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A tiny updater bug that burned 2 petabytes

5 May 2025 · 56 views · 0 likes · 0 reposts · 121 blog views

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I came across a super interesting story today about the team behind Screen Studio (a macOS screen recorder app).

They had a simple bug in their auto-updater that caused the app to download a 250MB update file every 5 minutes for every user. It ran for over a month before they noticed... leading to over 2 petabytes of data downloaded (!). They only caught it because the founder’s credit card started getting blocked from massive cloud charges.

What I loved most is how openly they shared their mistakes and lessons, like:

1️⃣ Always set cost alerts on your cloud services. 2️⃣ Be extra careful with any background processes. 3️⃣ Add ways to remotely control or stop app behavior.

Regularly check your cloud usage, even if things seem fine.

The worst part? It also hurt some users – one even had their internet canceled from the insane traffic. Stories like this are a goldmine for learning. It's a great reminder that small bugs can turn into huge (and expensive) problems if you’re not watching closely.

A tiny updater bug that burned 2 petabytes

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