| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to Adobe Flash vulnerabilities being exploited by hackers has happened again within the same organization. Adobe Systems released an emergency security update addressing vulnerabilities in Flash that were already being exploited by hackers. This was the third update for the browser plug-in in that month, indicating a recurring issue with security vulnerabilities in Adobe Flash [Article 17315].
(b) The software failure incident related to Adobe Flash vulnerabilities being exploited by hackers has also happened at multiple organizations. The vulnerabilities CVE-2013-0643 and CVE-2013-0648 were being exploited in targeted attacks designed to trick users into clicking malicious links. The exploit was specifically designed to target the Firefox browser, indicating that the issue was not limited to a single organization but affected users across different platforms and browsers [Article 17315]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in the article is related to the design phase. Adobe released an emergency security update to address vulnerabilities in Flash that could cause a crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system. The vulnerabilities (CVE-2013-0643 and CVE-2013-0648) were being exploited by hackers in targeted attacks designed to trick users into clicking on malicious Flash content [Article 17315].
(b) The software failure incident is also related to the operation phase. The vulnerabilities in Flash were being actively exploited in the wild in targeted attacks, indicating that the failure was due to contributing factors introduced by the operation or misuse of the system. Users were advised to install the update within 72 hours to mitigate the risk of being targeted by exploits [Article 17315]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident reported in the article is primarily due to vulnerabilities within Adobe Flash itself. Adobe released an emergency security update to address three vulnerabilities in Flash, two of which were already being exploited by hackers. The vulnerabilities could cause a crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system. Adobe identified the vulnerabilities by their Common Vulnerabilities & Exposures (CVE) numbers - CVE-2013-0643 and CVE-2013-0648. The exploit was designed to target the Firefox browser. Adobe assigned a Priority 1 rating to the vulnerabilities being exploited on Windows and Mac OS X, indicating the high threat level. The article mentions that the update is Adobe's third this month and its second emergency update in less than three weeks, highlighting the severity of the vulnerabilities originating within the Adobe Flash system [17315].
(b) outside_system: The software failure incident reported in the article also involves contributing factors that originate from outside the system. Hackers were actively exploiting the vulnerabilities in Flash by tricking users into clicking on links that directed them to websites serving malicious Flash content. This external factor of malicious attacks from hackers outside the system contributed to the exploitation of the vulnerabilities within Adobe Flash, leading to the software failure incident [17315]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in the article was primarily due to non-human actions, specifically vulnerabilities in Adobe Flash that were being exploited by hackers. Adobe released an emergency security update to address these vulnerabilities, which could cause a crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system. The vulnerabilities identified as CVE-2013-0643 and CVE-2013-0648 were already being exploited in targeted attacks designed to trick users into clicking on malicious Flash content [Article 17315].
(b) Human actions also played a role in this software failure incident as the hackers exploited the vulnerabilities in Flash to launch targeted attacks. These attacks were designed to trick users into clicking on links that directed them to websites serving malicious Flash content. The exploit was specifically targeting the Firefox browser, indicating a deliberate human action to exploit the vulnerabilities for malicious purposes [Article 17315]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the article is primarily related to software vulnerabilities in Adobe Flash that were being exploited by hackers. The vulnerabilities identified as CVE-2013-0643 and CVE-2013-0648 were already being exploited in targeted attacks to trick users into clicking on malicious Flash content, potentially allowing attackers to take control of affected systems [17315].
(b) The software failure incident is attributed to software vulnerabilities in Adobe Flash, specifically identified as CVE-2013-0643 and CVE-2013-0648, which could cause a crash and potentially allow attackers to take control of the affected system. Adobe released an emergency security update to address these vulnerabilities, indicating that the failure originated in the software itself [17315]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article is malicious in nature. Adobe released an emergency security update to address vulnerabilities in Flash that were already being exploited by hackers. The vulnerabilities were being used in targeted attacks designed to trick users into clicking on malicious links, which could potentially allow attackers to take control of the affected systems [17315]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
unknown |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article was not due to poor decisions but rather due to vulnerabilities in Adobe Flash that were being actively exploited by hackers. Adobe released an emergency security update to address these vulnerabilities to prevent attackers from taking control of affected systems [17315]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
accidental |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the article is not related to development incompetence. Instead, it is related to security vulnerabilities in Adobe Flash that were being actively exploited by hackers. Adobe released an emergency security update to address these vulnerabilities, indicating that the failure was due to external exploitation rather than incompetence within the development organization [17315].
(b) The software failure incident reported in the article is related to accidental factors. The vulnerabilities in Adobe Flash, identified as CVE-2013-0643 and CVE-2013-0648, were being exploited in targeted attacks designed to trick users into clicking on malicious links. This indicates that the failure was accidental in the sense that users were being misled into interacting with the malicious content, rather than the failure being intentionally caused by the software developers [17315]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article is temporary. Adobe released an emergency security update to address vulnerabilities in Flash that were already being exploited by hackers. The update was aimed at patching holes that could cause a crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system. Adobe identified specific vulnerabilities (CVE-2013-0643 and CVE-2013-0648) that were being exploited in targeted attacks designed to trick users into clicking malicious links. The urgency of the update, with a Priority 1 rating for Windows and Mac OS X users, indicates that the failure was temporary and required immediate action to mitigate the risks [17315]. |
| Behaviour |
crash, value, other |
(a) The software failure incident mentioned in the article is related to a crash. Adobe released an emergency security update to address vulnerabilities in Flash that could cause a crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system [17315].
(b) The software failure incident is not related to omission as the focus is on vulnerabilities being exploited by hackers rather than the system omitting to perform its intended functions.
(c) The software failure incident is not related to timing as there is no mention of the system performing its intended functions too late or too early.
(d) The software failure incident is related to the value as the vulnerabilities in Flash could potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system, indicating that the system was performing its intended functions incorrectly [17315].
(e) The software failure incident is not related to a byzantine behavior as there is no mention of inconsistent responses or interactions.
(f) The other behavior related to the software failure incident is that the vulnerabilities were being exploited by hackers in targeted attacks designed to trick users into clicking on malicious Flash content, indicating a security breach beyond just a technical failure [17315]. |