| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
a) The software failure incident has happened again at ZTE. The vulnerabilities affecting the 4G hotspots from ZTE were not fully fixed, even after an advisory was released in February. The company only provided fixes for some of the affected devices and did not issue a fix for all vulnerable models. Additionally, the discontinued models with vulnerabilities are still listed on some of ZTE's websites, indicating that the issue persists within the organization [88634].
b) The software failure incident may have implications for other organizations using similar code or products. The researcher who discovered the vulnerabilities in ZTE's hotspots mentioned that since many of ZTE's devices share the same code, they could share the same vulnerabilities unless patched. This suggests that other organizations using similar code or products may also be at risk of similar security flaws if they have not addressed these vulnerabilities proactively [88634]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in the article can be attributed to the design phase. Security researchers discovered vulnerabilities affecting ZTE's 4G hotspots due to flaws in the design of the devices. The vulnerabilities allowed hackers to redirect traffic to malicious websites, obtain passwords easily, and conduct further hacks on connected devices. ZTE released an advisory for some products but did not issue fixes for all affected devices, indicating a failure in addressing the design flaws introduced during the development of the hotspots [88634].
(b) The software failure incident can also be linked to the operation phase. The vulnerabilities in the ZTE hotspots could be exploited by attackers when victims visited malicious websites using the hotspots. This indicates that the failure was also influenced by the operation or misuse of the system, as users unknowingly exposed themselves to potential attacks by using the compromised hotspots [88634]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident in the ZTE 4G hotspots was primarily due to vulnerabilities and security flaws within the system itself. Security researchers discovered that the hotspots were disclosing passwords when a website's code requested it, indicating a lack of proper security measures within the device [Article 88634].
(b) outside_system: The software failure incident was also influenced by factors outside the system, such as the potential hacker who could exploit the vulnerabilities in the ZTE hotspots. The attacker needed the victim to visit a malicious website using the hotspot to carry out the hack, which indicates an external threat exploiting the internal vulnerabilities [Article 88634]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in this case is primarily due to non-human actions, specifically vulnerabilities in the ZTE 4G hotspots that were discovered by security researchers [88634]. These vulnerabilities allowed potential hackers to redirect traffic from the hotspots to malicious websites without any direct human involvement in the exploitation of these flaws.
(b) However, human actions also played a role in this software failure incident. The response of the Chinese phone company, ZTE, to the disclosure of these vulnerabilities by security researchers was a contributing factor. The company did not provide fixes for all affected devices, only issuing an advisory for some discontinued models and not actively seeking to address the vulnerabilities in other potentially affected products [88634]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident in the article is primarily related to hardware vulnerabilities in ZTE's 4G hotspots. Security researchers discovered vulnerabilities that allowed hackers to exploit the hardware devices, such as redirecting traffic to malicious websites and obtaining passwords from the hotspots. The vulnerabilities were described as originating from the hardware itself, as the devices were disclosing passwords when requested by a website's code, indicating a hardware-related flaw [88634].
(b) Additionally, the software failure incident also involves software-related issues. The vulnerabilities in the ZTE hotspots were due to security flaws in the software code running on the devices. The software vulnerabilities allowed attackers to exploit the hotspots, redirect web traffic, and potentially compromise users' sensitive information. The lack of proper security measures in the software code made it easy for hackers to carry out attacks, indicating a software-related failure [88634]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident in the article is malicious in nature. Security researchers discovered vulnerabilities in ZTE's 4G hotspots that could be exploited by potential hackers to redirect traffic to malicious websites, steal passwords, log web activity, attack connected devices, and conduct phishing attacks [Article 88634]. The vulnerabilities were described as simple to exploit, and the company did not provide fixes for all affected devices, leaving users at risk of being targeted by malicious actors. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions, accidental_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to the ZTE 4G hotspots can be attributed to poor decisions made by the company. Despite the security vulnerabilities being disclosed and the potential risks highlighted by security researchers, ZTE only provided fixes for some of the affected devices and did not issue a fix for all vulnerable products. The company's response to the disclosure was criticized for not being proactive in addressing the security flaws and for not taking necessary steps to ensure the safety of its users' data and devices [88634].
(b) Additionally, the incident can also be linked to accidental decisions or unintended consequences. The vulnerabilities in the ZTE hotspots were described as simple to exploit, with an attacker only needing the victim to visit a malicious website using one of ZTE's hotspots. This unintentional exposure of device passwords and lack of adequate security measures allowed for potential malicious activities such as redirecting web traffic to harmful websites and compromising users' sensitive information [88634]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in the article can be attributed to development incompetence. Security researchers discovered vulnerabilities in ZTE's 4G hotspots that allowed potential hackers to redirect traffic to malicious websites. The vulnerabilities were described as simple to exploit, with one researcher noting that the hotspots had almost no security on them. ZTE released an advisory for some products but did not issue fixes for all affected devices, indicating a lack of proactive bug-fixing efforts [88634].
(b) The software failure incident can also be considered accidental as the vulnerabilities in the ZTE hotspots were not intentional but rather introduced accidentally due to poor security practices. The disclosure of the vulnerabilities at the Defcon conference highlighted how easily these flaws could be exploited by attackers, indicating that the issues were not deliberately designed into the software but were oversights or mistakes in the development process [88634]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident described in the article is more likely to be temporary rather than permanent. This is evident from the fact that the vulnerabilities affecting the ZTE 4G hotspots were discovered by security researchers, and ZTE did release an advisory for some of the affected products, indicating an acknowledgment of the issue and an attempt to address it. However, the fix provided by ZTE was limited to specific models, and the discontinued models with vulnerabilities are still listed on the company's website, suggesting that the issue persists to some extent [Article 88634]. |
| Behaviour |
value |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the article does not involve a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. The vulnerabilities discovered in ZTE's 4G hotspots did not lead to a complete system failure but rather allowed potential hackers to exploit the devices for malicious purposes [88634].
(b) omission: The software failure incident does not involve a failure due to the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). Instead, the vulnerabilities in the ZTE hotspots allowed attackers to redirect traffic, intercept data, and potentially manipulate users into visiting malicious websites, indicating a breach in security rather than an omission of functions [88634].
(c) timing: The software failure incident is not related to a failure due to the system performing its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. The vulnerabilities in the ZTE hotspots did not involve timing issues but rather security flaws that could be exploited by attackers to redirect web traffic and steal sensitive information [88634].
(d) value: The software failure incident does involve a failure due to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The vulnerabilities in the ZTE hotspots allowed attackers to obtain passwords, redirect web traffic, and potentially lead users to fake websites to steal their financial information, indicating a failure in the correct operation of the system [88634].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not involve a failure due to the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The vulnerabilities in the ZTE hotspots were consistent in their exploitation potential, allowing attackers to carry out various malicious activities once they gained access to the device's password [88634].
(f) other: The software failure incident involves a failure where the system behaved in a way not described in the options (a to e). The ZTE hotspots exhibited vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers to redirect traffic, intercept data, and potentially lead users to fake websites for malicious purposes, indicating a significant security flaw in the system [88634]. |