| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to the vulnerability in Zigbee transmissions affecting smart home devices, particularly Philips Hue bulbs, has happened within the same organization, as Philips Hue was specifically mentioned in the article as being impacted by the attack [96269].
(b) The software failure incident involving the Zigbee vulnerability has the potential to impact multiple organizations that use Zigbee for their smart home devices. The article mentions other popular smart home devices that use Zigbee, such as Amazon Echo Plus, Samsung SmartThings, Sengled smart lights, and smart locks from Yale, indicating that the vulnerability could extend beyond just Philips Hue products [96269]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in the article is related to the design phase. The vulnerability in the Zigbee transmissions that allowed a hacker to access the home network was due to a flaw in the signals sent between Philips Hue smart bulbs, a high-profile smart home device that communicates via Zigbee. The attack involved tricking the system into kicking a bulb off the network and implanting it with malicious code, which could then spread to the Hue Bridge when the user attempted to re-pair the bulb [96269].
(b) The software failure incident is also related to the operation phase. The failure was exacerbated by the operation of the system, as users who deleted the unresponsive bulb from the Hue app and attempted to re-pair with it unknowingly spread the malware to their Hue Bridge, the central control device. This operation inadvertently facilitated the spread of the malicious code within the system [96269]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article is within_system. The vulnerability exploited by the hacker to gain access to the Philips Hue smart bulbs network was a result of a flaw in the Zigbee transmissions used by the smart home devices [96269]. The attack involved tricking the system into kicking a bulb off the network and then implanting malicious code into that bulb, which could then spread to the Hue Bridge, the central control device for Philips Hue, when the user attempts to re-pair the bulb [96269]. The incident highlights a security issue originating from within the system itself. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in this case occurred due to non-human actions, specifically a vulnerability in the Zigbee transmissions that allowed a hacker to exploit the signals sent between Philips Hue smart bulbs [96269]. The attack involved tricking the system into kicking a bulb off the network and implanting it with malicious code, leading to the spread of malware to the Hue Bridge without direct human involvement. The vulnerability was identified by the security research firm Check Point, and a firmware fix was developed by Signify to address the issue [96269].
(b) Human actions were also involved in addressing the software failure incident. Signify, the owner of the Philips Hue brand, developed and deployed the necessary patches to mitigate the vulnerability after receiving the findings from Check Point [96269]. Additionally, users were advised to download and install the firmware fix from the settings section of the Hue app to protect their devices from potential risks [96269]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident in the article is related to hardware. The vulnerability exploited by the hacker involves the signals sent between Philips Hue smart bulbs, which communicate via Zigbee, a wireless protocol. The hacker uses a laptop and a Zigbee antenna to trick the system into kicking a bulb off the network and then implants malicious code into that bulb. This manipulation of the hardware (the smart bulb) allows the hacker to gain access to the home network [96269].
(b) The software failure incident is also related to software. The vulnerability exploited in this incident is a software vulnerability in the Zigbee transmissions used by smart home devices like Philips Hue bulbs. The malicious code is spread from the compromised bulb to the Hue Bridge, the central control device, through software interactions. Manufacturers, like Signify, have developed firmware fixes to address this software vulnerability and protect users from potential risks [96269]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article is malicious in nature. It involves a vulnerability in Zigbee transmissions that could allow a hacker to implant malicious code into smart home devices, specifically Philips Hue smart bulbs, leading to potential harm to users' home networks [96269]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
unknown |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident related to poor decisions is not evident in the provided article [96269]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in this case does not seem to be related to development incompetence. The vulnerability in the Zigbee transmissions that allowed a hacker to access the home network was identified by the security research firm Check Point, and the issue was promptly addressed by the manufacturer, Signify, which owns the Philips Hue brand. Signify developed a firmware fix to patch the vulnerability, demonstrating a proactive response to the security issue [96269].
(b) The software failure incident appears to be accidental in nature. The vulnerability in the Zigbee transmissions that could be exploited by a hacker was not intentionally introduced but rather discovered as a potential security risk. The incident was not caused by deliberate actions but rather by the inherent weakness in the system that could be exploited by an attacker with the right tools and knowledge [96269]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident described in the article is temporary. The vulnerability in the Zigbee transmissions that could allow a hacker into the home network is a specific issue that can be addressed with a firmware fix. Signify, the owner of Philips Hue, has already developed a firmware fix to address the vulnerability, and users are advised to download and install it to mitigate the risk posed by the exploit. This indicates that the software failure incident is not permanent but rather temporary, as it can be resolved with a patch [96269]. |
| Behaviour |
omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident described in the article does not involve a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions.
(b) omission: The vulnerability in the Zigbee transmissions allows a hacker to trick the system into kicking a bulb off the network and implanting it with malicious code, leading to the omission of the bulb's intended functions [96269].
(c) timing: The software failure incident is not related to timing issues where the system performs its intended functions but at the wrong time.
(d) value: The vulnerability in the Zigbee transmissions results in the system performing its intended functions incorrectly by spreading malware from the bulb to the Hue Bridge [96269].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not exhibit byzantine behavior with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The software failure incident involves a security vulnerability that allows a hacker to exploit the Zigbee transmissions, leading to unauthorized access and potential compromise of the smart home network [96269]. |