Global IT Outage Spurs Malicious Websites as Experts Uncover CrowdStrike’s Update Oversight

Cyber intelligence agencies have issued warnings about malicious websites exploiting a recent global IT outage by offering “unofficial code” to fix affected devices.

Experts have pinpointed a likely cause of the issue: a faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. The problematic update, which bypassed standard checks before deployment, impacted an estimated 8.5 million Microsoft Windows PCs worldwide, causing significant disruptions for airports, broadcasters, hospitals, and businesses.

The trouble began shortly after CrowdStrike released the latest version of its Falcon sensor software last Friday. Intended to enhance system security against hacking, the update instead led to devices displaying the notorious “blue screen of death” due to faulty code.

It was suggested that the issue might have arisen because the faulty file was not included in the standard vetting or sandboxing processes. It looks like this file somehow slipped through..

A security researcher attributed the problem to “a file containing configuration information or signatures” that detects specific types of malicious code or malware. Wardle explained that security products frequently update their signatures, often daily, to protect against new threats. This high frequency of updates could have led to less thorough testing by CrowdStrike.

Beware of Scam Fixes

As CrowdStrike worked to address the hacking attempts, malicious websites began exploiting the situation by offering “unofficial code” purporting to fix the issues. Consumers have been warned to only seek technical information and updates from official CrowdStrike sources.

People are advised to be on the lookout for possible scams and phishing attempts.

Despite CrowdStrike’s efforts to resolve the issue, the outage continued to disrupt services in the UK over the weekend. NHS England warned of ongoing disruptions to GP services into the following week, and pharmacy services faced significant backlogs. Travellers also reported lost baggage and delays of up to nine hours at airports.

It would take “some time” before all systems returned to normal and a full recovery could take “weeks.”