CrowdStrike Update Causes Global Microsoft Outage, Affecting Services and Bringing ‘Blue Screen of Death’

CrowdStrike, the endpoint security software, caused a major global outage of Microsoft services including Windows and Office 365, following an update on Friday. The alleged issue brought the ‘blue screen of death’ (BSOD) to Windows devices across the world, with users unable to access their devices. Furthermore, the problem is also reported to have resulted in the disruption of services across information technology (IT) companies, airports, banks and other sectors. 

CrowdStrike Error: What Happened

The issue seems to have surfaced following a CrowdStrikeupdate that resulted in ‘Blue Screen of Dealth’ on Windows devices. The error says “Your device ran into a problem and needs to restart”. However, restarting does not appear to solve the issue, with the device getting stuck in a boot loop.

Microsoft lists the error with the STOP code “PAGE_FAULT-IN-NONPAGED_AREA”. It is allegedly caused to due a failure of a CrowdStrike agent system file, as per the error log. 

CrowdStrike Error: Its Impact

Software status monitoring website Downdetector suggests the outage has impacted several Microsoft services including Microsoft Store and Microsoft 365. The platform also reports that 911 emergency services in several states in the US have also been affected. According to claims on social media, the CrowdStrike update error seems to have resulted in the disruption of services across institutions such as banks, airports and IT companies.

India’s IndiGo Airlines issued a statement informing about the impact on its services, resulting in long waiting lines while checking in and errors while booking tickets. It attributed the problem to Microsoft Azure, stating that its digital experts are working on a solution. A similar statement was also issued by Akasa Air. 

Media outlets are also reported to face issues due to the global outage of Microsoft services, with Australia’s Sky News being one of the ones affected. 
 

(Developing Story)