| Recurring |
multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to XKCD's user forum being shut down due to a security breach is not explicitly mentioned to have happened again within the same organization in the provided article [89533].
(b) The article mentions that 58% of the email addresses affected in the breach were already listed on Have I Been Pwned for previous, unrelated breaches, indicating that similar incidents have happened before at other organizations or with their products and services [89533]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in the XKCD forum shutdown was primarily due to a security breach that exposed members' data. The breach was attributed to a failure in the design phase, where the system's security measures were compromised, leading to the theft of usernames, email addresses, hashed passwords, and IP addresses [89533].
(b) Additionally, the incident could also be linked to factors introduced during the operation phase, as the breach was discovered after the system was already in operation, and users' data was being exposed. The misuse of the system by unauthorized individuals could have contributed to the security breach [89533]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) The software failure incident in the XKCD forum shutdown was within the system. The incident was a security breach that exposed members' data, including usernames, email addresses, hashed passwords, and IP addresses. The breach was detected internally by administrators who then took the forums offline to ensure security [89533]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in the XKCD forum shutdown was due to a security breach that exposed members' data. The breach resulted in the theft of nearly 562,000 usernames, email addresses, hashed passwords, and some IP addresses. This breach was identified by security researcher Troy Hunt, who added XKCD to the list of compromised sites at Have I Been Pwned [89533].
(b) Human actions were also involved in the software failure incident as the forum administrators took the forums offline to review and enhance security measures. They advised users to change their passwords for other accounts if they used the same or similar passwords on the XKCD forum. Additionally, XKCD did not immediately respond to requests for comments, indicating a delay in human response to the incident [89533]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident reported in Article 89533 was primarily due to a security breach that exposed members' data on the XKCD user forum. This breach was a result of a failure in the security measures, which can be considered a contributing factor originating in the software system itself. The breach led to the theft of usernames, email addresses, hashed passwords, and IP addresses, indicating a vulnerability in the software's security protocols [89533].
(b) The software failure incident in Article 89533 was not explicitly attributed to hardware issues. The focus of the incident was on the security breach and the exposure of user data, indicating that the root cause of the failure was related to software vulnerabilities rather than hardware issues. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was malicious. The incident involved a security breach on the XKCD user forum where nearly 562,000 usernames, email addresses, hashed passwords, and some IP addresses were stolen by unauthorized individuals [89533]. The breach was identified by a security researcher, and the forum administrators took the forums offline to investigate and ensure security. Additionally, the breach was confirmed to have occurred on a specific date, indicating a deliberate act to compromise the system's security. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to the XKCD user forum being shut down due to a security breach can be attributed to poor decisions. The incident occurred after administrators were alerted to a security breach that exposed members' data, including usernames, email addresses, hashed passwords, and IP addresses. The breach led to the compromise of nearly 562,000 user accounts. Additionally, the breach was pinpointed to have occurred on July 1, indicating a lapse in security measures that allowed unauthorized access to sensitive information [89533]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in the XKCD forum shutdown was primarily due to development incompetence. The incident was a result of a security breach that exposed members' data, including usernames, email addresses, hashed passwords, and IP addresses. This breach was attributed to a lack of professional competence in ensuring the security of the forum's systems, leading to the unauthorized access and theft of sensitive information [89533].
(b) Additionally, the incident could also be categorized as accidental, as the exposure of user data was not intentional but rather a consequence of the security breach that occurred on July 1. The breach was not a deliberate act but rather an unintended consequence of vulnerabilities in the forum's security measures, highlighting accidental factors contributing to the software failure incident [89533]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident reported in Article 89533 was temporary. The XKCD user forum was shut down after administrators were alerted to a security breach that exposed members' data. The forums were taken offline to ensure security and were still offline at the time of publication, indicating a temporary shutdown [89533]. |
| Behaviour |
crash, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the XKCD forum case can be categorized as a crash. The forum was shut down after administrators discovered a security breach that exposed members' data, leading to the system losing its state and not performing its intended functions [89533].
(b) omission: There is no specific mention of the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s) in the provided article.
(c) timing: The incident does not indicate that the system performed its intended functions correctly but too late or too early.
(d) value: The software failure incident does not involve the system performing its intended functions incorrectly.
(e) byzantine: The article does not mention the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident in this case is primarily characterized as a security breach leading to a shutdown of the forum to ensure data security, which is not explicitly covered by the options provided. |