| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to the GPS issue affecting iPhone 5 and older devices has happened again within the same organization, Apple. This incident occurred due to a GPS rollover issue that affected GPS-enabled products from various manufacturers on April 6, 2019. Apple had to push out bug fixes for this issue, which were applied to Apple software iOS 10.3.4 and iOS 9.3.6 and later. Users of older Apple devices were warned to update their software to avoid serious problems related to GPS services and accurate date and time functionalities [90942, 90959].
(b) The software failure incident related to the GPS issue affecting iPhone 5 and older devices has also happened at other organizations or with their products and services. The GPS rollover issue that affected Apple devices also impacted GPS-enabled products from other manufacturers on April 6, 2019. This indicates that the issue was not exclusive to Apple devices but affected a broader range of products from different manufacturers [90942]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in the articles is primarily related to the design phase. The issue stemmed from a GPS problem that occurs once every 19 years, causing some devices to lose track of time. Apple had to push out bug fixes in the form of software updates (iOS 10.3.4 and iOS 9.3.6) to address this issue. Users were warned to update their software to prevent losing access to internet services like web browsing, emails, App Store, iCloud, and maps [90959, 90942].
(b) The software failure incident also has elements related to the operation phase. Users who did not update their software before the specified deadline risked losing access to internet services on their devices. The failure was exacerbated by the operation or lack of operation on the part of users to update their software in a timely manner to ensure the correct functioning of the system [90959, 90942]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
The software failure incident related to the iPhone 5 and older Apple devices losing internet access due to the GPS time rollover issue can be categorized as both within_system and outside_system failure:
(a) within_system: The failure is within the system as it is caused by a GPS issue that affects the correct date and time functions, including App Store, iCloud, email, and web browsing, which are integral parts of the device's software functionality [90959, 90942].
(b) outside_system: The failure is also influenced by factors outside the system, specifically the GPS time rollover issue that affects GPS-enabled products from various manufacturers, including Apple devices. This issue originates from the GPS system itself, which resets the date every 1,024 weeks, causing confusion in devices that rely on accurate time and date information [90942]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
The software failure incident related to the iPhone 5 and older Apple devices losing internet access was primarily caused by a GPS issue known as the GPS time rollover problem. This issue occurs once every 19 years and happened in April, causing some devices to lose track of time. The bug fixes for this problem were only applied to specific software versions, such as iOS 10.3.4 and iOS 9.3.6 and later. Users who did not update their software to these versions faced the risk of losing access to online services like web browsing, emails, App Store, iCloud, and maps [90959, 90942].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
The software failure incident related to the iPhone 5 and older Apple devices losing internet access was not directly caused by human actions. However, users were required to take action to update their software to prevent the loss of internet access. Apple issued warnings and notifications to users, urging them to update their devices before a specific deadline to avoid the consequences of the GPS time rollover issue. Failure to update the software in time would result in users being locked out of features that rely on the correct time and date, leading to the loss of internet access [90959, 90942]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware:
- The software failure incident reported in the articles is related to a GPS issue that occurred due to a GPS rollover problem, which is a hardware-related issue affecting GPS-enabled products [90942].
- The GPS rollover issue, which caused some devices to lose track of time, is a hardware-related problem that occurs every 19 years [90942].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to software:
- The software failure incident is primarily due to the need for users to update their software (iOS) to versions 10.3.4 or newer to avoid losing access to internet services on their iPhone 5 devices [90959, 90942].
- Apple had to push out a bug fix in the form of software updates (iOS 10.3.4 and iOS 9.3.6) to address the GPS rollover issue and prevent devices' location services and clocks from becoming confused [90942]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident related to the iPhone 5 and older Apple devices requiring an urgent software update is non-malicious. The failure is due to a GPS issue that occurs once every 19 years, causing some devices to lose track of time. Apple had to push out bug fixes to prevent devices' location services and clocks from becoming confused. Users were warned to update their software to prevent losing access to internet services like web browsing, emails, App Store, iCloud, and maps [90959, 90942]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
unknown |
(a) The software failure incident related to the iPhone 5 users risking losing internet access was not due to poor decisions but rather a necessary update required to address a GPS issue that occurs every 19 years. Apple warned users to update their software to iOS 10.3.4 to maintain accurate GPS location and continue using functions that rely on correct date and time, such as the App Store, iCloud, email, and web browsing [90959, 90942]. This incident was more about addressing a technical issue rather than poor decisions leading to the failure. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
unknown |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to development incompetence:
- The software failure incident with iPhone 5 and older Apple devices losing internet access was due to a GPS issue that occurs once every 19 years, causing some devices to lose track of time [90942].
- Apple had to push out a bug fix in the form of iOS updates (iOS 10.3.4 and iOS 9.3.6) to address the GPS rollover issue, indicating a need for software updates to prevent such failures [90942].
(b) The software failure incident occurring accidentally:
- The GPS rollover issue that led to the software failure incident affecting iPhone 5 and older Apple devices was a result of the way weeks are recorded in GPS systems, causing the date to effectively reset to zero every 1,024 weeks (every 19.7 years) [90942].
- Apple warned users of older devices in July to update their software before the incident on November 3, indicating a proactive response to prevent the failure from occurring accidentally [90942]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident in the articles is temporary. The issue is related to a GPS rollover problem that occurs once every 19 years, causing some devices to lose track of time. Apple had to push out bug fixes for devices running iOS 10.3.4 and iOS 9.3.6 and later to address this problem. Users who have not updated their software will face serious problems, such as losing access to online services like App Store, iCloud, email, and web browsing [90959, 90942]. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, timing, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the articles can be categorized as a crash. iPhone 5 users were at risk of losing internet access if they did not update their software to iOS 10.3.4 by a specific deadline. If the update was not performed, users would be locked out of features such as the App Store, email, web browsing, and iCloud [90959, 90942].
(b) omission: The software failure incident can also be categorized as an omission. Users who did not update their software would face the omission of essential functions like web browsing, email, and access to the App Store due to the GPS issue causing devices to lose track of time [90942].
(c) timing: The software failure incident can be categorized as a timing issue. The failure was related to the correct time and date settings required for various features to function properly. Users needed to update their software before a specific date to avoid losing access to internet-dependent services [90959, 90942].
(d) value: The software failure incident does not align with a value-related failure. The issue was not about the system performing its intended functions incorrectly but rather about the necessity of updating the software to maintain access to essential services [90959, 90942].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not align with a byzantine-related failure. There were no indications of inconsistent responses or interactions causing the issue [90959, 90942].
(f) other: The software failure incident can be categorized as a proactive measure to prevent a potential system failure. Apple issued warnings and notifications to users well in advance, urging them to update their software to avoid losing access to critical services. This can be seen as a preventive measure to mitigate the risk of a system crash due to the GPS issue affecting time and date settings [90959, 90942]. |