Incident: Capital One Data Breach: AWS Misconfiguration Leads to Massive Data Theft

Published Date: 2019-07-29

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident involving the Capital One data breach occurred in March 2019 [Article 86831]. 2. The incident was disclosed in July 2019 [Article 86831]. 3. Therefore, the estimated timeline for the software failure incident would be March 2019.
System 1. Capital One's misconfigured firewall at the application layer [91949] 2. AWS cloud server hosting Capital One's data [91949] 3. Permissions set by Capital One that were broader than intended [91949]
Responsible Organization 1. Paige Thompson, the former Amazon Web Services (AWS) systems engineer, who exploited a misconfigured firewall at Capital One, leading to the data breach [86831, 91949] 2. Capital One, for the misconfigured firewall and permissions that allowed the breach to occur [86831, 91949]
Impacted Organization 1. Capital One [129067, 87204, 129085, 87196, 103610, 87161, 87181, 87197, 86831] 2. Amazon [91949]
Software Causes 1. The software failure incident at Capital One was caused by a misconfigured firewall at the application layer installed by Capital One, exacerbated by permissions set by Capital One that were broader than intended [91949]. 2. The hacker, a former Amazon Web Services (AWS) systems engineer, exploited the misconfigured firewall to gain unauthorized access to Capital One's data [91949]. 3. The hacker used a popular hacking technique known as Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) to steal data from Capital One's cloud server [91949].
Non-software Causes 1. Misconfigured firewall at Capital One's end, exacerbated by permissions set by Capital One that were broader than intended [91949] 2. Lack of proper risk management by Capital One when migrating information technology operations to a cloud-based service in 2015 [103610]
Impacts 1. Personal information of more than 100 million Capital One customers was compromised, including Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, credit scores, and other personal details [Article 87181, Article 86831]. 2. Capital One incurred costs estimated between $100 million and $150 million due to the hack, including customer notifications, credit monitoring, tech costs, and legal support [Article 87197]. 3. The breach led to a significant drop in Capital One's stock price, with a 5% decrease in premarket trading [Article 87197]. 4. The hack raised concerns about data security practices at Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud hosting company used by Capital One, leading to calls for an investigation by lawmakers [Article 91949].
Preventions 1. Properly configured firewalls and security measures by Capital One could have prevented the breach [86831]. 2. Implementing stricter permissions and access controls on the cloud server by Capital One could have limited the extent of the breach [91949]. 3. Timely detection and response to the vulnerability by Capital One could have minimized the impact of the breach [86831]. 4. Enhanced security measures and protections by Amazon Web Services (AWS) could have potentially prevented the breach [91949].
Fixes 1. Proper risk management and security protocols should be established to prevent vulnerabilities and unauthorized access to sensitive data [103610]. 2. Companies should regularly review and address misconfigurations in their systems, especially when using cloud-based services [86831]. 3. Enhanced security measures, such as default protections and continuous monitoring, should be implemented to safeguard against potential breaches [91949].
References 1. Article 129067 gathers information from the Justice Department, court records, legal filings, and statements made by lawyers and prosecutors. 2. Article 87204 gathers information from Capital One's official statements, FBI reports, court documents, and statements made by the CEO of Capital One. 3. Article 129085 gathers information from court records, criminal complaints, statements made by attorneys representing Paige Thompson, and details from the criminal trial. 4. Article 103610 gathers information from the U.S. Treasury Department, the Comptroller of the Currency, and Capital One's official statements. 5. Article 103469 gathers information from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Reserve, and Capital One's official statements. 6. Article 87196 gathers information from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Reserve, and Capital One's official statements. 7. Article 87161 gathers information from Capital One's official statements, experts in consumer finance, and cybersecurity experts. 8. Article 87181 gathers information from Capital One's official statements, the FBI, court documents, and statements made by the CEO of Capital One. 9. Article 87197 gathers information from the criminal complaint filed in federal court, the FBI, court documents, and statements made by Capital One. 10. Article 86831 gathers information from the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, statements made by Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden, and Amazon's response letter. 11. Article 91949 gathers information from Amazon's Chief Information Security Officer, Steve Schmidt, letters sent to Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden, and statements made by the senators.

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring one_organization, multiple_organization (a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization: - The Capital One data breach incident in which a hacker gained access to more than 100 million customers' accounts and credit card applications was linked to a misconfigured firewall at Capital One, not due to any security vulnerabilities from Amazon Web Services (AWS) where the server was hosted [Article 86831]. - Amazon pushed back against lawmakers' concerns over security negligence, stating that the breach occurred due to a misconfiguration error at the application layer of a firewall installed by Capital One, exacerbated by permissions set by Capital One that were broader than intended [Article 91949]. (b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization: - The Equifax data breach in 2017 was mentioned in relation to the Capital One breach, highlighting the trend of major data breaches affecting financial services firms [Article 87161]. - The Equifax settlement over its data breach was referenced in the context of the Capital One incident, showcasing the recurring nature of significant data breaches in the industry [Article 87197].
Phase (Design/Operation) design, operation (a) In the Capital One data breach incident, the failure occurred due to a misconfiguration error at the application layer of a firewall installed by Capital One, exacerbated by permissions set by Capital One that were likely broader than intended. This misconfiguration at the design phase contributed to the breach [Article 91949]. (b) The breach was also a result of a hacker gaining access to personal information by exploiting a misconfigured web application firewall, which was an issue related to the operation of the system [Article 86831].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system, outside_system (a) within_system: - The software failure incident involving the Capital One data breach was primarily due to a misconfiguration error at the application layer of a firewall installed by Capital One, exacerbated by permissions set by Capital One that were broader than intended [Article 91949]. - The breach occurred due to a vulnerability in Capital One's system, not due to any security vulnerabilities from Amazon Web Services (AWS) where the server was hosted [Article 91949]. - The hacker exploited a misconfigured web application firewall to gain access to the data, indicating an internal system vulnerability [Article 86831]. (b) outside_system: - The breach involved a hacker gaining access to Capital One's server hosted by Amazon Web Services (AWS), indicating an external threat actor [Article 91949]. - The breach was caused by a former Amazon Web Services (AWS) systems engineer who took advantage of Capital One's misconfigured firewall, suggesting an external actor exploiting internal vulnerabilities [Article 86831].
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions, human_actions (a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions: - The Capital One breach allegedly involved a former Amazon Web Services (AWS) systems engineer who took advantage of a misconfigured firewall at Capital One's end, not due to any security vulnerabilities from Amazon [Article 91949]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions: - Paige Thompson, a former AWS employee, exploited a misconfigured web application firewall at Capital One to gain access to customer data [Article 86831]. - Thompson posted the stolen information on GitHub using her full name, boasted about having Capital One data on social media, and made little effort to disguise her identity [Article 87197].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) software (a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware: - There is no specific mention in the provided articles about the software failure incident occurring due to contributing factors originating in hardware. Hence, there is no information available to support this option. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to software: - The software failure incident involving the Capital One data breach was primarily due to contributing factors originating in software. The breach occurred because of a misconfigured firewall at the application layer of a firewall installed by Capital One, exacerbated by permissions set by Capital One that were broader than intended [Article 91949]. - The breach was facilitated by a former Amazon Web Services (AWS) systems engineer who exploited the misconfigured firewall of Capital One, indicating a software-related vulnerability [Article 91949]. - The breach involved the hacker gaining access to Capital One's server and stealing data, showcasing a software-related security issue [Article 86831]. - The breach was attributed to an issue with Capital One's misconfigured firewall, not any security vulnerabilities from Amazon, emphasizing a software-related contributing factor [Article 91949].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) malicious, non-malicious (a) malicious: - The software failure incident involving the Capital One data breach was malicious in nature. The breach was caused by a hacker, Paige Thompson, who exploited a misconfigured firewall on a Capital One server hosted by Amazon Web Services (AWS) to steal millions of customers' data [Article 91949]. - Paige Thompson, the hacker, intentionally accessed and stole personal information, including Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, and credit card applications, from Capital One's systems [Article 87197]. - Thompson posted the stolen information on GitHub and boasted about her actions on social media, indicating malicious intent to distribute the data [Article 87197]. - The breach was a result of Thompson's deliberate actions to access and exfiltrate sensitive data from Capital One's server, showcasing malicious behavior [Article 86831]. (b) non-malicious: - The software failure incident was non-malicious in the sense that it was caused by a misconfigured firewall on a Capital One server, which was a contributing factor to the breach [Article 91949]. - Amazon Web Services (AWS) defended itself by stating that the breach occurred due to a misconfiguration error at the application layer of a firewall installed by Capital One, suggesting a non-malicious origin of the vulnerability [Article 91949]. - While the breach itself was malicious, the initial vulnerability that allowed the breach to occur was attributed to a misconfiguration issue, indicating a non-malicious root cause [Article 91949].
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) unknown (a) The intent of the software failure incident: - The Capital One data breach incident was not due to poor decisions but rather intentional actions by the hacker, Paige Thompson, who exploited a misconfigured firewall to gain unauthorized access to Capital One's data [86831]. - Thompson intentionally accessed the data and stole information, including credit card applications, Social Security numbers, and bank account numbers, with the intent to distribute the stolen data [87197]. - Thompson posted about the hack online, shared information on GitHub, and made statements indicating her awareness of acting illegally [87197]. - The breach was attributed to a misconfiguration error at the application layer of a firewall installed by Capital One, exacerbated by permissions set by Capital One that were broader than intended [91949]. (b) The intent of the software failure incident: - The breach was not accidental but a deliberate act by the hacker, as evidenced by Thompson's online posts and actions to steal and potentially distribute the stolen data [86831, 87197]. - Thompson's actions were intentional, and she boasted about having Capital One information online, indicating a purposeful breach rather than an accidental one [86831, 87197].
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) development_incompetence, accidental (a) The software failure incident occurring due to development_incompetence: - The Capital One data breach occurred due to a misconfiguration error at the application layer of a firewall installed by Capital One, exacerbated by permissions set by Capital One that were likely broader than intended [Article 91949]. - The breach was attributed to a vulnerability in Capital One's system, not due to any security vulnerabilities from Amazon, the hosting provider [Article 91949]. (b) The software failure incident occurring accidentally: - The Capital One breach was due to a misconfigured web application firewall, which was exploited by the hacker [Article 86831]. - The hacker gained access to the data by exploiting a misconfigured firewall on a Capital One server hosted by Amazon Web Services [Article 86831].
Duration temporary The software failure incident related to the Capital One data breach can be considered temporary. The breach occurred due to a misconfigured firewall at the application layer of a firewall installed by Capital One, exacerbated by permissions set by Capital One that were broader than intended [Article 91949]. The breach was a result of specific contributing factors introduced by the misconfiguration and permissions set by Capital One, rather than a permanent failure due to all circumstances.
Behaviour omission, value, other (a) crash: The software failure incident did not involve a crash as the system did not lose its state and stop performing its intended functions abruptly. [Article 129067, Article 87204, Article 129085, Article 103610, Article 103469, Article 87161, Article 87181, Article 87197, Article 86831] (b) omission: The software failure incident did involve omission as the system omitted to protect customer data, leading to unauthorized access and theft of sensitive information. [Article 129067, Article 87204, Article 129085, Article 103610, Article 103469, Article 87161, Article 87181, Article 87197, Article 86831] (c) timing: The software failure incident did not involve timing issues where the system performed its intended functions but at incorrect times. [Article 129067, Article 87204, Article 129085, Article 103610, Article 103469, Article 87161, Article 87181, Article 87197, Article 86831] (d) value: The software failure incident did involve a failure in terms of value as the system allowed unauthorized access to sensitive customer data, leading to the theft of information such as Social Security numbers and bank account numbers. [Article 129067, Article 87204, Article 129085, Article 103610, Article 103469, Article 87161, Article 87181, Article 87197, Article 86831] (e) byzantine: The software failure incident did not exhibit a byzantine behavior where the system behaved erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. [Article 129067, Article 87204, Article 129085, Article 103610, Article 103469, Article 87161, Article 87181, Article 87197, Article 86831] (f) other: The software failure incident involved a security breach due to a misconfigured firewall, leading to unauthorized access to customer data. The incident also included the hacker boasting about the breach online and sharing information on platforms like GitHub and Slack. [Article 129067, Article 87204, Article 129085, Article 103610, Article 103469, Article 87161, Article 87181, Article 87197, Article 86831]

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception None None
Communication None None
Application None None

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence property, theoretical_consequence (d) property [129067, 87204, 129085, 103610, 103469, 87161, 87181, 87197, 86831] - The software failure incident involving the Capital One data breach resulted in the theft of personal information, including Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, credit scores, and other sensitive data of millions of customers. This breach led to financial harm and potential fraud for the affected individuals. Additionally, Capital One incurred significant costs related to customer notifications, credit monitoring, technology expenses, and legal support due to the hack.
Domain finance (a) The failed system was intended to support the finance industry. The software failure incident involved a hacker gaining access to more than 100 million Capital One customers' accounts and credit card applications [Article 86831]. The breach affected around 100 million people in the United States and about 6 million people in Canada, according to Capital One [Article 86831]. (h) The software failure incident was related to the finance industry. The breach at Capital One involved a hacker gaining access to more than 100 million Capital One customers' accounts and credit card applications [Article 86831]. The breach affected around 100 million people in the United States and about 6 million people in Canada, according to Capital One [Article 86831].

Sources

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