| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to the security breach in Fortnite due to a glitch in the system has happened again at Epic Games. The incident involved vulnerabilities in Epic Games' website that allowed hackers to access Fortnite players' accounts without needing a password, leading to potential theft of credit card information and eavesdropping on private conversations [Article 80100, Article 80145].
(b) The software failure incident involving security vulnerabilities and breaches similar to the Fortnite incident has also occurred at other organizations or with their products and services. For example, in the case of DJI's drones, Check Point researchers discovered a vulnerability that allowed them to inject malicious code on DJI's domain page to steal access tokens, similar to the method used in the Fortnite breach [Article 80145]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase:
- The incident was caused by a glitch in the log-in system of the popular video game Fortnite, which allowed hackers to access millions of players' accounts, including sensitive credit card information and private chats [80100].
- Security researchers from Check Point Software discovered vulnerabilities in Epic Games' website that allowed hackers to log into Fortnite accounts without needing a password, indicating a design flaw in the system [80145].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase:
- The hackers were able to access user accounts without using any log-in information, suggesting a failure in the operation or misuse of the system [80100].
- The attackers were able to steal authentication tokens associated with user accounts, indicating a failure in the operation of the system's security measures [80100].
- The attackers used phishing links to capture authentication tokens and gain access to personal accounts, highlighting a failure in the operation of the system's security protocols [80100].
- The compromised page with an Epic Games URL made the attack appear less suspicious to victims, indicating a failure in the operation phase where users were misled by the appearance of legitimacy [80145]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) The software failure incident in the articles is primarily within_system. The glitch in the Fortnite game's log-in system allowed hackers to access personal accounts, credit card information, and eavesdrop on private chats [80100]. The vulnerabilities were found within Epic Games' website, allowing potential hackers to log into Fortnite accounts without needing a password [80145]. Additionally, the flaw in the log-in flow provided hackers with the ability to take full control of user accounts, leading to a massive invasion of privacy [80100].
(b) The software failure incident also involved contributing factors that originate from outside the system. Hackers were able to exploit vulnerabilities in Epic Games' website, specifically through an unsecured URL from over a decade ago, which was open to cross-site scripting attacks [80145]. This external factor allowed attackers to redirect access tokens to their servers instead of Epic Games', enabling them to gain unauthorized access to user accounts. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in the articles was primarily due to non-human actions, specifically a glitch in the system that allowed hackers to access personal accounts and credit card information without the need for log-in information. This glitch was exploited by attackers to steal authentication tokens associated with user accounts, enabling them to take full control of the accounts and make unauthorized purchases within the game [80100, 80145].
(b) However, human actions also played a role in the incident as users were exposed to the attack when they clicked on scam phishing links designed to look like they were issued by Epic Games. By clicking on these links, users inadvertently allowed attackers to capture their authentication tokens, which were then used to gain access to their accounts [80100, 80145]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The software failure incident in the articles was not directly attributed to hardware issues. The vulnerabilities and glitches that allowed hackers to access Fortnite player accounts and credit card information were primarily due to software flaws and security vulnerabilities within Epic Games' website and log-in system [Article 80100, Article 80145].
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- The software failure incident was primarily due to contributing factors originating in software. The incident involved glitches, vulnerabilities, and flaws within the Fortnite game's log-in system and Epic Games' website, which allowed hackers to access user accounts, credit card information, and private chats without needing passwords [Article 80100, Article 80145]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident in the articles is malicious in nature. Hackers exploited vulnerabilities in Epic Games' website and Fortnite's log-in system to access millions of players' accounts, including sensitive credit card information and private chats. The attackers were able to pose as regular players, purchase in-game currency using saved credit card information, and eavesdrop on conversations. The hackers used authentication tokens obtained through phishing links to gain unauthorized access to user accounts, allowing them to take full control of the accounts and make purchases within the game. This malicious activity was aimed at invading users' privacy and potentially causing financial harm [80100, 80145]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Fortnite security breach can be attributed to poor decisions made in the design and implementation of the game's log-in system and website security.
1. The incident involved a glitch in the game's log-in system that allowed hackers to access personal accounts and credit card information [Article 80100].
2. Hackers were able to exploit vulnerabilities in Epic Games' website, allowing them to log into people's Fortnite accounts without needing a password [Article 80145].
3. Check Point's researchers found an unsecured URL from over a decade ago on Epic Games' website, which was open to cross-site scripting attacks, enabling the theft of access tokens [Article 80145].
4. The vulnerabilities in the log-in flow provided hackers with the ability to take full control of user accounts, leading to a massive invasion of privacy [Article 80100].
These points indicate that the software failure incident was primarily driven by poor decisions in the design and security implementation of Fortnite's systems, allowing hackers to exploit vulnerabilities and compromise user accounts. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident in the articles can be attributed to development incompetence. The incident was caused by a glitch in the log-in system of the popular video game Fortnite, which allowed hackers to access millions of players' accounts, including sensitive credit card information and private chats [80100, 80145]. This glitch was discovered by cybersecurity firm Check Point Software Technologies in November and reported to Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite. The vulnerability in the log-in flow provided hackers with the ability to take full control of user accounts, leading to a massive invasion of privacy [80100].
(b) The software failure incident was not accidental but rather a result of deliberate exploitation of vulnerabilities in the system by hackers. The hackers were able to exploit flaws in Epic Games' sub-domains and phishing links to gain unauthorized access to user accounts and perform actions like purchasing in-game items and eavesdropping on conversations [80100, 80145]. The incident was a targeted attack on the Fortnite player base, taking advantage of weaknesses in the system rather than being a random or accidental occurrence. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident in the articles can be classified as temporary. The incident was caused by specific vulnerabilities in Epic Games' website that allowed hackers to access Fortnite players' accounts without needing a password. The vulnerabilities were discovered by security researchers from Check Point in November and were fixed by January [Article 80100, Article 80145]. This indicates that the failure was temporary and was resolved once the vulnerabilities were identified and addressed. |
| Behaviour |
omission, value, other |
(a) crash:
- The software failure incident in the articles does not specifically mention a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions [80100, 80145].
(b) omission:
- The incident involves a vulnerability that allowed potential hackers to log into people's Fortnite accounts without needing a password, indicating an omission in the system's authentication process [80145].
(c) timing:
- The articles do not mention a timing-related failure where the system performs its intended functions correctly but too late or too early [80100, 80145].
(d) value:
- The software failure incident involves the system performing its intended functions incorrectly by allowing hackers to access personal accounts, credit card information, and eavesdrop on private chats [80100, 80145].
(e) byzantine:
- The incident does not exhibit a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions [80100, 80145].
(f) other:
- The software failure incident could be categorized as a security breach due to vulnerabilities in the system that allowed unauthorized access to user accounts and sensitive information [80100, 80145]. |