| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to privacy settings bypassing on WhatsApp has happened before within the same organization. In 2013, the Canadian Privacy Commission found that WhatsApp was collecting too many phone numbers of non-users using users’ address books as well as improperly encrypting messages [33668].
(b) The incident of privacy settings bypassing on WhatsApp has also happened at other organizations or with their products and services. The University of Utrecht recently found a flaw that would have allowed anyone to decrypt WhatsApp messages, indicating a similar issue in a different organization [33668]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in Article 33668 is related to a design flaw in the messaging service WhatsApp's optional status feature. The simple piece of software created by Dutch developer Maikel Zweerink exploits this design flaw to bypass privacy settings on WhatsApp. The flaw allows users' status to be tracked, monitors changes to profile pictures, privacy settings, or status messages, even if users have the strictest privacy option enabled. Mr. Zweerink's software highlights the discrepancy in WhatsApp's privacy options, indicating that the system's design did not fully consider the implications of the privacy settings [33668].
(b) The software failure incident in Article 33668 is also related to operation factors. The software created by Maikel Zweerink, called WhatsSpy Public, requires specific devices like jailbroken iPhones or rooted Android phones to function. It also necessitates some technical knowledge to operate. This indicates that the misuse or operation of the software on specific devices is a contributing factor to the failure incident [33668]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident reported in the article is due to a design flaw within the Whatsapp messaging service. The software created by the Dutch developer exploits this design flaw in the messaging service's optional status feature, allowing users to bypass privacy settings and track other users' online status and profile changes [33668]. The flaw in the privacy options of Whatsapp allows for the monitoring of user activities despite the user's intended privacy settings, indicating an issue originating from within the system itself. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in Article 33668 occurred due to non-human_actions. The failure was attributed to a 'design flaw' in the messaging service's optional status feature, which allowed hackers to bypass privacy settings on WhatsApp. The software exploited this flaw to track users' online status and monitor changes to profile pictures, privacy settings, or status messages, even if users had the strictest privacy options enabled [33668]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The software exploit mentioned in the article [33668] requires specific devices such as a jailbroken iPhone or a rooted Android to work, indicating a hardware dependency for the exploit to function properly.
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- The software exploit in the article [33668] is described as exploiting a 'design flaw' in the messaging service's optional status feature, indicating that the failure originated in the software design itself. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in Article 33668 is malicious in nature. The incident involves hackers exploiting a design flaw in Whatsapp's privacy settings to bypass privacy controls and track users' online status and other profile information without their consent. The software created by the Dutch developer was designed to draw attention to this flaw and demonstrates how the privacy options in Whatsapp can be circumvented, allowing strangers to monitor users' activities within the app. This malicious exploitation of the software's design flaw highlights the potential for privacy violations and unauthorized tracking of users' online behavior [33668]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
unknown |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident was not due to poor decisions but rather a design flaw in the messaging service's optional status feature that was exploited by hackers to bypass privacy settings on WhatsApp. The software created by Dutch developer Maikel Zweerink was a 'proof of concept' designed to draw attention to the flaw in WhatsApp's privacy options [33668]. The company spokesperson clarified that the software incident was not a hack of WhatsApp but rather a monitoring app that utilized information already accessible to the developer [33668]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident in Article 33668 occurred due to development incompetence. The incident involved a simple piece of software created by a Dutch developer that exploited a design flaw in WhatsApp's privacy settings, allowing users to bypass privacy options and track other users' online status and profile changes [33668]. The developer highlighted that the privacy options in WhatsApp did not provide full control over user status as intended, indicating a flaw in the design of the messaging service [33668]. This incident showcases a failure resulting from contributing factors introduced due to a lack of professional competence in designing the privacy features of the software.
(b) The software failure incident in Article 33668 was not accidental but rather a deliberate creation by the Dutch developer to draw attention to the flaw in WhatsApp's privacy settings. The developer intentionally created the software to demonstrate the discrepancy in WhatsApp's privacy options and how they could be exploited to track users' online status and profile changes [33668]. The incident was a result of a deliberate effort to showcase the design flaw in WhatsApp's privacy features, rather than an accidental occurrence. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident described in the articles can be categorized as a temporary failure. The incident was caused by a specific design flaw in the messaging service's optional status feature that allowed hackers to bypass privacy settings on WhatsApp [33668]. This flaw enabled users' statuses to be tracked and monitored, even if they had set strict privacy options. The Dutch developer Maikel Zweerink created a software to exploit this flaw and demonstrate the issue, highlighting the temporary nature of the failure [33668]. The failure was not permanent but rather stemmed from a specific vulnerability in the software's design. |
| Behaviour |
other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the article does not involve a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. The incident is more related to a privacy flaw being exploited by hackers in WhatsApp, allowing them to track users' online status and monitor changes to profile pictures and privacy settings [33668].
(b) omission: The software failure incident does not involve the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). Instead, it is about a design flaw in WhatsApp's privacy settings that allows users' status to be tracked and monitored even when certain privacy options are enabled [33668].
(c) timing: The software failure incident is not related to the system performing its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. It is more about a flaw in the design of WhatsApp's privacy settings that allows users' online status to be tracked and monitored in real-time [33668].
(d) value: The software failure incident does not involve the system performing its intended functions incorrectly in terms of providing incorrect values. It is more about a privacy flaw in WhatsApp that allows unauthorized tracking of users' online status and changes to their profile information [33668].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not exhibit the characteristics of a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. It is more about a specific design flaw in WhatsApp that is being exploited by hackers to track users' online status and monitor their profile changes [33668].
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident can be categorized as a privacy vulnerability or flaw in the design of WhatsApp's privacy settings. This flaw allows unauthorized tracking of users' online status and monitoring of profile changes, even when users have strict privacy options enabled. The incident highlights a discrepancy in the perceived control users have over their privacy settings in WhatsApp [33668]. |