| Recurring |
multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to leaking sensitive information from hotel websites has happened before at multiple organizations within the hospitality industry. The article mentions cyberattacks on Sheraton, Westin, Starwood, Marriott, and Wyndham hotels over the last few years, indicating a pattern of similar incidents occurring across different hotel chains [84333].
(b) The incident of leaking sensitive information from hotel websites is not unique to a single organization but has been observed across multiple organizations within the hospitality industry. The article highlights that nearly two-thirds of the 1,500 hotel websites analyzed by Symantec had flaws that were leaking personal information in confirmation emails. This indicates a widespread issue affecting various hotels globally [84333]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be seen in the article where Symantec, a security company, found flaws on hundreds of hotel websites that were leaking sensitive information like names, phone numbers, passport numbers, and addresses in confirmation emails. This indicates a failure in the design of the websites' systems that allowed for such leaks to occur [84333].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is evident in the article where it is mentioned that about 850 hotel websites don't require authentication to view booking details, allowing anyone with the link to access personal information. This highlights a failure in the operation or misuse of the system, as the lack of authentication measures contributed to the vulnerability [84333]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident in this case is primarily within the system. The failure occurred due to flaws in the design and implementation of the hotel websites' booking confirmation systems. The URLs sent to guests contained sensitive information like names, phone numbers, passport numbers, and addresses without requiring authentication. Additionally, the URLs often included the booking number, making it easier for attackers to access personal information. The lack of proper authentication measures and the vulnerability to brute forcing were internal system issues that contributed to the failure [84333].
(b) outside_system: The software failure incident also involved factors originating from outside the system. Third-party entities such as advertisers and analytics tools embedded on the hotel websites' pages were able to access the URLs containing sensitive information. This external access introduced a significant security risk as these third parties could potentially misuse the data for malicious purposes. The presence of external entities accessing the URLs contributed to the software failure incident [84333]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
The software failure incident in this case was primarily due to flaws in the hotel websites' systems that were leaking sensitive information like names, phone numbers, passport numbers, and addresses in confirmation emails. These flaws allowed anyone with the link to view personal information without requiring authentication. Additionally, the issue of brute forcing was also highlighted, where an attacker could guess every possible combination for a reservation number due to vulnerabilities in the websites' systems [84333].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
Human actions played a role in the software failure incident as well. The article mentions that hotels were found to be vulnerable to cyberattacks due to the leaking of sensitive information on their websites. Despite being alerted to these security issues, one-fourth of the hotels ignored the warnings for more than six weeks, indicating a lack of prompt action on the part of the hotel management to address the vulnerabilities [84333]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware:
- The article mentions that Symantec found flaws on hundreds of hotel websites that were leaking sensitive information in confirmation emails [84333].
- The vulnerabilities in the hotel websites allowed for the leakage of personal information like names, phone numbers, passport numbers, and addresses [84333].
- The issue stemmed from the URL that hotels sent to guests in emails, which did not require authentication to view sensitive details, making it accessible to anyone with the link [84333].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to software:
- The vulnerabilities in the hotel websites that led to the leakage of sensitive information were due to flaws in the software systems of these websites [84333].
- The article highlights that nearly one-third of the hotel websites had the booking number in the URL itself, making it easier for attackers to access personal information [84333].
- The incident also involved the presence of third-party analytics tools and advertisers on the websites, which could access the URLs containing sensitive information, further exacerbating the security risks [84333]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article is malicious in nature. The incident involved flaws on hundreds of hotel websites that were leaking sensitive information like names, phone numbers, passport numbers, and addresses in confirmation emails. This leakage of personal data was exploited by potential attackers who could access the information for malicious purposes. The incident also highlighted vulnerabilities such as the lack of authentication on certain pages, making it easy for attackers to gather sensitive information. Additionally, the article mentions instances where the threat researcher was able to brute force his way into a hotel website to view all active reservations, indicating a deliberate attempt to exploit security weaknesses for unauthorized access [84333].
(b) The software failure incident is non-malicious in the sense that the vulnerabilities and flaws found on the hotel websites were not intentionally introduced to harm the system. These issues were likely the result of oversight or lack of proper security measures during the development and implementation of the websites. The lack of authentication on certain pages, the inclusion of booking information in URLs, and vulnerabilities to brute forcing were identified as unintentional weaknesses that exposed sensitive data to potential attackers. The article suggests that implementing authentication measures and avoiding the inclusion of booking information in URLs could help prevent such incidents in the future, indicating a non-malicious origin of the failures [84333]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions, accidental_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident related to poor_decisions:
- The software failure incident in the article was primarily due to poor decisions made by hotels in handling sensitive information in confirmation emails.
- Hotels were found to be leaking sensitive information like names, phone numbers, passport numbers, and addresses in confirmation emails due to flaws in their systems.
- About 850 hotel websites didn't require authentication to view booking details, making it easy for anyone with the link to access personal information.
- Despite being warned about security issues, one-fourth of the hotels ignored the researcher's warnings for more than six weeks, indicating a lack of proactive action to address the vulnerabilities [84333].
(b) The intent of the software failure incident related to accidental_decisions:
- The software failure incident also involved accidental decisions or oversights by hotels in terms of handling sensitive data.
- For example, the inclusion of booking information in the URL of confirmation emails was a design flaw that inadvertently exposed personal information to potential attackers.
- The vulnerability to brute forcing, where an attacker could guess reservation numbers to access sensitive data, highlights a lack of robust security measures in place to prevent such accidental exposures [84333]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the article. The flaws found on hundreds of hotel websites, leaking sensitive information in confirmation emails, can be attributed to a lack of professional competence in ensuring secure development practices [84333]. Additionally, the vulnerability to brute forcing on one hotel website, allowing unauthorized access to all active reservations, showcases a lack of robust security measures implemented during the development process, indicating development incompetence [84333].
(b) The accidental aspect of the software failure incident is also present in the article. The unintentional exposure of sensitive information, such as names, phone numbers, passport numbers, and addresses in confirmation emails due to flaws in the websites, can be considered an accidental failure [84333]. Furthermore, the inclusion of booking information in URLs without proper authentication measures can be seen as an accidental oversight rather than a deliberate action, leading to the exposure of personal data [84333]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident described in the article is more aligned with a temporary failure rather than a permanent one. The article discusses specific contributing factors that led to the failure, such as flaws in hotel websites leaking sensitive information in confirmation emails, lack of authentication requirements for viewing booking details, and vulnerability to brute forcing attacks. These factors were introduced by certain circumstances, such as the design and implementation of the websites, rather than being inherent to all circumstances. The incident can be rectified by implementing authentication measures and not including booking information in URLs, indicating that it is not a permanent failure [84333]. |
| Behaviour |
value, other |
(a) crash: The articles do not mention any specific incidents of software crashes where the system lost state and did not perform its intended functions.
(b) omission: The software failure incident described in the articles does not directly relate to the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s).
(c) timing: The articles do not discuss any failures related to the system performing its intended functions correctly but too late or too early.
(d) value: The software failure incident in the articles is related to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. Specifically, the flaw in hotel websites leaking sensitive information like names, phone numbers, passport numbers, and addresses in confirmation emails indicates a failure in maintaining the confidentiality and security of guest data [84333].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not exhibit the characteristics of a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident described in the articles can be categorized as a security vulnerability leading to data leakage. The flaw in the hotel websites allowing unauthorized access to sensitive information through URLs and lacking proper authentication measures can be considered as a failure in ensuring data security and privacy [84333]. |