Amazon Web Services (AWS) has fully recovered from a major global outage caused by DNS issues
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has fully recovered from a major global outage caused by DNS issues, restoring access to key platforms like Snapchat, Zoom, and Prime Video.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of what happened:
What Caused the Outage?
The outage began around 3 a.m. EDT on October 20, 2025, affecting the US-East-1 region, one of AWS’s most critical zones. The root cause was a DNS resolution failure—a disruption in the system that translates domain names into IP addresses. This impacted DynamoDB service endpoints, which many apps rely on.
Who Was Affected?
The outage disrupted major websites and apps including: Snapchat, Fortnite, Ring, Roblox, Coinbase, Signal. Amazon services like Prime Video, Alexa, and Ring. Even banks, government services, and e-commerce platforms experienced downtime due to their reliance on AWS infrastructure.
Recovery Timeline
AWS began mitigation efforts shortly after identifying the DNS issue. By 2:24 a.m. PDT, the core issue was resolved, but some internal subsystems remained impaired. AWS temporarily throttled EC2 instance launches to stabilize recovery. By 12:28 p.m. PDT, most services were back online and functioning normally.
Broader Implications
The incident highlights the vulnerability of global cloud infrastructure when a single region experiences failure. Experts are urging businesses to re-evaluate their cloud architecture to avoid single points of failure. You can read more on MSN, Forbes, Amazon’s official update, and CNBC.