Major Cybersecurity Flaw Leads To Microsoft Windows Systems Ending Up With BSOD “Blue Screen of Deaths”, Worldwide Airlines, Banks & More Affected

Microsoft's Windows users are facing BSOD "Blue Screen of Death" issues with initial reports suggesting that it's a problem from the cybersecurity provider CrowdStrike.

[Update]: CrowdStrike's President & CEO George Kurtz has come on the social media platform X to acknowledge the widespread Windows BSOD crashes, claiming that the firm is actively working towards mitigating the solution. Interestingly, Mac and Linux host systems aren't affected by the problem at all, so that's a plus for them. He has reassured users that the issue isn't a "cyberattack" or security breach at all.

CrowdStrike is actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts. Mac and Linux hosts are not impacted. This is not a security incident or cyberattack. The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed. We…

— George Kurtz (@George_Kurtz) July 19, 2024

The issue has spread massively, reaching into the mainstream industry.

Several businesses across the globe have temporarily halted their operations due to Windows's BSOD issues, with media outlets such as Sky News seeing compromised media coverage, along with several service providers witnessing troubles. It is being reported that affected systems are in continuous loops of BSOD with no apparent way of getting out of them. This has caused a huge debate on social media, with several affected showing their resentment towards the bothering issue.

JUST IN - Global cyber outage. Cybersecurity platform CrowdStrike is "down" worldwide, causing global IT problems, Microsoft crashes, 911 outages across several US states, and disruptions in international airlines, banks and media outlets. pic.twitter.com/8gW5RvTDNT

— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) July 19, 2024

While we are still determining the root cause of the problem, the cybersecurity provider CrowdStrike has reported an error with the latest update on their Falcon endpoint protection software, which is being associated as the main reason behind the crashes. CrowdStrike has provided an update in their recent support note, disclosing to users a temporary fix to address the problem.

Workaround Steps: 1. Boot Windows into Safe Mode or the Windows Recovery Environment 2. Navigate to the C:\Windows\System32\drivers\CrowdStrike directory 3. Locate the file matching "C-00000291*.sys", and delete it. 4. Boot the host normally.

This is likely a move that reverses the Falcon update or mitigates it in some way. In terms of how widespread the problem is, it initially emerged within Australian markets and has now created IT disruptions globally. Major operations at facilities such as airports, offices, and public places have been halted, and it looks like the issue does seem to spread like wildfire. Ryanair, the famous airline in Europe, has acknowledged the BSOD problem, which has affected flight departures. Along with that, major stock exchanges, including the London Stock Exchange, have seen service disruptions.

BREAKING: Services disrupted at London Stock Exchange due to outages

— The Spectator Index (@spectatorindex) July 19, 2024

Consumers and businesses facing the Windows BSOD problem should follow the workaround advised by CrowdStrike. Given how rapidly the issue has spread into the markets, we hope that Microsoft comes up with an adequate fix as soon as possible. It's important to note that CrowdStrike is in a position of privilege here, and given that a single piece of code can mess up million of computers out there, the issue does look to me much more grave than what it may seem like.