| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to the FinSpy malware being used to distribute spying tools has happened again at the same organization, Gamma International. The incident involved the exploitation of a Flash security vulnerability to install spying tools on victims' computers [64293]. This indicates a recurring issue with the security of Gamma International's surveillance software product, FinSpy.
(b) The software failure incident involving the exploitation of a Flash security vulnerability to distribute spying tools has also affected multiple organizations, including governments of various countries who are members of the United Nations, as well as oil and gas companies in several regions. Additionally, activists and several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the UK were targeted by the attackers. This demonstrates that the same type of software failure incident has impacted various organizations beyond just Gamma International [64293]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase:
The incident described in the article is related to a security vulnerability in Adobe Flash that was exploited by attackers to distribute spying tools. The vulnerability was delivered through malicious Flash files embedded in Microsoft Word documents, which were then sent as email attachments to targets. This indicates a failure in the design phase of the software, where the vulnerability in Flash allowed for the exploitation by attackers to install spying tools on victims' computers [64293].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase:
The operation phase failure in this incident can be attributed to the misuse of the system by attackers. The attackers exploited the security vulnerability in Adobe Flash by embedding malicious Flash files in Microsoft Word documents and sending them as email attachments to targets. When the recipients opened the document, the FinSpy malware was secretly installed on their computers. This misuse of the system by attackers led to the successful installation of spying tools on victims' computers, highlighting a failure in the operation phase of the software [64293]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident in this case was due to a security bug in Adobe Flash that allowed attackers to install spying tools on victims' computers. The vulnerability was exploited by embedding malicious Flash files in Microsoft Word documents, which when opened, allowed the FinSpy malware to secretly install itself [64293].
(b) outside_system: The attackers, identified as a group called BlackOasis, were targeting governments of various countries, oil and gas companies, activists, and non-governmental organizations. The exploit was discovered by Kaspersky Lab researchers, who promptly contacted Adobe to address the issue. The attackers leveraged legal surveillance tools like FinSpy for their malicious activities, highlighting the use of external tools for unauthorized espionage [64293]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was primarily due to non-human actions. The incident involved a security vulnerability in Adobe Flash that was exploited by attackers to distribute spying tools. The vulnerability was discovered by Kaspersky Lab researchers, and the spying software, FinSpy, was secretly installed when victims opened malicious Flash files embedded in Microsoft Word documents sent as email attachments [64293]. The exploit did not require direct human interaction to trigger the installation of the malware.
(b) However, human actions were also involved in this incident. The attackers, identified as a group called BlackOasis, actively targeted governments of various countries, oil and gas companies, activists, and non-governmental organizations using the exploit. Additionally, Kaspersky Lab contacted Adobe upon discovering the vulnerability, leading to Adobe publishing a patch to address the security flaw [64293]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware:
- The article does not mention any hardware-related issues contributing to the software failure incident. Therefore, it is unknown if the incident was caused by hardware [64293].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to software:
- The software failure incident in this case was due to a security bug in Adobe Flash that was exploited by attackers to distribute spying tools. The flaw allowed the FinSpy malware to secretly install itself when victims opened malicious Flash files embedded in Microsoft Word documents [64293]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article is malicious in nature. The incident involved a Flash security vulnerability being exploited by attackers to distribute spying tools, specifically the FinSpy malware, to victims' computers. The attackers embedded malicious Flash files in Microsoft Word documents and sent them as email attachments to targets, with the intent to secretly install the spying software [64293]. The attackers, believed to be a group called BlackOasis, targeted governments of various countries, oil and gas companies, activists, and non-governmental organizations [64293].
The use of the FinSpy surveillance software, developed by Gamma International, for malicious purposes by the attackers highlights the malicious intent behind the software failure incident. The incident involved the exploitation of a security flaw in Adobe Flash to carry out espionage activities, indicating a deliberate attempt to harm the targeted systems and compromise sensitive information [64293]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
unknown |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident:
The software failure incident described in the article was not due to poor decisions but rather a deliberate and malicious act by attackers. The attackers, identified as the group BlackOasis, exploited a Flash security vulnerability to distribute spying tools, specifically the FinSpy malware, to target governments, oil and gas companies, activists, and NGOs in various countries [64293]. This incident was a result of intentional actions aimed at conducting espionage activities rather than poor decisions. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in the article can be attributed to development incompetence. The vulnerability exploited by the attackers to distribute spying tools was a security flaw in Adobe Flash that allowed the installation of the FinSpy malware [64293]. This flaw was discovered by Kaspersky Lab researchers, indicating that it was a result of a lack of professional competence in ensuring the security of the software during development.
(b) Additionally, the incident can also be categorized as accidental. The attackers, identified as the group BlackOasis, used the vulnerability in Flash to distribute spying tools to targets, including governments, oil and gas companies, activists, and NGOs. The exploit was delivered through malicious Flash files embedded in Microsoft Word documents sent as email attachments [64293]. This accidental exploitation of the vulnerability highlights how unintended consequences can arise from software flaws. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident described in the article is temporary. The incident involved a Flash security vulnerability that was being exploited by attackers to distribute spying tools. Adobe promptly patched the security flaw after being notified by Kaspersky Lab, indicating that the issue was not permanent and was addressed through a software update [64293]. |
| Behaviour |
other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident described in the article does not involve a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions [64293].
(b) omission: The failure in this incident is not due to the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s) [64293].
(c) timing: The incident is not related to the system performing its intended functions correctly, but too late or too early [64293].
(d) value: The software failure incident is not attributed to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly [64293].
(e) byzantine: The behavior of the software failure incident does not involve the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions [64293].
(f) other: The software failure incident in the article is related to a security bug in Adobe Flash that was being exploited to distribute spying tools, specifically the FinSpy malware, rather than exhibiting any of the behaviors described in options (a) to (e) [64293]. |