| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to a security flaw in the My Account login system of the Vodafone website had happened before within the same organization. The incident involved a vulnerability that allowed private email addresses and possibly phone numbers to be exposed when using the password reminder page [3104, 3118].
(b) The software failure incident at Vodafone was not explicitly mentioned to have happened at other organizations or with their products and services in the provided articles. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in the Vodafone website's My Account login system was due to a security flaw in the design phase. The flaw allowed users to obtain private email addresses and possibly phone numbers by exploiting the password reminder page. This flaw was a result of a vulnerability in the system development, specifically in the My Account login page's functionality, which allowed for the exposure of sensitive customer information [3104, 3118].
(b) The software failure incident also involved factors related to the operation phase. Users reported receiving spam and unsolicited emails after the security flaw was exploited, indicating that the operation of the system was impacted by the incident. The delay in taking down the offending page and addressing the issue led to concerns among customers about the misuse of their personal data and the potential risks associated with the system's operation [3104, 3118]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident in the Vodafone website's My Account login system was due to a security flaw within the system itself. Users were able to access private email addresses and possibly phone numbers by exploiting the password reminder page on the website. The flaw allowed for the confirmation of email addresses and phone numbers based on basic or guessable information entered on the login page. Vodafone acknowledged the issue and took down the offending page to address the problem [3104, 3118].
(b) outside_system: The software failure incident was not explicitly attributed to factors originating from outside the system in the provided articles. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in the Vodafone website's My Account login system was primarily due to non-human actions, specifically a security flaw in the system. The flaw allowed private email addresses and possibly phone numbers to be at risk without any direct human involvement in causing the flaw. The issue was related to the functionality of the password reminder page, which confirmed email addresses and phone numbers based on basic or guessable information provided on the page [3104, 3118].
(b) However, human actions also played a role in the incident. Customers on the Vodafone user forum reported the issue, and some even tried to test the vulnerability by typing in usernames of other forum users to see if private email addresses were revealed. Additionally, there were concerns raised by forum members about the time it took for Vodafone to take down the offending page after the issue was reported. Some customers also contacted England's Information Commissioner's Office to report the incident, indicating human actions in response to the software failure [3104, 3118]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles was not due to hardware issues but rather a security flaw in the My Account login system of the Vodafone website. The incident involved a vulnerability in the software that allowed private email addresses and possibly phone numbers to be exposed [3104, 3118].
(b) The software failure incident was specifically related to a security flaw in the My Account login system of the Vodafone website. This flaw in the software allowed unauthorized access to private email addresses and phone numbers when certain actions were performed on the login page, indicating a software-related issue [3104, 3118]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles was malicious in nature. The incident involved a security flaw in the My Account login system of the Vodafone website that left email addresses and possibly phone numbers at risk. The flaw allowed individuals to obtain private email addresses by typing in associated usernames or phone numbers on the password reminder page. This flaw could be exploited by using a script to harvest emails for spamming purposes. Some forum users tested this by typing in usernames of other users and found their private email addresses were revealed [3104, 3118]. Additionally, some customers reported an increase in spam and unsolicited emails after the incident, indicating malicious intent to exploit the security flaw [3104].
(b) The software failure incident was not non-malicious as it involved a security vulnerability that could potentially lead to unauthorized access to customer data. The incident prompted concerns among customers about the security of their personal information stored on the My Account profile. Although Vodafone assured customers that the personal data stored on their My Account profile was not directly at risk, the incident still raised serious security concerns among users [3118]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles was primarily due to poor decisions made in the design and implementation of the My Account login system on the Vodafone website. The flaw in the system allowed for the exposure of private email addresses and possibly phone numbers when users attempted to retrieve their usernames or passwords. This flaw was exploited by users who could easily obtain sensitive information by inputting usernames or phone numbers. The incident led to concerns among customers and forum users about the security breach and the delay in addressing the issue by Vodafone.
The poor decision to design the password reminder page in a way that confirmed email addresses and phone numbers based on basic or guessable information contributed to the vulnerability exploited by users for potential spamming purposes. Vodafone's response to the incident, including the delay in taking down the offending page and the initial lack of apology in their statement, further highlighted the poor decisions made in handling the security flaw ([3104], [3118]). |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles seems to be related to development incompetence. The incident was caused by a security flaw in the My Account login system of the Vodafone website, which allowed private email addresses and possibly phone numbers to be at risk [3104, 3118]. The flaw occurred in the password reminder page, where entering basic or guessable information could reveal sensitive data. Users on the Vodafone forum reported that the issue persisted even after complaints were made, indicating a lack of prompt action by the development team. Additionally, some users expressed concerns about the length of time it took for Vodafone to address the security breach, suggesting a lack of professional competence in handling the situation.
(b) The software failure incident could also be attributed to accidental factors. The incident was not intentional but rather a result of a security flaw in the My Account login system that inadvertently exposed private email addresses and phone numbers [3104, 3118]. Vodafone representatives mentioned that they started to address the issue as soon as they became aware of the concerns raised by customers, indicating that the exposure of sensitive data was not deliberate. The delay in taking down the problematic page could be seen as an accidental oversight rather than a deliberate action. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was temporary. The issue was related to a security flaw in the My Account login system of the Vodafone website, specifically on the password reminder page. Users reported that the page confirmed email addresses and phone numbers when certain information was provided, leading to concerns about privacy and potential spamming. Vodafone eventually took down the offending page and fixed the issue after being made aware of the problem by customers and the Information Commissioner's Office [3104, 3118]. |
| Behaviour |
omission, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident described in the articles does not involve a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions [3104, 3118].
(b) omission: The incident involves a failure where the system omits to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). Specifically, the password reminder page on the Vodafone website confirmed email addresses and phone numbers when certain information was provided, potentially exposing private data [3104, 3118].
(c) timing: The incident does not relate to a timing failure where the system performs its intended functions correctly but too late or too early [3104, 3118].
(d) value: The failure is not directly related to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly [3104, 3118].
(e) byzantine: The incident does not exhibit a byzantine behavior where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions [3104, 3118].
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident can be categorized as a privacy breach due to the system revealing private email addresses and phone numbers when certain information was provided on the password reminder page [3104, 3118]. |