| Recurring |
multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to SIM card vulnerabilities has happened again at multiple organizations. The security flaw discovered by Karsten Nohl affects SIM cards supplied by major phone networks such as AT&T, Vodafone, and Verizon [20226]. These SIM cards are used by global network operators and are supplied by firms Gemalto and Oberthur Technologies. The vulnerability is not specific to a single organization but rather affects a wide range of SIM cards used by different companies.
(b) The vulnerability in SIM cards discovered by Karsten Nohl could potentially impact a significant number of users globally, as it affects a large portion of SIM cards used around the world. The flaw could impact almost half a billion people worldwide, indicating that the issue is not limited to a single organization but rather a widespread concern across various network operators and SIM card suppliers [20226]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase is evident in the discovery of serious security flaws in SIM cards that could lead to hacking and information theft. The flaw was found by a cryptographer, Karsten Nohl, who identified a vulnerability that allows hackers to send hidden text messages to infect handsets, regardless of the phone's operating system [20226].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is highlighted by the fact that once a handset is infected, hackers can remotely access the phone to perform malicious activities such as sending premium rate text messages, stealing money and personal information, recording calls, and tracking the location of the owners. This indicates a failure in the operation or use of the affected SIM cards [20226]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident related to the SIM card hack was primarily due to contributing factors that originated from within the system. The flaw discovered by Karsten Nohl allowed hackers to send hidden text messages to infect handsets with a virus, regardless of the phone's operating system [20226].
(b) outside_system: The vulnerability of SIM cards to the hack was also influenced by factors outside the system. For example, the flaw affected SIM cards that used an older form of encryption software based on the Digital Encryption Standard (DES) [20226]. Additionally, the distribution of vulnerable SIM cards varied from country to country, indicating external factors such as regional differences in card distribution could impact the susceptibility to the hack [20226]. |
| 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 serious security flaws in the SIM cards themselves. The flaw allowed hackers to send hidden text messages to infect handsets with a virus, regardless of the phone's operating system. This vulnerability was related to the older form of encryption software based on the Digital Encryption Standard (DES) used in the affected SIM cards [20226].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
The vulnerability in the SIM cards that led to the software failure incident was discovered by a German security expert, Karsten Nohl. Nohl conducted extensive research and testing on SIM cards from major phone networks, identifying the flaw that could be exploited by hackers to remotely access phones, send premium rate text messages, steal money, record calls, and track locations. Additionally, Nohl bypassed the security method of Java Card by sending commands that caused the software to malfunction, leaving the memory of handsets open to hackers [20226]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware:
- The SIM card hack discovered by Karsten Nohl was a result of a serious security flaw in the SIM cards themselves, making them vulnerable to attacks [20226].
- The vulnerability in the SIM cards allowed hackers to remotely access the phones, send premium rate text messages, steal money, record calls, and track locations [20226].
- The flaw affected SIM cards that used an older form of encryption software based on the Digital Encryption Standard (DES) [20226].
- The flaw also involved hacking the Java Card, a security method that isolates individual apps to prevent them from communicating with each other or sharing personal data [20226].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to software:
- The flaw in the SIM cards and Java Card allowed hackers to send hidden text messages, infect handsets with viruses, and remotely control the SIM cards [20226].
- The vulnerability in the SIM cards was exploited by sending malicious codes and infecting the cards with viruses, indicating a software-related failure [20226].
- Nohl bypassed the security measures of the Java Card by sending commands that caused it to malfunction, leaving the memory of the handset open to hackers [20226]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious, non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident in this case is malicious. The flaw discovered by Karsten Nohl allowed hackers to remotely access phones by sending infected text messages, leading to potential theft of money, personal information, recording calls, and tracking locations [20226]. Additionally, the flaw could be used for payment fraud and tracking users' spending habits when using Near Field Communication (NFC) technology [20226].
(b) The software failure incident is non-malicious in the sense that it was a security flaw in the SIM cards' encryption software based on the Digital Encryption Standard (DES) that made them vulnerable to attacks [20226]. This vulnerability was not intentionally introduced to harm the system but was a result of the encryption method used in the SIM cards. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions, accidental_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to the SIM card hack was primarily due to poor decisions made in the design and implementation of the encryption software used in the SIM cards. The flaw was related to the use of an older form of encryption software based on the Digital Encryption Standard (DES) which made the SIM cards vulnerable to attack [20226].
(b) Additionally, the incident also involved accidental decisions or unintended consequences as the flaw allowed hackers to remotely access the phones by sending infected text messages, leading to potential theft of money, personal information, recording calls, and tracking locations. This unintended consequence was a result of the security vulnerability in the SIM cards that was exploited by hackers [20226]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in the articles can be attributed to development incompetence. The flaw in the SIM cards that allowed hackers to remotely access phones, send premium rate text messages, steal money, record calls, and track locations was due to a serious security flaw discovered by a German security expert, Karsten Nohl [20226].
(b) The software failure incident can also be considered accidental as the vulnerability in the SIM cards was not intentionally created but rather discovered as a result of more than a decade of research and testing on SIM cards used by major phone networks [20226]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident related to the SIM card hack discovered by cryptographer Karsten Nohl can be considered as a temporary failure. This is because the vulnerability was due to specific contributing factors introduced by certain circumstances, such as the flaw in the older form of encryption software based on the Digital Encryption Standard (DES) used in some SIM cards [20226]. Additionally, the vulnerability was not inherent to all SIM cards but rather affected a subset of them, making it a temporary failure that could be addressed by updating the encryption standards used in the affected cards. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, value, byzantine, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the articles can be associated with a crash behavior. The flaw discovered by Karsten Nohl allowed hackers to remotely access the phone, send premium rate text messages, steal money and personal information, record calls, and track locations once a handset was infected [20226].
(b) omission: The software failure incident can also be linked to an omission behavior. The flaw in the SIM cards allowed hackers to send hidden text messages to infect handsets with a virus, enabling them to perform unauthorized actions such as stealing money, recording calls, and tracking locations [20226].
(c) timing: The timing behavior is not explicitly mentioned in the articles regarding the software failure incident related to the SIM card hack.
(d) value: The software failure incident can be associated with a value behavior. The flaw in the SIM cards allowed hackers to perform actions such as sending premium rate text messages, stealing money and personal information, and tracking locations, which are incorrect and unauthorized functions [20226].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident can be linked to a byzantine behavior. The flaw in the SIM cards allowed hackers to remotely access the phone, send malicious codes, and infect the card with a virus, leading to inconsistent responses and interactions with the affected handsets [20226].
(f) other: The software failure incident can also be associated with other behaviors such as unauthorized access, data breach, and security compromise due to the vulnerability in the SIM cards that enabled hackers to exploit the encryption software and gain control over the affected devices [20226]. |