| Recurring |
unknown |
(a) The software failure incident related to the WhatsApp bug compromising new privacy controls on iPhones is specific to WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook Inc. This incident is not mentioned to have happened before within the same organization.
(b) The incident involving the WhatsApp bug is not mentioned to have happened before at other organizations or with their products and services. The focus of the article is on the specific vulnerability in WhatsApp's new biometric security features on iPhones. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in the article is related to the design phase. The WhatsApp bug compromising the new privacy controls introduced by the app on iPhones was due to a security flaw in the Face ID and Touch ID authentication system, which was a feature designed to enhance privacy and security [80885].
(b) The software failure incident is also related to the operation phase. Users could bypass the secure log-in methods by using the iPhone's 'share' function to send files over WhatsApp, which is an operational aspect of using the app [80885]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident related to the WhatsApp bug compromising new privacy controls introduced by the app on iPhones is within the system. The bug allowed anyone to bypass Face ID or Touch ID authentication within the WhatsApp application itself, indicating an issue originating from within the system [80885]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in the WhatsApp bug compromising new privacy controls on iPhones was due to a non-human action. The bug allowed anyone to bypass Face ID or Touch ID authentication by using the iPhone's 'share' function to send files over WhatsApp, as discovered by a Reddit user [80885]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware: The WhatsApp bug compromising the new privacy controls introduced on iPhones was due to a security flaw that allowed anyone to bypass Face ID or Touch ID authentication by using the iPhone's 'share' function to send files over WhatsApp. This indicates a failure originating in the hardware aspect of the iPhone's security features [80885].
(b) The software failure incident related to software: The failure in the WhatsApp security system, where users could bypass Touch ID and Face ID authentication if the interval wasn't set to 'immediately,' points to a software failure within the WhatsApp application itself. This flaw in the software allowed for the bypassing of the intended security measures [80885]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident reported in Article 80885 is non-malicious. The failure was due to a security flaw in WhatsApp's new biometric security features on iPhones, which allowed anyone to bypass Face ID or Touch ID authentication by using the iPhone's 'share' function to send files over WhatsApp. The Reddit user who discovered the flaw and reported it did not have malicious intent but rather identified a vulnerability in the system. WhatsApp acknowledged the issue and mentioned that a fix would be available shortly, recommending users to set the screen lock option to "immediately" to mitigate the risk. This incident highlights a non-malicious software failure caused by a security flaw in the system [80885]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident was poor_decisions. The failure was due to a security flaw in WhatsApp's new privacy controls introduced for iPhones, allowing anyone to bypass Face ID or Touch ID authentication by using the iPhone's 'share' function to send files over WhatsApp. This flaw was discovered by a Reddit user, and WhatsApp acknowledged the issue, stating that a fix would be available shortly. The incident highlights a poor decision in implementing the security feature, which compromised the intended privacy controls [80885]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the WhatsApp bug that compromised the new privacy controls introduced by the app on iPhones. The bug allowed anyone to bypass Face ID or Touch ID authentication, even if it was turned on. This flaw was discovered by a Reddit user, indicating a lack of professional competence in ensuring the security features worked as intended [80885].
(b) The accidental nature of the software failure incident is highlighted by the fact that the security system failed when users selected any interval option other than 'immediately' for the Face ID or Touch ID authentication. This accidental flaw allowed users to bypass the secure log-in methods by using the iPhone's 'share' function to send files over WhatsApp, as discovered by the Reddit user [80885]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident in the article is temporary. The WhatsApp bug that compromised the new privacy controls introduced by the app on iPhones was identified by a Reddit user, and a fix was mentioned to be available shortly by a WhatsApp spokesperson. The issue was related to the bypass of Face ID or Touch ID authentication, specifically when users selected any interval option other than 'immediately' for verification [80885]. |
| Behaviour |
omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident described in the article is not related to a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. [80885]
(b) omission: The software failure incident is related to an omission where the system omits to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). Specifically, the failure allows anyone to bypass the Face ID or Touch ID authentication, compromising the new privacy controls introduced by WhatsApp on iPhones. Users can bypass the secure log-in methods by using the iPhone's 'share' function to send files over WhatsApp, which should not be possible. [80885]
(c) timing: The software failure incident is not related to timing, where the system performs its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. [80885]
(d) value: The software failure incident is related to a value failure where the system performs its intended functions incorrectly. In this case, the Face ID and Touch ID authentication methods are not working as intended, allowing unauthorized access to the app. [80885]
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident is not related to a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. [80885]
(f) other: The software failure incident can be categorized as an authentication bypass vulnerability, where the system fails to properly authenticate users using Face ID or Touch ID, leading to a privacy breach. This behavior falls under the category of a security flaw in the authentication mechanism. [80885] |