| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Cisco flaw has happened again within the same organization. The article mentions that security researchers discovered serious vulnerabilities affecting dozens of Cisco devices, allowing hackers to deceive the hardware that checks software updates' legitimacy. This incident specifically targeted the Trust Anchor on one Cisco router, indicating an internal software failure within Cisco products [84810].
(b) The software failure incident has also affected multiple organizations. The vulnerability in Cisco devices could potentially put emails sent within organizations at risk if they use compromised routers. Since Cisco products are widely used across various organizations, the impact of this software failure could extend beyond just one company, affecting multiple organizations that rely on Cisco hardware for their network infrastructure [84810]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in the article is related to the design phase. The vulnerability affecting Cisco devices was due to flaws that allowed hackers to deceive the part of the product hardware that checks whether software updates come from legitimate sources. This design flaw could potentially put emails sent within an organization at risk as compromised routers may be used for internal communications [84810].
(b) The software failure incident in the article is also related to the operation phase. The article mentions that security experts believe the vulnerability could cause a major headache for Cisco, as it is unclear how many devices could have been affected, and it's unlikely Cisco can determine the extent of the impact. Additionally, the article highlights that regular users may not be able to check whether their device has been hacked or secure a compromised device, indicating operational challenges in detecting and mitigating the issue [84810]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident reported in the articles is primarily within the system. The vulnerability affecting Cisco devices was due to flaws that allowed hackers to deceive the part of the product hardware responsible for checking software updates from legitimate sources. This vulnerability was exploited by targeting and making changes to a piece of hardware called the Trust Anchor on a Cisco router, allowing arbitrary changes to be made while still reporting the device as trustworthy. The incident highlights a critical security flaw within the design of Cisco products, indicating that the failure originated from within the system itself [84810].
(b) outside_system: The software failure incident does not indicate any contributing factors originating from outside the system. The vulnerabilities and flaws discovered in Cisco devices were exploited by hackers within the system, indicating that the failure was primarily due to factors within the system itself [84810]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in Article 84810 was primarily due to non-human actions. Security researchers discovered serious vulnerabilities in Cisco devices that allowed hackers to deceive the hardware responsible for checking software updates' legitimacy. This flaw could potentially put emails sent within an organization at risk as compromised routers may be used. The vulnerability was exploited by targeting and making changes to a piece of hardware called the Trust Anchor on a Cisco router, demonstrating the ability to disable it quietly and persistently, allowing arbitrary changes to the router without detection [84810].
(b) The article does not provide specific information about the software failure incident being caused by human actions. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident in the provided article is related to hardware. The vulnerability discovered by Red Balloon Security researchers allowed them to target and make changes to a piece of hardware called the Trust Anchor on a Cisco router. This vulnerability enabled them to disable the Trust Anchor, which is a hardware component, and make arbitrary changes to the router while still reporting the device as trustworthy. This hardware vulnerability could potentially affect numerous Cisco devices, leading to concerns about the security of emails sent within organizations [84810].
(b) The software failure incident also involves software issues as Cisco is working on "software fixes" for all affected hardware. The flaw in the software allows hackers to deceive the hardware component responsible for checking the legitimacy of software updates. The need for software fixes indicates that the software itself has vulnerabilities that need to be addressed to mitigate the risks posed by the hardware vulnerability exploited by the hackers [84810]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in Article 84810 is malicious in nature. Security researchers discovered serious vulnerabilities in Cisco devices that allow hackers to deceive the hardware responsible for checking software updates from legitimate sources. The vulnerability was exploited to target and disable the Trust Anchor on a Cisco router, enabling arbitrary changes to be made to the device without detection. This malicious activity could potentially compromise the security of emails sent within organizations using the affected routers, posing a significant risk. The incident highlights the intentional actions of hackers to exploit software vulnerabilities for harmful purposes [84810].
(b) The software failure incident in Article 84810 does not involve non-malicious factors. The vulnerabilities identified in Cisco devices were exploited by hackers to manipulate the Trust Anchor and compromise the security of the routers. The incident does not stem from unintentional errors, faults, or defects in the software but rather from deliberate actions aimed at undermining the security and integrity of the affected devices. Therefore, the failure incident is primarily characterized by malicious intent rather than non-malicious contributing factors [84810]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident described in the articles seems to be related to poor decisions. Security experts and researchers highlighted that the vulnerability affecting Cisco devices was due to a questionable design decision by Cisco. Specifically, the flaw allowed hackers to deceive the hardware responsible for checking software updates' legitimacy, potentially compromising the security of emails within organizations. Additionally, experts pointed out that most companies typically use hardware with critical security functions in a "read only" configuration to prevent such vulnerabilities, indicating a poor decision on Cisco's part not to implement this measure [84810]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident in Article 84810 can be attributed to development incompetence. The vulnerability affecting Cisco devices was due to a flaw that allowed hackers to deceive the part of the product hardware responsible for checking software updates from legitimate sources. This flaw was exploited by security researchers to target and make changes to a piece of hardware called the Trust Anchor on a Cisco router. The fact that such a critical security function could be altered in Cisco's products raised concerns about the design decisions made by the company and the potential impact on device security [84810].
(b) The software failure incident in Article 84810 does not seem to be related to an accidental factor. The vulnerability exploited by the security researchers was a result of a deliberate flaw in the hardware design that allowed for unauthorized changes to be made to the Trust Anchor on Cisco routers. The incident was not described as accidental but rather as a serious vulnerability that could have significant implications for device security [84810]. |
| Duration |
permanent |
The software failure incident described in the article [84810] seems to fall under the category of a permanent failure. The vulnerability discovered in Cisco devices allows hackers to deceive the hardware responsible for checking software updates, potentially compromising the security of emails sent within organizations. The article mentions that the Trust Anchor on Cisco routers can be disabled persistently, allowing for arbitrary changes to be made to the device without detection. This indicates a fundamental flaw in the design of the hardware that could have long-lasting implications, as fixing the issue requires on-premise reprogramming of the affected hardware, suggesting a permanent impact on the affected devices. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the article can be related to a crash behavior. The vulnerability discovered in Cisco devices allowed hackers to deceive the part of the product hardware that checks whether software updates come from legitimate sources, leading to the Trust Anchor being disabled on a Cisco router, which is a critical security function. This crash behavior resulted in the system losing its state and not performing its intended functions properly [84810].
(b) omission: The software failure incident can also be associated with an omission behavior. The vulnerability in the Cisco devices allowed hackers to make changes to the Trust Anchor on a router, which could lead to the system omitting to perform its intended security functions, potentially putting emails sent within an organization at risk [84810].
(c) timing: The timing behavior is not explicitly mentioned in the article.
(d) value: The software failure incident can be linked to a value behavior. The vulnerability in the Cisco devices allowed hackers to alter the Trust Anchor on a router, causing the system to perform its security functions incorrectly by reporting the device as trustworthy even after unauthorized changes had been made. This incorrect behavior could compromise the security of the devices [84810].
(e) byzantine: The byzantine behavior is not explicitly mentioned in the article.
(f) other: The software failure incident can be associated with another behavior, which is a questionable design decision by Cisco. Security experts mentioned that most companies use hardware where critical security functions exist in a "read only" configuration, meaning that the code in the chip cannot be altered once manufactured. However, Cisco's design decision not to implement this read-only configuration raised concerns and was considered a questionable design choice that contributed to the vulnerability [84810]. |