| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to Facebook Messenger security vulnerabilities has happened again within the same organization. The article mentions that the security researcher, Ron Masas, had detailed a similar Facebook bug in November where data thieves could see private posts users have liked and what their friends have liked. This indicates a recurrence of security vulnerabilities within Facebook Messenger [82563].
(b) The software failure incident related to analyzing iFrames to gather data on Facebook Messenger conversations has not been explicitly mentioned to have occurred at other organizations or with their products and services in the provided article [82563]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase:
The incident detailed in the article [82563] was a security vulnerability in Facebook Messenger that allowed potential attackers to learn who users were talking with on the chatting service. The flaw was due to the way web browsers handle content embedded in webpages, not specific to Facebook. The security researcher discovered that analyzing iFrames loaded by Messenger could reveal information about the users' conversations, even if the content of the messages was not visible. Facebook fixed the bug by removing iFrames from Messenger altogether, addressing the design flaw that allowed this privacy breach.
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase:
The security vulnerability in Facebook Messenger was not caused by the operation or misuse of the system but rather by a design flaw in how iFrames were handled within the messaging service. The flaw was not a result of user actions or misuse but rather a technical vulnerability that could be exploited by attackers to gather information about users' conversations. Therefore, there is no indication in the article that the failure was due to factors introduced by the operation or misuse of the system. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident with Facebook Messenger was due to a flaw within the system itself. The security vulnerability allowed potential attackers to gather information about who users were talking to on the platform by exploiting the way web browsers handle content embedded in webpages [82563]. The flaw was related to how Messenger loaded a specific number of iFrames for people users had conversations with, which could be exploited to identify communication patterns. Facebook acknowledged the issue and fixed it by removing iFrames from Messenger altogether [82563]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
The software failure incident detailed in the article was primarily due to a security flaw in Facebook Messenger that allowed potential attackers to learn who users were talking with on the chatting service. This flaw was related to the way web browsers handle content embedded in webpages and was not specific to Facebook. The issue stemmed from the behavior of web browsers and the loading of iFrames for people users had conversations with, which could be exploited to gather data on users' interactions without direct human involvement [82563].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
The security researcher, Ron Masas, discovered the vulnerability in Facebook Messenger and reported it to Facebook. He detailed how the bug worked by analyzing iFrames and developed a tool to exploit the flaw. The attack required the victim to click on a link leading to Masas' tool, which was set as a video to distract unsuspecting victims while data was being gathered. Masas actively engaged in identifying and exploiting the security vulnerability, demonstrating how human actions can contribute to software failures [82563]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The software failure incident detailed in the article [82563] was not directly attributed to hardware issues. The vulnerability in Facebook Messenger was due to the way web browsers handle content embedded in webpages, which was exploited by the security researcher to gather information about users' conversations. The flaw was not specific to Facebook but rather a broader issue related to how browsers handle embedded content.
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- The software failure incident in article [82563] was primarily due to contributing factors originating in software. The security vulnerability in Facebook Messenger that allowed potential attackers to learn who users were talking with was a result of a flaw in the Messenger application itself. The flaw was related to how Messenger loaded iFrames for conversations, which was exploited by the security researcher to gather sensitive information about users' interactions. Facebook acknowledged the issue and fixed the bug in December, indicating that the root cause was within the software application. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Facebook Messenger security vulnerability can be categorized as malicious. The flaw detailed by Imperva allowed potential attackers to learn who users were talking with on the chatting service, potentially harming users' privacy [82563]. The security researcher, Ron Masas, discovered the vulnerability and developed a tool to exploit the flaw by analyzing iFrames and gathering data on users' conversations without their knowledge [82563]. Masas set a trap link disguised as a video to distract unsuspecting victims while their data was being siphoned off [82563]. Despite Facebook's attempts to fix the issue, the flaw was eventually resolved by removing iFrames from Messenger altogether [82563]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions, accidental_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Facebook Messenger security vulnerability can be attributed to poor decisions made in the design and implementation of the messaging service. The flaw allowed potential attackers to determine who users were communicating with on the platform, posing a significant privacy risk. The vulnerability stemmed from the way web browsers handled content embedded in webpages, and Facebook had to make recommendations to browser makers and update the Messenger web version to address the issue [Article 82563].
(b) The incident also involved accidental decisions or unintended consequences, as the security researcher, Ron Masas, discovered the vulnerability and detailed how data could be extracted by analyzing iFrames loaded in the browser. Masas developed a tool that could exploit this flaw, demonstrating how unsuspecting users could have their data siphoned off without their knowledge. Despite Facebook's attempts to fix the issue initially, the specific number of iFrames was randomized, but the underlying pattern still allowed for data extraction. Ultimately, Facebook had to remove iFrames from Messenger altogether to address the vulnerability [Article 82563]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the Facebook Messenger security vulnerability detailed by Imperva. The flaw allowed potential attackers to determine who users were talking to on the platform, posing a significant privacy risk. The security researcher, Ron Masas, discovered the vulnerability and highlighted how the bug exploited the way web browsers handled content embedded in webpages [82563].
(b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors is demonstrated in the Facebook Messenger bug discovered by Ron Masas. The bug allowed data thieves to see private posts users had liked and what their friends had liked. Masas developed a tool that could siphon off data by analyzing iFrames loaded in the browser, and victims could unknowingly trigger the attack by clicking on a link leading to the tool disguised as a video [82563]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident related to the security vulnerability in Facebook Messenger can be categorized as a temporary failure. The incident was temporary because Facebook fixed the bug in December after it was reported by the security researcher, Ron Masas [Article 82563]. The bug was specifically addressed by removing iFrames from Messenger altogether, indicating that the issue was resolved and the vulnerability was no longer present. |
| Behaviour |
value, other |
(a) crash: The articles do not mention a crash incident where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions.
(b) omission: The software failure incident related to Facebook Messenger's security vulnerability does not involve the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s).
(c) timing: The incident does not relate to the system performing its intended functions correctly but too late or too early.
(d) value: The software failure incident is related to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The security bug allowed potential attackers to learn who users were talking with on Facebook Messenger, compromising user privacy [82563].
(e) byzantine: The incident does not involve the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident is related to a security vulnerability that allowed unauthorized access to user data, specifically revealing who users were in touch with on Facebook Messenger, without showing the content of the messages [82563]. |