| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to the security flaw in Nintendo Switch consoles has happened before within the same organization. The incident involved a security flaw that allowed hackers to take over the Switch console by overwhelming the memory of an internal piece of hardware. This vulnerability was exploited through a bug in Nvidia's Tegra chipsets, specifically the Tegra X1 chip used in the Switch. The exploit, named Fusée Gelée, allowed attackers to gain complete control of the console's data and run any software they wished. Nintendo was unable to fix the reported 14.8 million Switch systems currently in circulation due to the loophole that could not be closed with a software patch [70336].
(b) The software failure incident related to the security flaw in Nintendo Switch consoles has not been explicitly mentioned to have happened at other organizations or with their products and services. The focus of the incident was on the vulnerability in the Switch console and the specific exploit that allowed hackers to take control of the device. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article is related to the design phase. The security flaw that allows hackers to take over Nintendo Switch consoles is attributed to a bug in computer graphics specialist Nvidia's Tegra chipsets. This bug, exploited through the Fusée Gelée code, allows attackers to execute their own custom code by overwhelming the system's memory and gaining access to the bootROM, a protected section of the system that loads the initial system controls when the console boots up. The vulnerability is inherent to the Tegra X1 chip used in the Switch, and the exploit cannot be fixed with a software patch, indicating a design flaw in the system [70336].
(b) The software failure incident is also related to the operation phase. The attack described in the article requires physical access to a Switch console to run the exploit. By short-circuiting a pin on the Joy-Con connector portal, hackers can trigger the USB recovery mode, which then allows them to overload the system's memory and gain control of the console. This method of operation, involving specific hardware manipulations, enables attackers to exploit the system's design vulnerability and compromise its security [70336]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article is within_system. The security flaw that allows hackers to take over Nintendo Switch consoles is due to a vulnerability in the Tegra X1 chip used in the system to process graphics. This vulnerability is exploited by overwhelming the system's memory through a specific exploit called Fusée Gelée, which takes advantage of a bug in Nvidia's Tegra chipsets [70336]. The exploit allows attackers to gain complete control of the console's data and execute custom code, similar to jailbreaking or rooting other devices. The inability to patch this loophole with a software update indicates that the issue originates from within the system itself. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in this case is primarily due to non-human actions, specifically a security flaw in the Nintendo Switch console's hardware that allows hackers to exploit the Tegra X1 chip and gain control of the system [70336]. The vulnerability in the Tegra chipsets, particularly the USB recovery mode designed for hardware technicians, is being exploited to overload the system's memory and access the bootROM, which is a protected section of the system that cannot be updated with a software release once the console leaves the factory.
(b) However, human actions are also involved in exploiting this security flaw. The attack requires physical access to the Switch console to run the exploit, and individuals need to follow specific steps to trigger the USB recovery mode by short-circuiting a pin on the Joy-Con connector portal or using other methods [70336]. Additionally, the proof-of-concept code dubbed Fusée Gelée, which exploits the bug in the Tegra chipsets, was developed and released by a security researcher named Kate Temkin [70336]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident in Article 70336 occurred due to contributing factors that originate in hardware. The security flaw that allowed hackers to take over Nintendo Switch consoles was based on exploiting a bug in the Tegra X1 chipsets used in the system. The vulnerability was related to the USB recovery mode designed for hardware technicians to fix issues, which hackers leveraged to overload the system's memory and gain access to the bootROM, a protected section that controls the system's initial boot-up process. This hardware vulnerability could not be fixed with a software patch, as the bootROM is hard coded into the machine [70336].
(b) The software failure incident in Article 70336 also involved contributing factors that originate in software. The exploit, named Fusée Gelée, was a proof-of-concept code that took advantage of the hardware vulnerability in the Tegra chipsets to execute custom code on the Switch console. While the vulnerability itself was hardware-based, the exploit involved running custom software to gain control of the console, demonstrating a software-related aspect of the incident [70336]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article is malicious in nature. It involves a security flaw that allows hackers to take over Nintendo Switch consoles by exploiting a bug in the Tegra X1 chipsets. The attack is designed to overwhelm the memory of the hardware to gain complete control of the system, enabling the execution of custom code and potentially running pirated games and other prohibited software [70336]. The security researcher who discovered the vulnerability released a proof-of-concept code named Fusée Gelée, which takes advantage of this flaw to gain unauthorized access to the console [70336]. The incident poses a significant security risk to users whose consoles are compromised, as it allows attackers to have full control over the data run by the system [70336]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
unknown |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident:
The software failure incident described in the article is related to a security flaw that allows hackers to take over Nintendo Switch consoles. This incident is not due to poor decisions but rather a vulnerability in the Tegra X1 chip used in the Switch, which can be exploited to gain control of the console [70336]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the security flaw discovered in Nintendo Switch consoles. The flaw allows hackers to take over the console by overwhelming the memory of an internal hardware component, gaining complete control of the system and being able to run any software they wish [70336]. This vulnerability was exploited through a bug in Nvidia's Tegra chipsets, indicating a lack of professional competence in ensuring the security of the hardware and software components of the gaming system.
(b) The accidental nature of the software failure incident is highlighted by the discovery of the security flaw in the Nintendo Switch consoles. The flaw was not intentionally designed by Nintendo but was a result of a bug in the Tegra chipsets used in the system, which allowed anyone to execute their custom code and gain control of the console [70336]. This accidental introduction of a vulnerability led to the potential compromise of millions of Switch systems, posing a significant security risk to users. |
| Duration |
permanent, temporary |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article is more of a permanent nature. The security flaw that allows hackers to take over Nintendo Switch consoles is based on a vulnerability in the Tegra X1 chip used in the system, specifically in the bootROM section. This bootROM is hard coded into the machine and cannot be updated with a software release once the console leaves the factory. As a result, the loophole cannot be closed with a software patch, making it a permanent issue [70336].
(b) However, as a temporary measure, Nintendo may be able to detect hacked systems and lock them out of their online facilities, including gameplay. This suggests that while the underlying vulnerability is permanent, there are temporary measures that can be taken to mitigate the impact of the software failure incident [70336]. |
| 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. Instead, the incident involves a security flaw that allows a hacker to take over the Nintendo Switch console by exploiting a bug in the Tegra X1 chip used in the system [70336].
(b) omission: The software failure incident is not related to the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). It is primarily about a security vulnerability that allows unauthorized access and control of the console [70336].
(c) timing: The incident is not about the system performing its intended functions too late or too early. It is focused on the exploitation of a vulnerability in the system to gain control over the console [70336].
(d) value: The software failure incident does not involve the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. Instead, it is about a security flaw that allows complete control of the data run by the Nintendo Switch console [70336].
(e) byzantine: The incident does not exhibit the characteristics of a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. It is primarily a security vulnerability that can be exploited to run custom code on the console [70336].
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident can be categorized as a security vulnerability that allows a hacker to take over the Nintendo Switch console by exploiting a bug in the Tegra X1 chip. This behavior falls under the category of a security exploit rather than a traditional software failure like a crash or glitch [70336]. |