Technology

59982 readers

2127 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.

Our Rules

Follow the lemmy.world rules.
Only tech related content.
Be excellent to each another!
Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
Politics threads may be removed.
No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed

Approved Bots

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

580

Windows 3.1 saves the day during CrowdStrike outage — Southwest Airlines scrapes by with archaic OS (www.tomshardware.com)

submitted 5 months ago by lemmee_in@lemm.ee to c/technology@lemmy.world

110 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Southwest Airlines, the fourth largest airline in the US, is seemingly unaffected by the problematic CrowdStrike update that caused millions of computers to BSoD (Blue Screen of Death) because it used Windows 3.1. The CrowdStrike issue disrupted operations globally after a faulty update caused newer computers to freeze and stop working, with many prominent institutions, including airports and almost all US airlines, including United, Delta, and American Airlines, needing to stop flights.

Windows 3.1, launched in 1992, is likely not getting any updates. So, when CrowdStrike pushed the faulty update to all its customers, Southwest wasn’t affected (because it didn’t receive an update to begin with).

The airlines affected by the CrowdStrike update had to ground their fleets because many of their background systems refused to operate. These systems could include pilot and fleet scheduling, maintenance records, ticketing, etc. Thankfully, the lousy update did not affect aircraft systems, ensuring that everything airborne remained safe and were always in control of their pilots.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[+] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world -35 points 5 months ago (6 children)

Quite the opposite.

[–] Jagger2097@lemmy.world 41 points 5 months ago (5 children)

Please explain. I'll make 🍿

[–] RustyHeater@lemmy.world 30 points 5 months ago (4 children)

Microsoft's Wolverine for the TCP stack was not available until Windows 3.11. An argument could be made that these systems are defacto air-gapped as they cannot communicate with modern networking.

[–] mosiacmango@lemm.ee 26 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Youre assuming the article is using "windows 3.1" to mean the exact version of the OS, instead of just the proper name of the OS overall. That probally unlikley.

Since lacking a network stack tends to limit usability, unless the systems are intentionally air gapped they likely are on windows 3.1.1 or later. Based on Southwest extensively documented and decades long IT neglect that landed its current COO in front of Congress for a previous days long outage, i doubt the systems are intentionally airgapped, as that implies a working and well funded IT department.

[–] areyouevenreal@lemm.ee 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Just because it doesn't have TCP/IP doesn't mean there isn't networking. Networks existed before the Internet and its Internet Protocol after all. It wouldn't be so much air gapped as so archaic that only the most targeted attacks would work, and only if there is an infected PC acting as an intermediate between the Internet and ye olde network. Chances are it was never connected to the modern Internet as the technologies just aren't compatible.

[–] Jagger2097@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Old doesn't mean secure. Those old systems have had decades since the last security patch. Even then computer security was barely a consideration for the developers.

[–] areyouevenreal@lemm.ee 2 points 5 months ago

I am not saying it is, normally old systems are the least secure. The bit you're not getting is that this system is almost certainly air gapped, just not by choice. It can't work with modern networks. It can't work with modern viruses. Any exploit a modern hacker would think to use probably doesn't exist yet. It's a bit like trying to break someone's car by putting sugar in the fuel, except they ride a horse. Do you get it yet?

load more comments (2 replies)