?

[–] blind3rdeye@lemm.ee 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

In this thread we're talking about the recent problem with CrowdStrike on Windows that brought down various services around the world. So I don't know who's bubble you think you're bursting by talking about something else.

[–] PythagreousTitties@lemm.ee 0 points 4 months ago

You l people have a horrible time following threads.