The problem discussed in the video is related to a technical issue with the CrowdStrike Falcon sensor, specifically tied to a parameter mismatch in a new Inter-Process Communication (IPC) template type.
#### Key Components of the Problem:
1. *CrowdStrike Falcon Sensor:*
- The sensor uses AI and machine learning models to protect customer systems by identifying and mitigating advanced threats. These models are updated regularly with new threat telemetry.
2. *IPC Template Type:*
- Introduced in February 2024 with sensor version 7.1.11, the new IPC template type aimed to enhance detection of novel attack techniques, including the abuse of named pipes and other Windows inter-process communication (IPC) mechanisms.
3. *Template Type Parameters:*
- The IPC template type defined 21 input parameter fields. However, the integration code that invoked the content interpreter for these template instances supplied only 20 input values.
4. *Rapid Response Content Channel File 291:*
- This file delivered the new IPC template type to the sensors. Due to the parameter mismatch, the sensors received 20 input values instead of the required 21.
5. *Parameter Mismatch and Testing:*
- The parameter count mismatch (only 20 provided instead of 21) evaded multiple layers of build validation and testing. This included stress testing and initial field deployments.
6. *Wildcard Matching Criteria:*
- During testing and initial deployments, the use of a wildcard matching criterion for the 21st input parameter allowed the mismatch to go unnoticed. This wildcard essentially acted as a catch-all, masking the absence of the expected 21st parameter.
7. *Introduction of Non-Wildcard Matching:*
- On July 19, 2024, two new IPC template instances were deployed. One of these introduced a non-wildcard matching criterion for the 21st input parameter. This change required the sensor to inspect the 21st input parameter explicitly.
8. *Failure of Content Validator:*
- The content validator evaluated the new template instances under the assumption that the IPC template type would provide all 21 inputs. Due to the mismatch, the validator failed, leading to the incident.
9. *Root Cause Analysis Findings:*
- The mismatch and subsequent failure were not discovered during the sensor release testing process. The error was identified only when the new non-wildcard template instances were deployed, causing the sensor to fail to process the IPC template correctly.
#### Implications and Consequences:
- *System Outage:*
- Approximately 1% of Windows sensors were affected, remaining offline post-update.
- *Technical Debt and Oversight:*
- The issue highlighted the importance of rigorous testing and validation, especially when dealing with complex systems that use regular expressions and other sophisticated matching criteria.
- *Mitigation and Future Prevention:*
- The report and subsequent analysis would likely lead to improvements in testing protocols and more stringent validation processes to prevent similar issues in the future.
#### Conclusion:
The root cause of the issue was a parameter mismatch in the new IPC template type introduced by CrowdStrike. The mismatch evaded multiple layers of validation due to the use of wildcard matching criteria, which masked the absence of the required parameter. This incident underscores the importance of thorough testing and validation, especially when dealing with complex configurations and security systems.
The article discusses the controversial handling of the rape allegations against Julian Assange by Swedish authorities, highlighting the investigative work of Nils Melzer, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture. Melzer's findings suggest that the Swedish police may have manipulated the statements of the women involved to construct a narrative of rape where none existed. This narrative was then used to issue an international arrest warrant for Assange, complicating his legal situation and contributing to his long confinement in the Ecuadorian embassy in London.
Key points include the revelation that one of the women did not accuse Assange of rape but had her statement altered by the police. This alteration occurred under instructions from higher authorities, as evidenced by an email directing the change. The case against Assange was further complicated by the involvement of a second woman, whose testimony was also questionable and possibly influenced by external influences, including a friend in the police force.
> Key points include the revelation that one of the women did not accuse Assange of rape but had her statement altered by the police.
AFAICR, they showed up and said "What he did feels wrong, surely that must be some sort of crime?". She wasn't jumped and gang-raped in an alley, so she didn't know it legally counted as rape; the police helped her put the correct name to it. Doesn't seem at all as suspect as you're trying to make it.
> This alteration occurred under instructions from higher authorities, as evidenced by an email directing the change.
Oh my, someone asking their boss what to do and the boss telling them? Wow, that must be a conspiracy!
> The case against Assange was further complicated by the involvement of a second woman, whose testimony was also questionable and possibly influenced by external influences, including a friend in the police force.
Idunno, sounds like you're trying to give the impression that having two cases in stead of one should make the allegations less plausible...? Is that how you usually think about things like that; "Oh, this guy is said to have commited several burglaries, that clearly makes him less suspect than this other guy who is supposed to have committed only one"?
Just go look up former prime minister Julia Gillard address US congress.
I cringe every time I rewatch.
(Then again thanks to Wikileaks we now know US were “assessing” whether Gillard would be a good replacement to Rudd a year before it all happened… so I guess that made her a fan!
Adding even more context, according to Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Conflict in Georgia [1], established by the Council of the European Union, „the shelling of Tskhinvali by the Georgian armed forces during the night of 7 to 8 August 2008 marked the beginning of the large-scale conflict in Georgia“
Great explanation for the type of person to think the Gaza conflict started on October 7th 2023.
> The Georgian allegations of a Russian invasion were supported, inter alia, by claims of illegal entry into South Ossetia of a large number of Russian troops and armour, prior to the commencement of the Georgian operation. According to Georgian answers to the Mission´s questions, the process of building-up of Russian forces
in South Ossetia had started in early July 2008, continued in the course of August and
included troops and medical personnel, tents, armoured vehicles, tanks, self-propelled
artillery and artillery guns
(From your source)
Tskhinvali is in Georgia by the way. I think that says it all.
> Great explanation for the type of person to think the Gaza conflict started on October 7th 2023.
Sure, you could trace it all the way back to the Arab and Muslim colonization of Israel and Judea in 634, but the current war definitely started with Hamas' attack on Oct 7 2023, the most inexcusable, evil attack in the history of the region (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_and_gender-based_violen... )
You seem to have your years wrong, the genocide the Arabs have been perpetrating against the Jews includes events like attacks against Jewish settlements at 1886, making their evil and inexcusable genocide much longer than 70 years.
> The Georgian allegations of a Russian invasion were supported, inter alia, by claims
Great explanation for the type of person to think the Gaza conflict started on October 7th 2023.
Russian troops were preparing to repel upcoming Georgian takeover of South Ossetia. At the start of the war Georgian military commander announced on TV that they are moving to take control of South Ossetia and said nothing about Russian invasion.[0]
Uhm, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgian_Civil_War ?
I get "Russia bad" point of view, but border issues in the Caucasus region are way more nuanced than that.
Abkhaz people are not equivalent of "People of Donbas" talking point in this case.
„ The bill, which would require organisations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as agents of foreign influence, has sparked a rolling political crisis in the South Caucasus country.“
It's originally an American law (FARA) which they essentially translated into Georgian. But in America this is used against Russia, China etc., whereas in Georgia they'd also use it against American organisations. That's obviously not in the spirit of the original law!
FARA deals with organizations diectly lobbying the government. The bill in Georgia says any organization that gets more than 20% of it's money internationally must register as a foreign agent.
How are these two concepts remotely similar? Why should a travel agency or a freight shipping company register as a "foreign agent" (a positively Orwellian term)?
The new law (among other things) applies to commercial entities with a website in the Georgian language and their own domain name.
> and legal entities that own or use, jointly or with others, an internet domain and/or internet hosting intended for the dissemination of information through the internet in the Georgian language, must register in public registry as "agents of foreign influence" and be subjected to the monitoring of the Ministry of Justice, if they receive more than 20% of their annual income from "a foreign power".
Peculiar how that Wikipedia article omits a crucial word in its condensed summary. I'm sure this is an honest error, since nobody would ever use Wikipedia to try to push their own agenda.
Anyways, lets look at the law text. This is from paragraph D of article 2 of the law:
> ისეთი იურიდიული პირი, რომელიც ერთპიროვნულად ან სხვასთან ერთად ფლობს ან/და იყენებს მასობრივი ინფორმაციის საქართველოს სახელმწიფო ენაზე გამავრცელებელი ინტერნეტსაშუალებისთვის განკუთვნილ ინტერნეტდომენს ან/და ინტერნეტჰოსტინგს და ...
Crucially, as in paragraph C which refers to legacy media, this explicitly says მასობრივი ინფორმაციის which is mass information. This is referring to things like news websites, not any company website.
Well, you are not so far from the truth, according to the BASF press release[1]:
>Closure of the TDI plant and the precursor plants for DNT and TDA: Demand for TDI has developed only very weakly especially in Europe, Middle East and Africa and has been significantly below expectations. The TDI complex in Ludwigshafen has been underutilized and has not met expectations in terms of economic performance. This situation has further worsened with sharply increased energy and utility costs. BASF’s European customers will continue to be reliably supplied with TDI from BASF’s global production network with plants in Geismar, Louisiana; Yeosu, South Korea; and Shanghai, China.
How would we know? As per the source‘s mission: „We are committed to improving the nation’s ability to execute military operations and respond to emerging threats in order to achieve U.S. strategic objectives.“
The problem discussed in the video is related to a technical issue with the CrowdStrike Falcon sensor, specifically tied to a parameter mismatch in a new Inter-Process Communication (IPC) template type.
#### Key Components of the Problem:
1. *CrowdStrike Falcon Sensor:* - The sensor uses AI and machine learning models to protect customer systems by identifying and mitigating advanced threats. These models are updated regularly with new threat telemetry.
2. *IPC Template Type:* - Introduced in February 2024 with sensor version 7.1.11, the new IPC template type aimed to enhance detection of novel attack techniques, including the abuse of named pipes and other Windows inter-process communication (IPC) mechanisms.
3. *Template Type Parameters:* - The IPC template type defined 21 input parameter fields. However, the integration code that invoked the content interpreter for these template instances supplied only 20 input values.
4. *Rapid Response Content Channel File 291:* - This file delivered the new IPC template type to the sensors. Due to the parameter mismatch, the sensors received 20 input values instead of the required 21.
5. *Parameter Mismatch and Testing:* - The parameter count mismatch (only 20 provided instead of 21) evaded multiple layers of build validation and testing. This included stress testing and initial field deployments.
6. *Wildcard Matching Criteria:* - During testing and initial deployments, the use of a wildcard matching criterion for the 21st input parameter allowed the mismatch to go unnoticed. This wildcard essentially acted as a catch-all, masking the absence of the expected 21st parameter.
7. *Introduction of Non-Wildcard Matching:* - On July 19, 2024, two new IPC template instances were deployed. One of these introduced a non-wildcard matching criterion for the 21st input parameter. This change required the sensor to inspect the 21st input parameter explicitly.
8. *Failure of Content Validator:* - The content validator evaluated the new template instances under the assumption that the IPC template type would provide all 21 inputs. Due to the mismatch, the validator failed, leading to the incident.
9. *Root Cause Analysis Findings:* - The mismatch and subsequent failure were not discovered during the sensor release testing process. The error was identified only when the new non-wildcard template instances were deployed, causing the sensor to fail to process the IPC template correctly.
#### Implications and Consequences:
- *System Outage:* - Approximately 1% of Windows sensors were affected, remaining offline post-update.
- *Technical Debt and Oversight:* - The issue highlighted the importance of rigorous testing and validation, especially when dealing with complex systems that use regular expressions and other sophisticated matching criteria.
- *Mitigation and Future Prevention:* - The report and subsequent analysis would likely lead to improvements in testing protocols and more stringent validation processes to prevent similar issues in the future.
#### Conclusion:
The root cause of the issue was a parameter mismatch in the new IPC template type introduced by CrowdStrike. The mismatch evaded multiple layers of validation due to the use of wildcard matching criteria, which masked the absence of the required parameter. This incident underscores the importance of thorough testing and validation, especially when dealing with complex configurations and security systems.