Incident: Data Leak at Wyze Exposes Millions of Customer Records

Published Date: 2019-12-30

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident at Wyze, where a data leak occurred, happened from Dec. 4 through Dec. 26 [93188].
System 1. Database security protocols failed during data transfer to a new database, leading to the exposure of customer information [93188]. 2. Security measures to protect sensitive information, such as height, weight, gender, and health information of beta users, were inadequate, resulting in their exposure [93188].
Responsible Organization 1. A company employee failed to maintain security protocols during the process of transferring data to a new database, leading to the exposure of customer information [93188].
Impacted Organization 1. Wyze customers - More than 2.4 million Wyze customers were affected by the data leak, exposing their personal information [93188].
Software Causes 1. The software cause of the failure incident at Wyze was the accidental exposure of customer data due to a failure to maintain security protocols during the transfer of data to a new database [93188].
Non-software Causes 1. Lack of maintaining security protocols by a company employee during the data transfer process [93188] 2. Failure to properly secure the databases containing sensitive information [93188]
Impacts 1. Personal information of millions of Wyze customers, including email addresses, Wi-Fi network IDs, and body metrics, was exposed on the internet [93188]. 2. The height, weight, gender, and other health information of about 140 beta users participating in the testing of new hardware were also exposed [93188]. 3. The incident led to the exposure of a second unprotected database, although it is unclear what information was stored in it [93188].
Preventions 1. Implementing proper security protocols during data transfer to ensure sensitive information is not left exposed [93188]. 2. Conducting thorough security audits and checks on databases to identify any potential vulnerabilities or unprotected data [93188]. 3. Providing regular training and education to employees on maintaining security protocols and best practices to prevent incidents like data leaks [93188]. 4. Enhancing communication and awareness within the organization regarding the importance of data security and the potential consequences of lapses in security measures [93188].
Fixes 1. Implement stricter security protocols and procedures to ensure that sensitive information is properly protected during data transfers and storage [93188]. 2. Conduct a thorough review of all security guidelines and procedures to identify and address any potential vulnerabilities [93188]. 3. Enhance communication of security protocols to all employees to prevent similar incidents in the future [93188]. 4. Prioritize the implementation of user-requested security features beyond 2-factor authentication to enhance overall product security [93188].
References 1. Wyze co-founder Dongsheng Song's forum post [93188] 2. Cybersecurity firm Twelve Security [93188]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring unknown (a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization: The article does not mention any previous software failure incidents within the same organization, Wyze, prior to this data leak incident. Therefore, there is no information available to suggest that a similar incident has happened before at Wyze [93188]. (b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization: The article briefly mentions other high-profile data leaks that occurred during the year, such as the exposure of names, addresses, and demographic data of 80 million US households, expected salaries of job seekers, and thousands of Facebook passwords. However, it does not specifically mention any other organizations experiencing similar incidents like the one at Wyze [93188].
Phase (Design/Operation) design, operation (a) The software failure incident related to the design phase: The data leak at Wyze was attributed to an accidental exposure of customer information during a transfer to a new database to facilitate easier querying. This exposure occurred due to a failure by a company employee to maintain security protocols during the process [93188]. (b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase: The data leak incident at Wyze was a result of operational factors, specifically the mishandling of sensitive data during the transfer process. It was mentioned that the data was accidentally left exposed, indicating an operational oversight that led to the exposure of customer information [93188].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) within_system: The software failure incident at Wyze, where a data leak exposed the personal information of millions of customers, was primarily due to factors originating from within the system. The incident occurred when the data was being transferred to a new database to improve query capabilities, but a company employee failed to maintain security protocols during the process, leading to the exposure of sensitive information [93188]. Additionally, Wyze discovered a second unprotected database during its investigation, indicating internal oversight issues within the system [93188].
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions, human_actions (a) The software failure incident occurred due to non-human actions. The data leak at Wyze was attributed to the accidental exposure of sensitive information when it was transferred to a new database to make the data easier to query. This exposure was a result of a failure to maintain security protocols during the process, as mentioned by Wyze co-founder Dongsheng Song in a forum post [93188]. (b) The software failure incident also involved human actions. The same forum post by Wyze co-founder Dongsheng Song mentioned that an employee failed to maintain security protocols during the data transfer process, leading to the accidental exposure of the data. Additionally, the company stated that they need to revisit all security guidelines, better communicate protocols to employees, and prioritize user-requested security features beyond 2-factor authentication, indicating a need for human actions to improve security measures [93188].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) software (a) The software failure incident related to hardware: - The data leak at Wyze was not directly attributed to hardware failure but rather to human error in maintaining security protocols during the transfer of data to a new database [93188]. - The incident was caused by an employee failing to maintain security protocols during the process of transferring data to a new database, leading to the exposure of sensitive information [93188]. (b) The software failure incident related to software: - The software failure incident at Wyze was primarily due to a lapse in maintaining security protocols during the data transfer process, indicating a failure originating in software management and procedures [93188]. - Wyze mentioned the need to revisit all security guidelines, communicate protocols better to employees, and prioritize user-requested security features, indicating a software-related failure in security measures [93188].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious (a) The software failure incident related to the data leak at Wyze was non-malicious. The incident occurred due to an accidental exposure of data when it was transferred to a new database to make it easier to query. A company employee failed to maintain security protocols during the process, leading to the data leak [93188]. The company co-founder mentioned that they are still investigating why and how this happened, indicating that it was not a deliberate act to harm the system.
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) poor_decisions, accidental_decisions (a) The software failure incident related to the Wyze data leak was primarily due to poor decisions. The incident occurred because sensitive data was accidentally left exposed when it was transferred to a new database to make the data easier to query. This was a result of a company employee failing to maintain security protocols during the process, as mentioned by Wyze co-founder Dongsheng Song in a forum post [93188]. Additionally, the company acknowledged the need to revisit all security guidelines, better communicate protocols to employees, and prioritize user-requested security features beyond 2-factor authentication, indicating a recognition of poor decisions leading to the failure.
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) development_incompetence, accidental (a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence: - The data leak at Wyze was attributed to an employee's failure to maintain security protocols during the process of transferring data to a new database, indicating a lack of professional competence in handling sensitive information [93188]. (b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors: - Wyze confirmed that the data leak, which exposed personal information of millions of customers, was accidental. The data was accidentally left exposed during the transfer to a new database, highlighting that the incident was not intentional but a result of accidental oversight [93188].
Duration temporary (a) The software failure incident in the article is temporary. The data leak at Wyze occurred from Dec. 4 through Dec. 26, during which email addresses, Wi-Fi network IDs, body metrics, and other sensitive information were left unprotected [93188]. The incident was a result of an employee failing to maintain security protocols during the transfer of data to a new database, indicating a specific circumstance that led to the failure.
Behaviour crash (a) crash: The software failure incident in the article can be categorized as a crash. The incident involved a data leak at Wyze, where personal information of millions of customers was exposed on the internet due to the accidental exposure of data during a transfer to a new database. This resulted in the system losing control over the security of the data, leading to the crash of the security protocols [93188].

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: People's material goods, money, or data was impacted due to the software failure The software failure incident involving Wyze resulted in a data leak that exposed the personal information of millions of customers, including email addresses, Wi-Fi network IDs, body metrics, height, weight, gender, and other health information of beta users. This breach of data security impacted the customers' privacy and potentially put their personal information at risk [93188].
Domain information (a) The software failure incident reported in the articles is related to the information industry. The incident involved a data leak at Wyze, a security camera startup, which exposed the personal information of millions of its customers, including email addresses, Wi-Fi network IDs, body metrics, and health information of beta users participating in hardware testing [93188]. The incident highlighted the challenge of keeping sensitive information private and the need for database managers to prioritize security protocols to prevent such leaks in the future.

Sources

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