Published Date: 2017-11-30
| Postmortem Analysis | |
|---|---|
| Timeline | 1. The software failure incident happened in November 2017. 2. The incident occurred in November 2017 based on the articles published on November 30, 2017 [64993, 65341, 65546]. |
| System | 1. macOS High Sierra file sharing system [64993, 65341] 2. macOS High Sierra root-access bug [64993, 65341] 3. iOS software for iPhones and iPads [65546] |
| Responsible Organization | 1. Apple's security engineers rushed to fix the macOS High Sierra bug, which led to the introduction of another bug in the file sharing system [64993]. 2. Apple's Mac software team was responsible for the software failure incident due to the initial bug and subsequent issues with the security update [65341]. 3. Apple as a company acknowledged the errors and took responsibility for the software failures in macOS High Sierra and iOS [65546]. |
| Impacted Organization | 1. Some users of macOS High Sierra were impacted by the software failure incident, specifically with regards to file sharing authentication and connection issues [64993, 65341]. 2. Mac users who had to use the Terminal and perform command line actions to fix the file sharing problem were directly impacted by the incident [64993]. 3. Apple's reputation and brand image were impacted by the series of software failures, raising questions about the company's quality standards and causing concerns among users and experts [65546]. |
| Software Causes | 1. The software failure incident was caused by a macOS High Sierra bug that allowed anyone to take control of a Mac computer with a blank password, leading to a rushed fix by Apple which inadvertently broke file sharing for some users [64993, 65341]. 2. Another software cause of the failure incident was a separate issue in High Sierra where requesting a password hint could reveal the complete password, indicating a flaw in the password security mechanism [65546]. |
| Non-software Causes | 1. Rushed fix deployment: Apple's haste to fix the macOS High Sierra bug led to the introduction of another bug in the file sharing system [64993]. 2. Lack of user experience consideration: Users had to use the Terminal and perform command line actions to fix the file sharing issue, which may not be familiar to many Mac users [64993]. 3. Perception of declining quality control: Experts and analysts mentioned a growing perception that Apple's quality control standards may be decreasing, leading to more frequent production failures [65546]. |
| Impacts | 1. The software failure incident in macOS High Sierra, where a bug allowed anyone to take control of a Mac computer with a blank password, led to Apple breaking file sharing for some users [64993, 65341]. 2. Users had to perform advanced actions using the Terminal app to fix the file sharing issue caused by the critical bug patch, which could be challenging for many Mac users [64993]. 3. The incident caused frustration among users, with some expressing disappointment in Apple's handling of the situation and the inconvenience caused by the need to use Terminal for repairs [64993]. 4. Apple apologized for the original bug and acknowledged the mistake, stating that security was still a top priority for the company and that they were auditing their development processes to prevent such incidents in the future [64993]. 5. The incident raised concerns about Apple's quality control and the perception of decreasing quality in their products, potentially risking their reputation for offering premium and reliable products [65546]. 6. The software failures in macOS High Sierra and iOS, along with the quick succession of issues, led to questions about Apple's standards of quality and execution in product development [65546]. 7. The incident highlighted the challenges faced by Apple as a popular and widely-used technology company, where even a small percentage of affected users can translate to a significant number of individuals experiencing issues [65546]. |
| Preventions | 1. Thorough Testing: Conducting comprehensive testing, including security testing, before releasing software updates could have helped identify and address the macOS High Sierra bug and the subsequent file sharing issue [64993, 65341]. 2. Quality Assurance Processes: Implementing robust quality assurance processes to catch potential bugs and vulnerabilities before they impact users could have prevented the software failure incident [64993, 65341]. 3. Controlled Rollout: Gradually rolling out software updates to a smaller group of users for initial testing and feedback could have allowed Apple to catch and fix the file sharing bug before it affected a larger user base [64993, 65341]. 4. User-Friendly Fixes: Providing user-friendly solutions for fixing issues, rather than requiring users to use advanced features like the Terminal, could have mitigated user frustration and potential errors during the fix process [64993, 65341]. 5. Improved Development Processes: Conducting a thorough audit of development processes to identify and address any weaknesses or gaps that may lead to software vulnerabilities or bugs could have prevented the incident from occurring [64993]. 6. Enhanced Security Measures: Strengthening security measures within the software to prevent unauthorized access and vulnerabilities, such as the root-access bug in macOS High Sierra, could have averted the initial security flaw that led to the software failure incident [64993, 65341]. |
| Fixes | 1. Reissuing the security update with a fix for file sharing [Article 65341]. 2. Providing clear instructions for users on how to manually fix the bug using the Terminal app [Article 65341]. 3. Conducting an audit of development processes to prevent similar incidents in the future [Article 64993]. 4. Improving quality control and testing procedures to ensure software updates do not introduce new bugs [Article 65546]. | References | 1. Twitter users [64993, 64993] 2. Apple's official statements [64993, 65341, 65546] 3. The Loop [65341] 4. Apple Support document [65341] |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Recurring | one_organization | (a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization: - Apple faced another software failure incident with macOS High Sierra where a bug allowed anyone to take control of a Mac computer with a blank password. In their haste to fix this bug, Apple released an update that inadvertently broke file sharing for some users [64993]. - Prior to this incident, Apple had to issue a patch for another password-related issue in High Sierra where the software would reveal the complete password when asked for a hint [65546]. (b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization: - The article does not mention any specific instances of similar software failure incidents occurring at other organizations or with their products and services. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) | design, operation | (a) The software failure incident related to the development phase: The incident with macOS High Sierra involved a series of software failures related to the development phase. Initially, Apple rushed to fix a critical security bug that allowed unauthorized access to Mac computers. However, in their haste to release a patch, they introduced another bug that affected the file sharing system of macOS, causing authentication and connection issues for some users [64993, 65341]. This incident highlights how software failures can occur during the development phase when attempting to address critical issues quickly without thorough testing. (b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase: The software failure incident with macOS High Sierra can also be linked to the operation phase. After users installed the security update to address the initial security bug, they began experiencing issues with file sharing functionality on their Mac computers [65341]. This aspect of the incident demonstrates how software failures can arise from the operation or use of the system after updates or patches are applied, impacting the functionality and usability of the software. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) | within_system | (a) within_system: 1. The software failure incident reported in the news articles was primarily due to issues originating from within the system itself. Apple rushed to fix a critical security bug in macOS High Sierra that allowed unauthorized access to Mac computers. However, in the process of releasing an update to address this bug, Apple inadvertently introduced another bug within the file sharing system of macOS, causing authentication and connection issues for some users [64993, 65341]. 2. The fix for the file sharing bug was provided by Apple through an update, indicating that the failure and subsequent resolution were internal to the macOS High Sierra software [65341]. (b) outside_system: 1. The software failure incident was not attributed to factors originating from outside the system. The issues with macOS High Sierra, including the root-access bug and the subsequent file sharing problem, were a result of internal software vulnerabilities and bugs [64993, 65341]. 2. There is no mention in the articles of external factors contributing to the software failure incident. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) | non-human_actions, human_actions | (a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions: - The software failure incident in this case was primarily due to a bug in the macOS High Sierra operating system that allowed anyone to take control of a Mac computer with a blank password. This bug was a critical security vulnerability that was exploited by users simply entering the username "Root" with no password, leading to unauthorized access [64993, 65341, 65546]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions: - The software failure incident was exacerbated by human actions when Apple rushed to release a fix for the initial security bug. In their haste to address the security vulnerability, Apple's security engineers introduced another bug that affected file sharing for some users. This human action of rushing the fix led to the introduction of a new issue within the macOS High Sierra system [64993, 65341]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) | software | (a) The articles do not mention any software failure incident occurring due to hardware issues. (b) The software failure incident reported in the articles is related to a bug in the macOS High Sierra operating system that allowed anyone to take control of a Mac computer with a blank password. Apple rushed to fix this bug but ended up breaking file sharing for some users in the process. This software failure originated in the software itself, specifically in the macOS High Sierra update released by Apple [64993, 65341, 65546]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) | non-malicious | (a) The software failure incident related to the macOS High Sierra bug that allowed anyone to take control of a Mac computer with a blank password was non-malicious. Apple's security engineers raced to fix the problem and released an update to patch the critical security vulnerability [64993]. (b) The software failure incident related to the iOS software issue where the letter "i" was being automatically corrected to "a" and a question mark was also non-malicious. Apple quickly worked to address the problem and released a fix for the issue [65546]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) | poor_decisions, accidental_decisions | (a) The intent of the software failure incident: - The software failure incident related to the macOS High Sierra bug that allowed anyone to take control of a Mac computer with a blank password was due to poor decisions made by Apple. In their haste to fix the security hole, Apple's security engineers raced to release an update, which unfortunately introduced another bug within the file sharing system of macOS [64993]. - Apple acknowledged their mistake and apologized for releasing the vulnerability and the concerns it caused, stating that their customers deserve better. They mentioned that they are auditing their development processes to prevent such incidents from happening again [64993]. - The incident was described as an "embarrassing slip" for Apple, as their products are usually considered more reliable and secure than those of their competitors. The company admitted to making a mistake with the release of High Sierra and expressed regret for the error [65546]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) | development_incompetence, accidental | (a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the articles. Apple rushed to fix the macOS High Sierra bug that allowed unauthorized access to Mac computers with a blank password. In their haste to address the security vulnerability, Apple's security engineers released an update that inadvertently broke file sharing for some users [64993, 65341]. This incident showcases a failure due to contributing factors introduced by the development team's lack of professional competence, leading to unintended consequences in the software. (b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors is also present in the articles. The initial bug in macOS High Sierra that allowed access to computers with a blank password was described as an "incredibly foolish bug" that Apple had to address promptly [65341]. Additionally, the article highlights other issues with Apple's software, such as revealing complete passwords when users requested hints and an error in iOS that automatically corrected the letter "i" to "a" and a question mark [65546]. These incidents suggest failures introduced accidentally that required immediate attention and fixes. |
| Duration | temporary | (a) The software failure incident related to the macOS High Sierra bug that allowed anyone to take control of a Mac computer with a blank password was temporary. Apple rushed to fix the bug by releasing an update, but this fix introduced another bug within the file sharing system of macOS, preventing some users from authenticating or connecting to file shares [64993, 65341]. (b) The software failure incident related to the macOS High Sierra bug that allowed access to a computer without a password was temporary. Apple issued an update to address the security vulnerability, but this update caused a new bug in the file sharing system. The company quickly reissued the update with a fix for file sharing, indicating that the failure was due to specific circumstances introduced by the update [64993, 65341]. |
| Behaviour | omission, value, other | (a) crash: The software failure incident related to the macOS High Sierra bug that allowed anyone to take control of a Mac computer with a blank password did not involve a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions [64993, 65341]. (b) omission: The incident involved an omission where the system omitted to perform its intended functions at an instance(s), specifically in the case of file sharing being broken for some users after the security update was released [64993, 65341]. (c) timing: The incident did not involve a timing failure where the system performed its intended functions correctly but too late or too early [64993, 65341]. (d) value: The software failure incident was related to a value failure where the system performed its intended functions incorrectly, such as the macOS High Sierra bug allowing unauthorized access to Mac computers [64993, 65341]. (e) byzantine: The incident did not involve a byzantine failure where the system behaved erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions [64993, 65341]. (f) other: The other behavior observed in this software failure incident was the introduction of a new bug within the file sharing system of macOS High Sierra as a result of the rushed fix for the initial security vulnerability, leading to further issues for users [64993]. |
| Layer | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Perception | None | None |
| Communication | None | None |
| Application | None | None |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Consequence | property, delay, theoretical_consequence | The consequence of the software failure incident described in the articles is primarily related to the property being impacted due to the software failure. The software failure incident caused inconvenience and frustration to users, as well as potential security risks. Users were unable to access file sharing features on their Mac computers after the update was released to fix the initial security vulnerability [64993, 65341, 65546]. Additionally, there were theoretical consequences discussed in the articles, such as the potential risk of security breaches and the impact on Apple's reputation for providing high-quality and secure products [64993, 65546]. These potential consequences were not directly observed but were mentioned in the context of the software failure incident. |
| Domain | information, finance | (a) The failed system was related to the information industry as it involved a critical bug in the macOS High Sierra operating system, which impacted file sharing for users [64993, 65341, 65546]. (h) Additionally, the incident is relevant to the finance industry indirectly as it affected Mac users who may use their devices for financial transactions or related activities [64993, 65341, 65546]. (m) The incident is not directly related to any other industry mentioned in the options. |
Article ID: 64993
Article ID: 65341
Article ID: 65546