| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Aadhaar biometric identity scheme has happened again within the same organization, UIDAI. The incident involved unauthorized access to the database, leading to the sale of citizens' personal details online [67176].
(b) The software failure incident related to the Aadhaar biometric identity scheme has also raised concerns about the security of personal data, not just within the organization but also among the general public and critics. Critics have warned about the risks associated with the scheme and the government's efforts to link it to various services [67176]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be seen in the Aadhaar system breach reported in Article 67176. The breach occurred due to unauthorized access to the UIDAI database, allowing individuals to obtain user information such as name, address, photo, phone number, and email address by exploiting a grievance redressal scheme. This breach highlights a failure in the design of the system's security measures, potentially due to loopholes introduced during system development or updates.
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is evident in the misuse of the Aadhaar system by individuals offering services to obtain personal details for a fee. The operation failure occurred when individuals were able to misuse the system by selling user details online and providing unauthorized access to the UIDAI website through the use of a username and password. This misuse of the system points to operational vulnerabilities that were exploited by unauthorized agents during the incident. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident reported in the article is primarily within the system. The breach of the Aadhaar biometric system occurred due to unauthorized access to the database, misuse of a grievance redressal scheme, and the ability to obtain user information and print Aadhaar cards using purchased software within the system [67176].
(b) outside_system: There is no explicit mention in the article of the software failure incident being caused by contributing factors originating from outside the system. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in this case appears to be related to non-human actions. The breach of the Aadhaar database was facilitated by a misuse of a grievance redressal scheme that allowed Aadhaar agents to rectify issues like a change in address and wrong spelling of a person's name. This misuse granted unauthorized access to user information, including personal details, without direct human involvement in the breach [67176].
(b) The software failure incident can also be attributed to human actions. The report mentioned that an "agent" was advertising services on WhatsApp, selling user details for a price. Additionally, the reporters were able to obtain a username and password, as well as software to print Aadhaar cards, after making payments to the agent. These actions by individuals facilitated the unauthorized access and misuse of the Aadhaar database [67176]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident in the Aadhaar system reported in Article 67176 was not directly attributed to hardware issues. The incident involved unauthorized access to the UIDAI database and misuse of a grievance redressal scheme, indicating a breach in the software system's security protocols rather than hardware failure.
(b) The software failure incident in the Aadhaar system reported in Article 67176 was primarily due to software-related factors. The breach involved unauthorized access to user information, manipulation of the system to print Aadhaar cards, and misuse of a grievance redressal scheme within the software system. This incident highlights vulnerabilities in the software's security measures rather than hardware issues. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident reported in Article 67176 is malicious in nature. The incident involved unauthorized access to the UIDAI database, where citizens' personal details were being sold online for a price. The breach allowed individuals to obtain sensitive user information such as name, address, photo, phone number, and email address by paying a fee to an "agent" who provided access to the UIDAI website. Additionally, the incident involved the sale of software that allowed printing of Aadhaar cards based on the obtained Aadhaar numbers. This unauthorized access and misuse of the grievance redressal scheme highlight malicious intent to exploit the system for personal gain [67176]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Aadhaar biometric identity scheme in India can be attributed to poor decisions. The incident involved unauthorized access to the UIDAI database, where personal details of citizens were being sold online. The breach was facilitated by a grievance redressal scheme that allowed Aadhaar agents to rectify issues, but it was misused to access sensitive user information, including biometric data. Critics have raised concerns about the security risks associated with the Aadhaar system, especially as it has been made mandatory for access to welfare schemes despite warnings about the potential vulnerabilities introduced by linking it to bank accounts and mobile phone numbers [67176]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the Aadhaar biometric identity scheme breach reported in Article 67176. The incident involved unauthorized access to the UIDAI database, allowing individuals to obtain personal details by exploiting a grievance redressal scheme meant for legitimate corrections like address changes and name spellings. This misuse highlights a lack of professional competence in designing and implementing secure access controls within the system, leading to a breach of sensitive user information [67176].
(b) The accidental aspect of the software failure incident is also notable in the same context. The breach was not a result of a deliberate attack but rather an accidental exploitation of a system feature meant for a different purpose. The report mentions that the breach seemed to be a misuse of the grievance redressal scheme, indicating that the unauthorized access was unintentional and not part of the scheme's intended functionality [67176]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident reported in Article 67176 regarding the Aadhaar database breach can be categorized as a temporary failure. The breach occurred due to unauthorized access to the UIDAI database, allowing individuals to obtain user information and print Aadhaar cards for a fee. This incident was not a permanent failure but rather a temporary breach caused by specific circumstances, such as misuse of a grievance redressal scheme and unauthorized access to the system. The UIDAI clarified that the breach did not grant access to people's biometric details, indicating that the failure was temporary and limited in scope [67176]. |
| Behaviour |
omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the article does not involve a crash where the system loses state and stops performing its intended functions.
(b) omission: The incident involves an omission where the system omits to perform its intended functions at instances. The article mentions that the Tribune newspaper was able to buy user details via an "agent" advertising services on WhatsApp. This allowed access to user information including name, address, photo, phone number, and email address, indicating an omission in the system's security measures [67176].
(c) timing: The incident does not involve a timing failure where the system performs its intended functions but too late or too early.
(d) value: The software failure incident involves a value failure where the system performs its intended functions incorrectly. The article states that payment of a certain amount provided "software" that allowed the reporters to print out any Aadhaar card for which they had the number, indicating incorrect functioning of the system [67176].
(e) byzantine: The incident does not involve a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The other behavior observed in this software failure incident is the misuse of a grievance redressal scheme that allowed Aadhaar agents to rectify issues like a change in address and wrong spelling of a person's name. This misuse led to unauthorized access to personal data, indicating a failure in the system's access control mechanisms [67176]. |