Published Date: 2018-09-28
| Postmortem Analysis | |
|---|---|
| Timeline | 1. The software failure incident happened in September 2018 [Article 75646]. 2. The incident occurred on September 25, 2018 [Article 75646]. |
| System | 1. Facebook's computer systems [76733] 2. "View As" feature in Facebook [76733, 76770, 85500, 76510, 75663, 75646] |
| Responsible Organization | 1. Hackers [76733, 76770, 79804, 85500] 2. Bugs in Facebook's software [76733, 76770, 79804, 85500] 3. Vulnerabilities in Facebook's code [76733, 76770, 79804, 85500] |
| Impacted Organization | 1. Facebook users, including Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg [75646] 2. Third-party sites that users logged into with their Facebook accounts [75646] |
| Software Causes | 1. Bugs in Facebook's "View As" feature and video upload tool allowed hackers to steal access tokens, leading to the compromise of nearly 50 million user accounts [75646]. 2. The bugs in the software allowed attackers to exploit the system and take over user accounts, potentially exposing private messages, photos, and posts [75646]. 3. The vulnerabilities were complex, involving multiple bugs related to the "View As" feature and the video uploader, which inadvertently generated access tokens with the same sign-in permissions as the Facebook mobile app [75646]. 4. The attack was broad in nature, affecting a significant number of users due to the flaws in Facebook's software [75710]. 5. Facebook had to reset access tokens for 90 million users as a precautionary measure, impacting both the directly affected accounts and those that had been subject to a "View As" look-up in the last year [75646]. |
| Non-software Causes | 1. Lack of sophistication by Facebook in addressing the security flaw in the code for the "View As" feature, which allowed attackers to steal access tokens [Article 76770]. 2. Facebook's failure to identify the hackers responsible for the attack and their location [Article 75710]. |
| Impacts | 1. The software failure incident at Facebook resulted in hackers gaining access to digital login codes, affecting almost 50 million user accounts, making it the company's worst security breach ever [75646]. 2. The attackers could see everything in a victim's profile, potentially including private messages, photos, and posts, although it's still unclear if any data was misused [75646]. 3. As a result of the breach, Facebook automatically logged out 90 million users from their accounts as a security measure [75646]. 4. The breach allowed attackers to exploit a series of bugs related to Facebook's "View As" feature, enabling them to take over user accounts and potentially access third-party sites where users had logged in with Facebook credentials [75646]. 5. The breach raised concerns about data privacy legislation, with U.S. lawmakers calling for action to protect the privacy and security of social media users [75710]. 6. The breach may lead to more aggressive regulation from Congress and increased scrutiny in Europe under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) [75646]. 7. The incident added to Facebook's ongoing privacy problems and reputation challenges, following previous scandals like the Cambridge Analytica data breach [75646]. 8. The breach prompted Facebook to reset access tokens for affected accounts and temporarily disable the "View As" feature while investigating the issue [75646]. |
| Preventions | 1. Regular security audits and testing to identify vulnerabilities in the software [75646]. 2. Implementing stricter access controls and permissions to prevent unauthorized access to user accounts [75646]. 3. Enhancing the monitoring of unusual activities on the platform to detect potential security breaches earlier [75646]. 4. Improving the software development process to ensure rigorous testing of new features and updates for security flaws [75646]. 5. Educating users about best practices for online security, such as using unique passwords and enabling two-factor authentication [85500]. |
| Fixes | 1. Facebook fixed the bugs that allowed the attack and reset the access tokens for the affected accounts [75646]. 2. Facebook automatically logged out 90 million users from their accounts as a security measure [75646]. 3. Facebook temporarily disabled the "View As" feature and reset access keys for another 40 million accounts that could have been affected [75646]. 4. Users were prompted to log back into Facebook and any apps using Facebook Login, and were provided with information about the security issue when logging back in [75646]. 5. Facebook is working with the FBI to investigate the origins of the attack and is cooperating with law enforcement [75646]. 6. Facebook notified the Irish Data Protection Commission about the breach as required by GDPR regulations [75646]. | References | 1. Article 76733: The information is gathered from a blog post by Guy Rosen, vice president of product management at Facebook, and statements made by Oren J. Falkowitz, chief executive of the cybersecurity company Area 1 Security. 2. Article 76770: The information is gathered from statements made by various experts, including Dana Simberkoff, chief risk, privacy, and information security officer at AvePoint, and Jason Polakis, an assistant professor of computer science at the University of Illinois at Chicago. 3. Article 79804: The information is gathered from the testimony of Facebook's COO Sheryl Sandberg before the Senate Intelligence Committee and the departure of Instagram's founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger from the company. 4. Article 85500: The information is gathered from Facebook's announcement about bringing back a privacy feature and details about the previous security incident affecting 29 million users. 5. Article 76510: The information is gathered from various security experts, including Simon Migliano, head of research and cybersecurity expert at Top10VPN.com, and Will LaSala, director of security solutions at OneSpan. 6. Article 75663: The information is gathered from statements made by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's vice president of product management Guy Rosen, and various security experts. 7. Article 75710: The information is gathered from Facebook's official disclosure about the security breach, statements made by Facebook executives, and reactions from lawmakers and experts. 8. Article 75646: The information is gathered from Facebook's official disclosure about the security issue, statements made by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and reactions from lawmakers and security researchers. |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Recurring | one_organization, multiple_organization | (a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization: - Facebook experienced a significant security breach affecting almost 50 million user accounts, where attackers exploited a vulnerability allowing them to take over user accounts [Article 75646]. - This incident was described as the worst security breach ever for Facebook, and it was noted that the company had faced narrower breaches in the past [Article 75710]. - The breach was due to bugs related to a Facebook feature called "View As," which allowed attackers to see everything in a victim's profile and potentially access private messages, photos, and posts [Article 75646]. - Facebook took steps to address the issue, including resetting access tokens for affected accounts and temporarily disabling the "View As" feature [Article 75646]. (b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization: - The incident highlighted concerns about data privacy legislation and the need for better protection of social media users' privacy and security [Article 75710]. - The breach raised questions about the ability of companies like Facebook to accumulate vast amounts of personal data without adequate security measures [Article 75646]. - The breach may lead to more aggressive regulation from Congress and increased scrutiny in Europe under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) [Article 75646]. - Senator Mark Warner called for a full investigation into the breach and emphasized the importance of protecting the privacy and security of social media users [Article 75646]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) | design, operation | (a) The software failure incident related to the development phase: The incident was a result of a vulnerability in Facebook's "View As" feature that allowed attackers to steal access tokens, enabling them to take over user accounts directly. This vulnerability was introduced in July 2017 and was discovered on September 25, 2018 [Article 75646]. The flaw was a result of multiple bugs in Facebook's system, including a bug in the video upload feature that mistakenly showed up on the "View As" page, triggering the placement of the wrong digital code for the user being impersonated [Article 75646]. (b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase: The attackers exploited the vulnerability in the "View As" feature to directly take over user accounts, potentially accessing private messages, photos, and posts. It is still unclear if the attackers misused any data obtained from the compromised accounts [Article 75646]. The incident led to Facebook automatically logging out 90 million users from their accounts as a security measure, affecting both the 50 million directly impacted accounts and an additional 40 million that could have been affected [Article 75646]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) | within_system, outside_system | (a) within_system: - The software failure incident on Facebook was due to a vulnerability in the "View As" feature that allowed attackers to steal access tokens and take over user accounts directly [Article 75646]. - The bugs that enabled the attack were related to Facebook features like the video upload tool and the "View As" feature, which mistakenly generated access tokens with the same sign-in permissions as the Facebook mobile app [Article 75646]. - Facebook's investigation revealed that the attack was a result of a complex interaction of multiple bugs within the system [Article 75646]. - Facebook took steps to fix the vulnerability, reset access tokens, and temporarily disabled the "View As" feature as part of addressing the issue within the system [Article 75646]. - The breach led to the automatic logout of 90 million users from their accounts as a security measure to reset access tokens and secure the accounts [Article 75646]. (b) outside_system: - The attackers exploited a vulnerability within Facebook's system, but the origin or identity of the attackers and their location were not yet identified [Article 75646]. - Facebook is working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to identify the attackers, indicating that the attack originated from outside the system [Article 75646]. - The vulnerability in the system allowed attackers to potentially access private messages, photos, and posts of users, indicating an external threat exploiting the system's weaknesses [Article 75646]. - The breach raised concerns about data privacy legislation and the need for Congress to take action to protect the privacy and security of social media users, highlighting external pressures on Facebook's system security [Article 75710]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) | non-human_actions, human_actions | (a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions: - The software failure incident involving the security breach on Facebook accounts was due to bugs in the system that allowed attackers to exploit a series of vulnerabilities related to the "View As" feature, leading to the theft of digital login codes and access tokens [Article 75646]. - The breach was a result of a complex interaction of multiple bugs in Facebook's system, including flaws in the video upload tool and the "View As" feature, which inadvertently generated access tokens with the same sign-in permissions as the Facebook mobile app [Article 75646]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions: - The security breach on Facebook accounts was a result of attackers exploiting bugs in the system, which were introduced by Facebook developers when updating a birthday video feature in July 2017, and were left open for more than a year [Article 76770]. - The vulnerabilities that allowed the attack were created by Facebook developers and the flaws were compounded by a bug in Facebook's video-uploading program for birthday celebrations, which was introduced in July 2017 [Article 76770]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) | software | (a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware: - There is no specific mention of the software failure incident occurring due to contributing factors originating in hardware in the provided articles. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to software: - The software failure incident reported in the articles is primarily due to contributing factors originating in software. The incident involved a security breach that allowed attackers to directly take over user accounts on Facebook. The vulnerability was related to bugs in Facebook's feature that lets users see what their profile looks like to someone else, leading to the exposure of access tokens and potential access to private messages, photos, and posts [75646]. - The breach resulted in attackers stealing digital login codes, impacting nearly 50 million user accounts, making it one of Facebook's worst security breaches. The bugs that enabled the attack were patched by Facebook, and affected users were automatically logged out as a security measure [75710]. - The breach was discovered to have existed since July 2017, and the attackers exploited a series of bugs related to Facebook's "View As" feature, allowing them to generate access tokens with the same sign-in permissions as the Facebook mobile app. This flaw enabled attackers to post and browse from someone else's Facebook account and potentially gain full access to victims' accounts on third-party apps or websites [75646]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) | malicious | (a) The software failure incident related to the Facebook security breach was malicious in nature. Attackers exploited vulnerabilities in Facebook's system to steal digital login codes, allowing them to take over nearly 50 million user accounts [75646]. The attackers could see everything in a victim's profile, potentially exposing private messages, photos, and posts [75646]. The breach was described as a serious security issue by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg [75646]. The attackers were able to exploit a series of bugs related to a Facebook feature that lets people see what their own profile looks like to someone else [75646]. The breach led to Facebook automatically logging out 90 million users from their accounts as a security measure [75646]. (b) The software failure incident was non-malicious in the sense that it was due to vulnerabilities in Facebook's system that were inadvertently exploited by attackers. The bugs that enabled the attack were patched by Facebook [75646]. The vulnerability allowed attackers to directly take over user accounts, potentially exposing private information, but it's still unclear if any data was misused [75646]. The breach was broad in nature, affecting almost 50 million user accounts [75646]. The incident prompted Facebook to reset the digital keys of the affected accounts and temporarily disable certain features like "View As" while investigating the issue [75646]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) | poor_decisions | (a) poor_decisions: The software failure incident related to the Facebook security breach was due to poor decisions made by Facebook in terms of software development and security measures. The incident was caused by a series of bugs related to a Facebook feature that allowed attackers to exploit vulnerabilities and take over user accounts [75646]. The bugs were a result of poor coding practices and flaws in the software, such as the video upload feature triggering access tokens and the "View As" feature displaying incorrectly [75646]. Additionally, the incident highlighted Facebook's failure to adequately protect user data and prevent such breaches, leading to concerns about the company's ability to manage and safeguard user information [75710]. (b) accidental_decisions: The software failure incident was not primarily due to accidental decisions or unintended mistakes. Instead, it was a result of deliberate exploitation of vulnerabilities in Facebook's software systems by attackers [75646]. The incident was not accidental but rather a targeted attack that took advantage of flaws in the software to gain unauthorized access to user accounts [75646]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) | development_incompetence | (a) The software failure incident occurring due to development incompetence: - The incident was caused by a vulnerability in Facebook's code related to the "View As" feature, which allowed attackers to steal access tokens and take over user accounts [Article 75646]. - Facebook's vice president overseeing security described the flaw as "complex" and resulting from three distinct bugs in the software [Article 75646]. - The bugs in the software were related to a video upload feature and the "View As" privacy feature, showing a lack of robust testing and oversight in the development process [Article 75646]. (b) The software failure incident occurring accidentally: - The incident was not intentional but was a result of bugs in Facebook's software that inadvertently exposed user accounts to attackers [Article 75646]. - Facebook's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, described the incident as a serious security issue that the company is taking seriously, indicating that it was not a deliberate act [Article 75646]. - The bugs that led to the security breach were not introduced purposefully but were a result of unintended interactions in the software code [Article 75646]. |
| Duration | temporary | (a) The software failure incident was temporary. The software failure incident was temporary as it was caused by a security vulnerability that allowed attackers to directly take over user accounts on Facebook. The bugs that enabled the attack were patched by Facebook, and the company took immediate action to reset access tokens for affected accounts and temporarily disable certain features like "View As" while investigating the issue [75646, 75663, 75710]. |
| Behaviour | crash, value, other | (a) crash: - The software failure incident related to the Facebook security breach can be categorized as a crash behavior. The incident led to the loss of access tokens for nearly 50 million user accounts, resulting in users being automatically logged out of their accounts as a security measure [Article 75646]. - "Facebook reset the digital keys of the 50 million affected accounts, and as a precaution temporarily disabled 'view as' and reset those keys for another 40 million that have been looked up through 'view as' over the last year" [Article 75646]. (b) omission: - The software failure incident did not involve omission as the system did not omit to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). (c) timing: - The software failure incident did not involve timing issues as the system did not perform its intended functions too late or too early. (d) value: - The software failure incident can be categorized under the value behavior as the attackers were able to directly take over user accounts, potentially gaining access to private messages, photos, and posts [Article 75646]. - The attackers could see everything in a victim's profile, although it's still unclear if that includes private messages or if any of that data was misused [Article 75646]. (e) byzantine: - The software failure incident did not exhibit byzantine behavior as the system did not behave erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. (f) other: - The software failure incident involved a complex interaction of multiple bugs that allowed the attackers to exploit a series of vulnerabilities related to a Facebook feature, leading to the security breach [Article 75646]. - The incident was described as a "really serious security issue" by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, emphasizing the severity of the breach [Article 75646]. |
| Layer | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Perception | None | None |
| Communication | None | None |
| Application | None | None |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Consequence | property, theoretical_consequence | (a) death: People lost their lives due to the software failure - There is no mention of any deaths caused by the software failure incident in the articles. [75663, 75646] (b) harm: People were physically harmed due to the software failure - There is no mention of physical harm to individuals due to the software failure incident. [75663, 75646] (c) basic: People's access to food or shelter was impacted because of the software failure - There is no mention of people's access to food or shelter being impacted by the software failure incident. [75663, 75646] (d) property: People's material goods, money, or data was impacted due to the software failure - The software failure incident led to the exposure of personal information of Facebook users, including detailed data from profiles, contact information, and security tokens. This could potentially impact users' data privacy and security. [76733, 76770, 79804, 85500, 75663, 75710] (e) delay: People had to postpone an activity due to the software failure - There is no mention of people having to postpone activities due to the software failure incident. [75663, 75646] (f) non-human: Non-human entities were impacted due to the software failure - There is no mention of non-human entities being impacted by the software failure incident. [75663, 75646] (g) no_consequence: There were no real observed consequences of the software failure - The software failure incident had significant consequences, including the exposure of personal information of millions of Facebook users and the need for users to log back into their accounts. [76733, 76770, 79804, 85500, 75663, 75710] (h) theoretical_consequence: There were potential consequences discussed of the software failure that did not occur - The potential consequences discussed included the misuse of personal information, access to private messages, and the possibility of attackers gaining full access to third-party accounts linked to Facebook credentials. However, there is no confirmation that these theoretical consequences occurred. [76733, 76770, 79804, 85500, 75663, 75710] (i) other: Was there consequence(s) of the software failure not described in the (a to h) options? What is the other consequence(s)? - There are no other specific consequences mentioned in the articles beyond the exposure of personal information and the need for users to log back into their accounts. [75663, 75646] |
| Domain | information, finance, government | (a) The failed system was intended to support the industry of information, specifically social networking and data sharing. The incident involved a security breach on Facebook affecting millions of user accounts, leading to unauthorized access to personal information and potential misuse of data [Article 76733], [Article 76770], [Article 79804], [Article 85500], [Article 75663], [Article 75710]. (h) The incident also impacted the finance industry indirectly as it raised concerns about data privacy and security, which are crucial in financial transactions and protecting sensitive financial information. The breach highlighted the risks associated with storing personal data on online platforms like Facebook [Article 75710]. (l) The government sector was affected as well, with calls for data privacy legislation and concerns about the ability of companies like Facebook to accumulate and protect personal data without adequate security measures. The breach prompted discussions about the need for regulatory actions to safeguard the privacy and security of social media users [Article 75710]. |
Article ID: 76733
Article ID: 76770
Article ID: 79804
Article ID: 85500
Article ID: 76510
Article ID: 75663
Article ID: 75710
Article ID: 75646