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Windows 3.1 saves the day during CrowdStrike outage — Southwest Airlines scrapes by with archaic OS

https://lemm.ee/post/37572852

Windows 3.1 saves the day during CrowdStrike outage — Southwest Airlines scrapes by with archaic OS - lemm.ee

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.

Jul 21, 2024 at 12:17amWeb
Show threadfloofloofJul 21, 2024

One X user suggested that the company switch to Windows XP—it’s also no longer updated, and it can run Windows 3.1 applications via compatibility mode.

Maybe that was a joke, but if anything that would reduce their security. Windows 3.1 and 95 are old enough that they can’t even run most stuff from the last two and a half decades, which probably protects them. XP is just new enough, and plenty old enough, to be very risky.

Show threadjabathekekJul 21, 2024
Reminds me of an episode of Ghost in the Shell where a hacker in a hyper-advanced cyberised society was using floppy disks as a storage medium because they were so slow.
Show threadFaceDeerJul 21, 2024
One of the background details I liked in Ghost in the Shell was how the high-end data analysts and programmers employed by the government did their work using cybernetic hands whose fingers could separate into dozens of smaller fingers to let them operate keyboards extremely quickly. They didn't use direct cybernetic links because that was a security vulnerability for their brains.
Show thread0x0Jul 21, 2024
They’re also so old they were compiled without any modern instrumentation, e.g. stack canaries.
Show threadradivojevicJul 21, 2024
This is both awesome and frightening for many reasons
Show threadLost_My_MindJul 21, 2024
Windows 3.1? You fancy kids, and your modern operating systems! What’s wrong with Windows 1.0???
Show threadMrSoupJul 21, 2024
Why not Quick and Dirty Operating System?
Show threadCrashumbcJul 21, 2024
In before OS/2
Show threadEmerald (she/her)Jul 21, 2024
inb4 os/5
Show threadBlaster MJul 21, 2024
This is the “can’t get a Word Document macro virus because I use the Corel WordPerfect Document type” kind of energy.
Show threadSpaceNoodleJul 21, 2024
No, it doesn’t, because Corel didn’t buy WordPerfect until 1996.
Show threadCrashumbcJul 21, 2024
I miss our Corel word perfect :(
Show threadEmerald (she/her)Jul 21, 2024
It still exists. You can use it
Show threadrhabarbaJul 21, 2024
Ah, nothing’s wrong with WordPerfect, honestly. Still better than Word.
Show threadareyouevenrealJul 22, 2024
Does it run on Wine?
Show threadrhabarbaJul 22, 2024
Depends.
WineHQ - WordPerfect

Open Source Software for running Windows applications on other operating systems.

Show threadClbullJul 22, 2024

Funny the page recommends OpenOffice when the entire FOSS community has moved on to LibreOffice in a middle-finger to Oracle.

Besides, OO and LO are shit. AbiWord is where it’s at.

Show threadrhabarbaJul 22, 2024
Who needs AbiWord when you can use WordTsar?
Show threadYggstyleJul 21, 2024

Best feature windows 3.1 has:

… it doesn’t pop up message telling you to upgrade to windows 11.

Show threadEntropywinsJul 21, 2024
Shhh don’t give microsoft any ideas
Show threadSkaveRatJul 21, 2024

or add shitty AI tools without asking.

or constntly nag you to use their cloud storage

Show threadfrunchJul 21, 2024
Plus all them decks for solitaire!!!
Show threadDaveJul 21, 2024
My windows 10 PC is telling me I don’t qualify for a free Windows 11 update, so I’ve got that going for me.
Show threadMountain_Mike_420Jul 21, 2024
Haha. I’ve got one of those too.
Show threaddalekcaanJul 21, 2024
Show threaddalekcaanJul 21, 2024
Show threadphoneymouseJul 21, 2024
The fact that they’re running 3.1 is not something to be proud of. They’re probably extremely vulnerable to any other attack.
Show threadSpaceNoodleJul 21, 2024
Quite the opposite.
Show threadJagger2097Jul 21, 2024
Please explain. I’ll make 🍿
Show threadRustyHeaterJul 21, 2024
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.
Show threadmosiacmangoJul 21, 2024

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.

Southwest cancels thousands more flights; U.S. government vows scrutiny

Southwest Airlines <a href="https://www.reuters.com/companies/LUV.N" target="_blank">(LUV.N)</a> came under fire from the U.S. government on Tuesday after it canceled thousands of flights, and its boss, Bob Jordan, said the low-cost carrier needed to upgrade its legacy airline systems.

Reuters
Show threadareyouevenrealJul 22, 2024
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.
Show threadJagger2097Jul 22, 2024
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.
Show threadareyouevenrealJul 22, 2024
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?
Show threadqisopeJul 21, 2024
Or, for your consideration, could it perhaps be because they don’t use crowdstrike?
Show threadKairuByteJul 21, 2024
Yeah, what? 3.1 not getting updates has nothing to do with this. Software developed for 3.1 can still be updated. This article is just silly.
Show threadSSJMarxJul 21, 2024
The interesting thing here is wondering why they never upgraded. Perhaps managing flights digitally just hasn’t changed much since the early nineties and they never needed anything else?
Show threadirinotecanJul 21, 2024

Likely the same reason why banks and other financial institutions still use COBOL and Fortran code written in the 1970s or earlier on archaic mainframes: Top management decided at some point it was too expensive to rewrite everything from scratch in some modern language for modern hardware, so they just limp along with what they have.

A 16-bit app written for Windows 3.x would almost certainly have to be rewritten for modern, 64-bit Windows.

Show threadfrunchJul 21, 2024
While i figured the cost would be a factor, i just figured they were sticking with a system that works. If it serves their needs effectively and reliably, why change it?
Show threadPetter1Jul 22, 2024
😂👌🏻nice edit
Show threadInFerNoJul 21, 2024
It isn’t even a Windows update, but a software update.
Show threadxantoxisJul 21, 2024
My Linux servers weren’t affected either. I think it’s because of Windows 3.1
Show threadMonumentJul 21, 2024

My wife shared this with me yesterday, but I didn’t see it:

Somebunny is gonna learn those things aren’t windows-based today!

Show threadPeffseJul 21, 2024

Just yesterday I had that exact “Tech enthusiast vs tech worker” meme play out. I wanted a timer to control the electrical outlet for an aquarium bubbler. Saleswoman really wanted to sell me this “smart” controller with an app that can program the outlet.

Me:“What happens when the app stops working?”

(saleswoman is frantically flipping the box over for answers)

Her:“…maybe…it keeps the existing timer?”

Show threadBoomer Humor DoomergodJul 21, 2024
I’ve got about six smart plugs that all stopped working because of lack of support. I am no longer interested in smart plugs.
Show threadDamageJul 21, 2024
Shelly makes devices that are compatible with ESPHome and Tasmota, solving this problem.
Home - Shelly Cloud

Shelly Cloud
Show threadMonumentJul 21, 2024

For only way more time and money, you can buy a zigbee smart plug and a vendor agnostic zigbee hub flashed with FOSS, or you can buy a esp-based board, wire it up with a relay, and flash it with something like esphome.

Sure, it’s way more money and hours of work (cumulatively), but it won’t lose support!

Show thread5redie8Jul 21, 2024
I just bought a bunch of TP Link equipment I knew was compatible and loaded up Home Assistant onto a Raspberry Pi. Best of both worlds
Show threadSyntaxErrorJul 22, 2024
I bought some TP link Kasa plugs and a couple of years later when I wanted some more the Kasa brand was discontinued and replaced by Tapo in Sweden. Tapo and Kasa only work with their own separate app so I would have had to have two separate apps even though both were TP link. Never bought any more smart plugs.
Show thread5redie8Jul 22, 2024
Aw man, that’s a shame! Kasa is still around in the US, I only got mine a couple months ago. They do seem to offer both, so I wonder if Kasa is on the way out here too
Show threadBoomer Humor DoomergodJul 21, 2024
My old thermostat was basically two teaspoons of mercury that would expand and contract with the temperature to short out two leads. They didn’t let me keep it when I got a new one, but I got the dumbest one they had.
Show threadbtaf45Jul 22, 2024

I got a new HVAC and smart thermostat about a week ago. After researching, I decided to hook thermostat to wifi and download app. Mostly all the app does is duplicate the same functionality that the thermostat controls have. I find it handy to have a remote control for the thermostat.

OTOH I decided not to hook up a new washing machine to wifi and use app. It duplicated the functionality of the appliance controls also, but there was no point in having remove controls for a washing machine.

The critical thing is that an appliance needs to be fully functional without needing to use wifi and certainly not a phone app.

Show threadBlackAuraJul 21, 2024
Yeah what a badly written article, with awful takeaways.
Show threadnoisefreeJul 21, 2024
I feel like every article out there is missing this and keeps blaming Windows Update vs an update pushed to a specific piece of software by a third-party developer. I get end-users not understanding how things work but tech writers should be more knowledgeable about the subject they write about for a living.
Show threadcmnyboJul 21, 2024
Holy crap, they are serious. I though I was on [email protected] for a minute. I sure hope none of those computers are connected to the internet. There’s a massive number of vulnerabilities in windows 3.1 and windows 95.
Show threadkrdoJul 21, 2024
Windows 3.1 doesn’t even come with a TCP/IP stack. It’s actually pretty safe.
Show threadcmnyboJul 21, 2024
As long as that’s the exact version they’re using. Windows for workgroups 3.11 has networking.
Show thread5redie8Jul 21, 2024
Bold of you to assume any of the “experts” writing about this know what a TCP/IP stack is
Show threadLumisalJul 21, 2024

But how many people are looking for Windows 3.1 anything today?

Well I suppose now there might be more

Show threadCorganaJul 21, 2024
The “source” is a tweet from a random dude, it’s almost certainly not true.