McAfee-caused PC meltdown and Microsoft-CrowdStrike outage have a common connection
Microsoft recently encountered a major technical issue that affected numerous sectors worldwide. Thousands of Windows computers were crippled by the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) during boot. The issue originated from a faulty update released by cybersecurity provider CrowdStrike, causing affected PCs and servers to enter a recovery boot loop, preventing proper startup. A similar issue was reported in 2010 when a defective update from McAfee, known as "DAT" file version 5958, triggered a worldwide shutdown of Windows XP PCs.
CrowdStrike boss previously worked for McAfee
The Microsoft-CrowdStrike outage impacted major banks, media outlets, and airlines, per reports. Likewise, hundreds to thousands of PCs within single companies were affected during the McAfee issue. Adding to the scrutiny, George Kurtz, co-founder and CEO of CrowdStrike, who is at the center of this current issue, was also the CTO of McAfee during its notorious 2010 glitch with Windows XP. This connection further intensifies concerns over the recurring nature of such critical technical failures under his leadership.
Kurtz served as CTO at McAfee for 2 years
Take a look at the McAfee incident
Released in April 2010, the McAfee update led to a widespread malfunction of Windows XP SP3 systems. The SANS Internet Storm Center, an internet monitoring company, reported that affected systems entered a reboot loop and lost all network access. The issue also impacted workstations connected to a domain and was accelerated by the use of "ePolicyOrchestrator," a tool used for updating virus definitions across networks.
False positive triggered shutdown, McAfee provided solution
The malfunction was identified as a false positive which marked a regular Windows binary, "svchost.exe," as "W32/Wecorl.a," a virus. McAfee detailed the problem and its solution on its KnowledgeBase page. The symptoms were described as "Blue screen or DCOM error, followed by shutdown messages after updating to the 5958 DAT on April 21, 2010." The antivirus company removed the faulty update from its download servers for corporate users and replaced it with an updated set of virus definitions.
McAfee was sold to Intel in 2011
The McAfee incident raised questions about the company's operational efficiency. It also cost the company so much that they ended up selling to Intel, which was among those affected by this issue. To recall, Intel purchase McAfee in February 2011.
