Incident: Bluetooth Vulnerability BlueBorne: Massive Malware Attack on 5.3 Billion Devices

Published Date: 2017-09-12

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident, known as BlueBorne, was reported in the article published on 2017-09-12 [63176]. Therefore, the software failure incident occurred around September 2017.
System The software failure incident in Article 63176 involved the failure of various operating systems and devices due to the BlueBorne malware attack. The systems and components that failed include: 1. Devices running on older versions of iOS (9.3.5 or older) [63176] 2. Android devices running on versions that will not be patched [63176]
Responsible Organization 1. Hackers were responsible for causing the software failure incident mentioned in the article [63176].
Impacted Organization 1. Users of devices with Bluetooth capability [63176]
Software Causes 1. The software cause of the failure incident was a collection of eight zero-day vulnerabilities in Bluetooth, known as BlueBorne, discovered by Armis Labs [63176].
Non-software Causes 1. The vulnerability exploited in the incident was related to Bluetooth signals in devices, allowing for a malware attack [63176].
Impacts 1. More than 5.3 billion devices with Bluetooth signals were at risk of a malware attack, potentially allowing hackers to spread malware without the victim doing anything or noticing it [63176]. 2. The BlueBorne attack method, which exploited eight zero-day vulnerabilities, could spread malware through Bluetooth connections, creating a highly infectious scenario similar to the WannaCry ransomware outbreak [63176]. 3. Devices on various operating systems, including Google, Microsoft, and Apple, were affected by the BlueBorne vulnerability, with some devices not receiving patches and remaining vulnerable to attacks [63176]. 4. Concerns were raised about the multitude of devices that would not receive updates, leaving over 2 billion devices vulnerable to potential attacks [63176].
Preventions 1. Regular software updates and patches from device manufacturers to address security vulnerabilities [63176]. 2. Turning off Bluetooth on devices that are not going to receive patches to prevent potential attacks [63176].
Fixes 1. Applying patches released by Google, Microsoft, and Apple for their respective operating systems [63176].
References 1. Armis Labs [63176]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring unknown (a) The software failure incident related to the BlueBorne malware attack affecting devices with Bluetooth signals is a new vulnerability discovered by Armis Labs. This incident is unique to this specific vulnerability and has not been reported to have happened again within the same organization or with its products and services [63176]. (b) The BlueBorne malware attack is a new vulnerability affecting a wide range of devices with Bluetooth capability, including those running on operating systems by Google, Microsoft, and Apple. While this incident has not been reported to have happened again at other organizations specifically, it highlights a potential security risk for a large number of devices across different manufacturers and operating systems [63176].
Phase (Design/Operation) design, operation (a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be attributed to the discovery of the BlueBorne attack, which is a collection of eight zero-day vulnerabilities that were identified by Armis Labs. These vulnerabilities were found before developers had a chance to fix them, allowing hackers to execute malware remotely, steal data, and conduct "man in the middle" attacks [63176]. (b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is due to the vulnerability of devices with Bluetooth turned on. The BlueBorne attack can spread malware to devices nearby with Bluetooth enabled, making it highly infectious. This failure is a result of the operation or misuse of the system, as the malware can spread without the victim doing anything or noticing it, emphasizing the importance of turning off Bluetooth to prevent attacks if patches are not received [63176].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) The software failure incident related to the BlueBorne attack can be categorized as within_system. The vulnerability exploited by BlueBorne is a collection of eight zero-day vulnerabilities discovered by Armis Labs [63176]. These vulnerabilities are security flaws found within the Bluetooth implementation on various operating systems, including Google, Microsoft, and Apple. The attack method does not require any action from the victim other than having Bluetooth turned on, allowing the malware to spread from one device to another within the system through the airwaves [63176]. The attack takes advantage of how Bluetooth uses tethering to share data and spreads through "improper validation" within the system [63176]. The software failure incident is a result of flaws and vulnerabilities present within the Bluetooth implementation on devices, making it a within_system failure.
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions (a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions: The software failure incident described in the article is related to a malware attack called BlueBorne, which can spread through Bluetooth without the victim doing anything or noticing it. This attack method is considered especially dangerous as it can infect devices without human interaction, simply by having Bluetooth turned on [63176]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions: The article does not specifically mention any contributing factors introduced by human actions that led to the software failure incident.
Dimension (Hardware/Software) hardware, software (a) The software failure incident related to hardware: - The article discusses a software vulnerability named BlueBorne that affects devices with Bluetooth capability [63176]. - BlueBorne is a collection of eight zero-day vulnerabilities that allow hackers to execute malware remotely, steal data, and perform "man in the middle" attacks [63176]. - The vulnerability affects devices on various operating systems, including those run by Google, Microsoft, and Apple [63176]. - The software vulnerability takes advantage of how Bluetooth uses tethering to share data, spreading through "improper validation" [63176]. (b) The software failure incident related to software: - The BlueBorne software vulnerability, which can spread malware through Bluetooth, is a significant software failure incident [63176]. - The vulnerability allows for the remote execution of malware, data theft, and the impersonation of a safe network [63176]. - The incident highlights the risks posed by software flaws that are found before developers have a chance to fix them (zero-day vulnerabilities) [63176]. - The software failure incident emphasizes the importance of timely software patches and updates to address security vulnerabilities [63176].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) malicious (a) The software failure incident described in the article is malicious in nature. The incident involves a malware attack called BlueBorne, which targets devices with Bluetooth signals. The attack method can spread without the victim doing anything or noticing it, and hackers can spread malware by simply having victims' devices with Bluetooth turned on. The attack is compared to the WannaCry ransomware outbreak and is described as highly infectious, allowing attackers to deposit ransomware on devices and spread it automatically through Bluetooth connections [63176].
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) poor_decisions, accidental_decisions The software failure incident related to the BlueBorne malware attack on Bluetooth devices can be attributed to both poor decisions and accidental decisions. 1. Poor Decisions: The incident can be linked to poor decisions in terms of software design and implementation. The vulnerabilities exploited by the BlueBorne attack were zero-day vulnerabilities, meaning they were security flaws found before developers had a chance to fix them [63176]. This indicates a lack of proper security measures and testing in the development process, which can be considered a poor decision on the part of the developers. 2. Accidental Decisions: The incident also involves accidental decisions or unintended consequences. The attack method, BlueBorne, is described as being able to spread without the victim doing anything or noticing it, simply by having Bluetooth turned on [63176]. This unintended consequence of Bluetooth connectivity being exploited by hackers highlights the accidental nature of the vulnerability and subsequent attack. Therefore, the software failure incident involving the BlueBorne malware attack on Bluetooth devices can be seen as a combination of poor decisions in terms of security measures and accidental decisions due to the unintended consequences of Bluetooth technology.
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) accidental (a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is not explicitly mentioned in the provided article. Therefore, it is unknown if the failure was due to contributing factors introduced due to lack of professional competence by humans or the development organization. (b) The software failure incident related to an accidental factor is evident in the article. The BlueBorne attack, which puts more than 5.3 billion devices at risk of a malware attack, is described as a vulnerability that was discovered by Armis Labs. This vulnerability, known as BlueBorne, is a collection of eight zero-day vulnerabilities that were found before developers had a chance to fix them, allowing hackers to execute malware remotely and steal data [63176].
Duration temporary The software failure incident related to the BlueBorne malware attack on Bluetooth devices can be considered as a temporary failure. This is because the vulnerability exploited by BlueBorne was a collection of eight zero-day vulnerabilities that were discovered by Armis Labs [63176]. These vulnerabilities were security flaws found before developers had a chance to fix them, indicating that the failure was due to specific circumstances (the existence of these vulnerabilities) rather than being a permanent issue introduced by all circumstances.
Behaviour value, other (a) crash: The software failure incident described in the article is not related to a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions [63176]. (b) omission: The software failure incident is not related to a failure where the system omits to perform its intended functions at an instance(s) [63176]. (c) timing: The software failure incident is not related to a failure where the system performs its intended functions correctly, but too late or too early [63176]. (d) value: The software failure incident is related to a failure where the system performs its intended functions incorrectly, such as spreading malware through Bluetooth without the victim doing anything or noticing it [63176]. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident is not related to a failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions [63176]. (f) other: The software failure incident involves the spreading of malware through Bluetooth, which can be considered a unique behavior not covered by the options provided [63176].

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception None None
Communication None None
Application None None

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence property, non-human, theoretical_consequence (a) death: There is no mention of people losing their lives due to the software failure incident in the provided article [63176]. (b) harm: The article does not mention any physical harm caused to individuals due to the software failure incident [63176]. (c) basic: The article does not discuss any impact on people's access to food or shelter due to the software failure incident [63176]. (d) property: The software failure incident mentioned in the article primarily focuses on the vulnerability of devices to a malware attack via Bluetooth, potentially leading to the spread of malware, ransomware, and data theft [63176]. (e) delay: The article does not mention any delays caused by the software failure incident [63176]. (f) non-human: The software failure incident primarily affects devices with Bluetooth capability, potentially leaving them vulnerable to malware attacks [63176]. (g) no_consequence: The article discusses the real consequences of the software failure incident, particularly the vulnerability of devices to malware attacks via Bluetooth [63176]. (h) theoretical_consequence: The article discusses potential consequences of the software failure incident, such as the spread of malware, ransomware, and data theft through Bluetooth vulnerabilities [63176]. (i) other: The article does not mention any other specific consequences of the software failure incident beyond the potential spread of malware and data theft [63176].
Domain information, finance, other (a) The software failure incident mentioned in the article is related to the information industry as it discusses a malware attack called BlueBorne that can infect billions of devices with Bluetooth signals, potentially compromising the security and privacy of users' information [63176]. (h) The incident also has implications for the finance industry as the malware could potentially lead to the installation of ransomware on devices, allowing attackers to manipulate and steal financial data [63176]. (m) Additionally, the software failure incident is relevant to the "other" category as it pertains to the broader issue of cybersecurity and the vulnerabilities present in various devices and operating systems that are not regularly updated for security, potentially impacting industries beyond those specifically mentioned in the options [63176].

Sources

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