| Recurring |
multiple_organization |
(a) In the provided articles, there is no specific mention of a similar software failure incident happening again within the same organization or with its products and services. Therefore, there is no information available to address this option.
(b) The articles discuss how some Android smartphone manufacturers are skipping security patches without notifying users, leading to a software failure incident related to security vulnerabilities [70070]. This incident is not specific to one organization but involves multiple smartphone manufacturers who were found to be missing security patches, potentially leaving devices exposed to risks. The study conducted by Security Research Labs (SRL) highlighted that various manufacturers, including HTC, Huawei, LG, and Motorola, missed multiple security patches, impacting the security of their products [70070]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be seen in the article where researchers found that some Android smartphone manufacturers were skipping security patches without notifying users, claiming their software was up to date with Google’s security releases. This failure was due to the manufacturers not including all relevant patches in the updates, leaving parts of the ecosystem exposed to risks [70070].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase can be observed in the same article where some smartphone manufacturers were found to be deliberately deceiving users by changing the patch date forward by several months without actually installing any patches. This failure was due to the operation or misuse of the system, where manufacturers lied about installing patches, weakening the overall security of the devices [70070]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident reported in the article is primarily within the system. It involves smartphone manufacturers skipping security patches or falsely claiming to have updated the phones without actually patching anything. This failure is attributed to the manufacturers' actions or lack thereof in properly implementing the necessary security updates within the Android ecosystem [70070].
(b) outside_system: The article does not mention any contributing factors originating from outside the system that led 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 failure in this case is primarily due to the failure of smartphone manufacturers to include all relevant security patches in the monthly updates they provide to users. This failure is not directly caused by human actions but rather by the automated or negligent processes of the manufacturers in ensuring the security of their devices [70070].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
The failure in this case can also be attributed to human actions, specifically the deliberate deception by some smartphone manufacturers who change the patch date forward without actually installing any patches. This intentional misleading of users about the security status of their devices is a clear example of failure introduced by human actions [70070]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
The article discusses a software failure incident related to hardware in the context of Android smartphone manufacturers skipping security patches without actually patching the software. This failure is attributed to the manufacturers not properly updating the software on the smartphones, which is a contributing factor originating in the hardware itself. The failure to install all relevant patches in the monthly security updates leaves parts of the ecosystem exposed to risks, weakening the overall security of the devices [70070].
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
The software failure incident in this case is primarily due to contributing factors that originate in software. The failure lies in the manufacturers' practices of claiming to have updated the phones without actually patching anything, or even lying about installing any patches at all. This deception and failure to properly update the software on the smartphones are software-related issues that compromise the security of the devices [70070]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles is related to malicious intent. The incident involves smartphone manufacturers deliberately deceiving users by claiming to have updated the phones with security patches without actually installing them. Some vendors were found to change the patch date forward by several months without actually installing any patches, which the researchers described as deliberate deception [70070]. This deliberate deception by manufacturers can leave devices vulnerable to security risks and potential exploitation by hackers, especially state-sponsored actors who may exploit missed patches as part of their attacks using previously unknown methods. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to the skipped security patches by some Android smartphone manufacturers can be attributed to poor decisions. The manufacturers were found to be skipping security patches without notifying users and even lying about installing any patches at all. This deliberate deception by some vendors was highlighted by the researchers, indicating a deliberate choice to mislead users about the security status of their devices [70070]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the article. The researchers found that some smartphone manufacturers were skipping security patches without actually patching anything, and in some cases, they were deliberately deceiving users by changing the patch date forward without installing any patches at all [70070]. This behavior indicates a lack of professional competence in ensuring the security of the devices by not properly implementing the necessary patches.
(b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors is also present in the article. While some manufacturers may miss one or two patches accidentally, others may miss many more patches unintentionally. Additionally, the researchers highlighted that leaving any security holes unpatched weakens the overall security of a device, making it more vulnerable to exploitation by hackers [70070]. These accidental omissions in patching can lead to software failures and security vulnerabilities in the devices. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident reported in the articles is more aligned with a temporary failure rather than a permanent one. This is because the failure in this case is attributed to the specific circumstance of smartphone manufacturers skipping security patches without notifying users, rather than being a systemic issue affecting all circumstances. The failure is temporary in the sense that it can be rectified by ensuring that all relevant security patches are included in the updates provided to users. The incident highlights the importance of timely and comprehensive patching to address security vulnerabilities in Android smartphones [70070]. |
| Behaviour |
omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The articles do not mention any specific incidents of system crashes where the system loses state and fails to perform its intended functions.
(b) omission: The software failure incident described in the articles relates to omission, where smartphone manufacturers skip security patches without actually installing them on the devices. This omission leads to a gap between what the manufacturers claim to have updated and what they have actually done [70070].
(c) timing: The articles do not discuss any failures related to timing, where the system performs its intended functions but at the wrong time.
(d) value: The software failure incident is related to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly by omitting to install security patches while claiming to have done so, leading to a false sense of security for users [70070].
(e) byzantine: The articles do not mention any behavior of the software failure incident that would classify as byzantine, where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The other behavior observed in this software failure incident is deliberate deception by some smartphone manufacturers who change the patch date forward by several months without actually installing any patches, as mentioned by SRL founder Karsten Nohl [70070]. |