| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization:
- The software failure incident involving allowing Russian authorities to review source code of software used by the U.S. government has happened again with other major global technology providers besides Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Companies like SAP, Symantec, and McAfee have also allowed Russian authorities to hunt for vulnerabilities in their software deeply embedded across the U.S. government [67803].
(b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization:
- The incident of allowing Russian authorities to review source code of software used by the U.S. government has occurred with multiple organizations. Besides Hewlett Packard Enterprise, other companies like SAP, Symantec, and McAfee have also allowed such reviews, potentially jeopardizing the security of computer networks in at least a dozen federal agencies [67803]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
operation |
(a) The articles do not provide information about a software failure incident related to the design phase of system development.
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is highlighted in the articles. The incident involves major global technology providers like SAP, Symantec, and McAfee allowing Russian authorities to hunt for vulnerabilities in software deeply embedded across the U.S. government. This practice potentially jeopardizes the security of computer networks in at least a dozen federal agencies, including sensitive areas like the Pentagon, NASA, the State Department, the FBI, and the intelligence community [67803]. The software reviewed by Russian authorities is used in various U.S. government agencies, and concerns have been raised about the risks posed by allowing such reviews, as they may expose unknown vulnerabilities that could be used to undermine U.S. network defenses [67803]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles is primarily within the system. The incident involves major global technology providers like SAP, Symantec, McAfee, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise allowing Russian authorities to review the source code of their software products used by various U.S. government agencies, including the Pentagon, NASA, the State Department, the FBI, and the intelligence community [64042, 67803]. This internal action of allowing source code reviews by Russian entities raised concerns about potential vulnerabilities in the software that could be exploited by hackers, potentially compromising the security of U.S. government computer networks.
However, it's important to note that the failure incident also has elements of outside the system factors. The external factor in this case is the involvement of Russian regulatory agencies and contractors in conducting the source code reviews, which introduces a foreign influence and potential security risks to the software systems used by U.S. government agencies [64042, 67803]. This external involvement poses a threat to the security and integrity of the software systems, highlighting the impact of external factors on the software failure incident. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
- The articles do not mention any software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions.
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
- The software failure incident discussed in the articles is related to potential security vulnerabilities introduced by human actions, specifically the decision by major global technology providers like SAP, Symantec, McAfee, and HPE to allow Russian authorities to review the source code of their products [64042, 67803]. This action raised concerns about the security of computer networks in U.S. federal agencies, including the Pentagon, as the source code reviews could potentially expose vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The articles do not mention any software failure incident occurring due to hardware issues.
(b) The software failure incident mentioned in the articles is related to software vulnerabilities that arose from allowing Russian authorities to review the source code of cybersecurity software used by the U.S. military and government agencies. The source code review conducted by Russian entities raised concerns about potential weaknesses in the software that could be exploited by attackers, potentially compromising the cybersecurity of the U.S. military and government networks [64042, 67803]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles is related to a malicious objective. The incident involved major global technology providers like SAP, Symantec, and McAfee allowing Russian authorities to review the source code of their software products deeply embedded across the U.S. government, including sensitive areas like the Pentagon, NASA, the State Department, the FBI, and the intelligence community [67803]. The Russian reviews were conducted by a Russian military contractor with close ties to Russia's security services, raising concerns about potential vulnerabilities being exploited by hackers [67803]. The practice of allowing source code reviews by Russian authorities was seen as potentially jeopardizing the security of computer networks in federal agencies, with U.S. lawmakers and security experts expressing worries about the implications of such reviews on U.S. network defenses [67803].
(b) The software failure incident was non-malicious in the sense that there were no reported instances where a source code review played a role in a cyberattack [67803]. Some security experts mentioned that hackers are more likely to find other ways to infiltrate network systems rather than solely relying on vulnerabilities discovered through source code reviews [67803]. However, concerns were raised about the risks associated with allowing foreign governments, like Russia, to review the source code of critical software products used by the U.S. government, as it could potentially expose unknown vulnerabilities that could undermine network defenses [67803]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions, accidental_decisions |
The intent of the software failure incident related to poor_decisions was evident in the decision made by major global technology providers like SAP, Symantec, and McAfee to allow Russian authorities to conduct source code reviews on their software products deeply embedded across the U.S. government [67803]. This decision potentially jeopardized the security of computer networks in at least a dozen federal agencies, including sensitive areas like the Pentagon, NASA, the State Department, the FBI, and the intelligence community. Despite concerns raised by U.S. lawmakers and security experts, these companies allowed the reviews as a requirement to sell in the Russian market, which could have introduced vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers [67803].
The intent of the software failure incident related to accidental_decisions was seen in the case of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) allowing a Russian defense agency to review the source code of their cybersecurity software, ArcSight, used by the Pentagon [64042]. This decision was part of HPE's effort to win certification to sell the product to Russia's public sector. The review process could potentially help attackers discover weaknesses in the software, posing a security vulnerability to the U.S. military's cyber defense systems. Despite the potential risks, no hacks or cyber espionage resulting from the review process were reported [64042]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
accidental |
(a) The articles do not provide information about the software failure incident occurring due to development incompetence.
(b) The software failure incident reported in the articles is related to accidental factors. The incident involved major global technology providers like SAP, Symantec, and McAfee allowing Russian authorities to hunt for vulnerabilities in their software, potentially jeopardizing the security of computer networks in at least a dozen federal agencies [67803]. This practice of allowing Russian reviews of source code was done in order to sell in the Russian market, but it raised concerns about the security of sensitive areas of the U.S. government, including the Pentagon, NASA, the State Department, the FBI, and the intelligence community [67803]. The accidental exposure of vulnerabilities through these source code reviews could potentially undermine U.S. network defenses [67803]. |
| Duration |
permanent |
The software failure incident described in the articles can be considered as a potential permanent failure due to contributing factors introduced by all circumstances. The incident involves major global technology providers like SAP, Symantec, McAfee, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise allowing Russian authorities to review the source code of their software products used across various U.S. government agencies, including sensitive areas like the Pentagon, NASA, the State Department, the FBI, and the intelligence community [67803]. This practice raises concerns about the security of computer networks in federal agencies and the potential risks posed by Russian source code reviews, which could lead to the discovery of vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers [67803].
Furthermore, the articles highlight that the software failure incident is not limited to a single instance but is more widespread, with multiple companies and a broader range of government agencies involved in allowing source code reviews by Russian authorities [67803]. The incident has been ongoing since at least 2014, indicating a continuous exposure of critical software systems to potential vulnerabilities due to these reviews [67803].
Overall, the software failure incident described in the articles appears to be a permanent failure as it involves systemic issues related to the security of software products used by key U.S. government agencies, potentially leading to long-term consequences in terms of cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities. |
| Behaviour |
crash, other |
(a) crash:
- The software failure incident related to the potential risks of the U.S. government from Russian source code reviews could lead to a crash as it may render the software incapable of detecting cyber attacks on the military's network, making a response impossible [64042].
- The practice of allowing Russian authorities to hunt for vulnerabilities in software deeply embedded across the U.S. government, including products from major global technology providers like SAP, Symantec, and McAfee, could potentially jeopardize the security of computer networks in federal agencies, leading to a crash scenario [67803].
(b) omission:
- The behavior of the software failure incident does not directly point to omission as the cause of the failure.
(c) timing:
- The software failure incident does not directly relate to timing issues where the system performs its intended functions but at incorrect times.
(d) value:
- The software failure incident does not directly relate to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly.
(e) byzantine:
- The behavior of the software failure incident does not directly relate to the system behaving with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other:
- The software failure incident involves the potential risks associated with allowing Russian authorities to review the source code of cybersecurity software used by the U.S. military, which could lead to security vulnerabilities and exploitation by hackers [64042, 67803]. |