| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to the vulnerability in Apple's Mail app affecting iPhones and iPads has happened again within the same organization. ZecOps reported the bug to Apple in March, and Apple spokesperson mentioned that a fix would be included in upcoming software updates [Article 98578]. Additionally, ZecOps began conducting research after finding suspicious lines of code on iPhones belonging to a client, leading to the discovery of a previously unknown flaw in Apple's email app. Apple is in the process of fixing the flaw [Article 98580].
(b) The software failure incident involving the security flaw in Apple's Mail app has also affected multiple organizations. ZecOps reported evidence that the bug was used to attack well-known targets, including individuals from a Fortune 500 company in North America, an executive from a mobile carrier in Japan, employees of technology companies in Saudi Arabia and Israel, a European journalist, and an individual in Germany [Article 98578]. Additionally, ZecOps believes that the attack was likely carried out by a nation-state or a deep-pocketed entity, indicating a broader impact beyond individual targets [Article 98580]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase:
- The incident was caused by a flaw in Apple's mobile operating system, specifically in the Mail app, which made devices vulnerable to sophisticated attacks [Article 98578].
- The flaw allowed hackers to exploit the system by sending a seemingly blank message to the user's Mail account, causing the app to crash and giving hackers access to the device during the reboot process [Article 98578].
- ZecOps, a mobile security firm, discovered the flaw and reported it to Apple, indicating that the tech giant was not aware of the issue prior to their report [Article 98578].
- Apple acknowledged the issue and stated that a fix would be included in upcoming software updates [Article 98578].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase:
- The incident involved hackers gaining access to iPhones through a security flaw in Apple's built-in email app, which Apple had not yet fixed at the time of the report [Article 98580].
- The exploit used in the attack was a "zero click" attack, meaning it did not require any action from the victim such as clicking on a link, making it particularly dangerous [Article 98580].
- The attack was sophisticated and could bypass iPhone and iPad security protections, highlighting vulnerabilities in Apple's mobile operating system, iOS [Article 98580].
- The attack affected various targets, including a Fortune 500 company in North America, a journalist in Europe, and an executive in Japan, among others [Article 98580]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident reported in the articles is primarily due to a flaw in Apple's mobile operating system and specifically in the Mail app on iPhones and iPads. This flaw made the devices vulnerable to sophisticated attacks where hackers could exploit the bug to access information on the device [98578, 98580].
(b) outside_system: The software failure incident also involves external factors such as hackers exploiting the vulnerability in the Mail app to gain access to iPhones without the need for user interaction (zero-click attack). This type of attack does not require the victim to click on a link or take any action, highlighting the external threat posed by malicious actors [98580]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
- The software failure incident in the articles was due to a flaw in Apple's mobile operating system that made iPhones and iPads vulnerable to hackers [Article 98578].
- Hackers exploited a sophisticated security flaw in Apple's built-in email app, which was not yet fixed by Apple, allowing them to gain access to iPhones without requiring any action from the users [Article 98580].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
- The bug in the Mail app on iOS devices allowed hackers to exploit the flaw by sending a seemingly blank message to users, causing the app to crash and giving hackers access to the device during the reboot process [Article 98578].
- ZecOps, a cybersecurity firm, discovered the security flaw in Apple's email app after finding suspicious lines of code on iPhones belonging to a client, leading to the investigation of the issue [Article 98580]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware:
- The articles do not mention any hardware-related issues contributing to the software failure incident. Therefore, there is no information available regarding hardware-related factors in this incident.
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to software:
- The software failure incident reported in the articles is primarily due to a software bug in Apple's Mail app that made iPhones and iPads vulnerable to sophisticated attacks [98578, 98580].
- Hackers exploited a flaw in the Mail app, sending a seemingly blank message that would crash the app and allow access to the device during the reboot process [98578].
- ZecOps discovered a previously unknown flaw in Apple's email app, which was connected to the security breach [98580].
- Apple acknowledged the security flaws in the Mail app but stated they do not pose an immediate risk and would be addressed in a software update [98580].
- The vulnerability in the Mail app was exploited through a zero-click attack, highlighting the software-related nature of the incident [98580]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles is malicious in nature. The incident involved a sophisticated security flaw in Apple's built-in email app that allowed hackers to gain access to iPhones without the need for user interaction. The flaw was exploited through a "zero click" attack, where malicious code could be sent via email to the victim's device, triggering an exploit chain that bypassed the phone's defenses. The attack was designed to access information on the device without the user's knowledge, indicating malicious intent [98578, 98580]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions, accidental_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Apple iPhone vulnerability to hacking through the Mail app was primarily due to poor_decisions. The incident was caused by a bug in the Mail app that made devices susceptible to sophisticated attacks. The bug allowed hackers to send a seemingly blank message to an iPhone or iPad user's Mail account, which would crash the app and force the user to reboot. During the reboot, hackers could access information on the device without the need for the user to take any action such as downloading external software or visiting a malicious website [Article 98578].
(b) The software failure incident also involved accidental_decisions. The security flaw in Apple's built-in email app that allowed hackers to gain access to iPhones was discovered by a cybersecurity firm, ZecOps, after finding suspicious lines of code on iPhones belonging to a client. The code was not found on many other iPhones and was eventually connected to a previously unknown flaw in Apple's email app. ZecOps alerted Apple about the flaw, and Apple is in the process of fixing it [Article 98580]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the articles. The incident was caused by a flaw in Apple's mobile operating system that left millions of iPhone and iPad users vulnerable to hackers [Article 98578]. This flaw in the Mail app made devices susceptible to sophisticated attacks, and it was reported that the bug was not previously known to Apple, indicating a lack of professional competence in identifying and addressing such vulnerabilities promptly.
(b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors is also present in the articles. The security flaw in Apple's built-in email app was discovered by a cybersecurity firm, ZecOps, after finding suspicious lines of code on iPhones belonging to a client [Article 98580]. The discovery was accidental, as the code stood out and was not found on many other iPhones, leading to further investigation that revealed the previously unknown flaw. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident reported in the articles can be categorized as a temporary failure. The incident was related to a security flaw in Apple's built-in email app that allowed hackers to gain access to iPhones. The flaw was discovered by a cybersecurity firm, ZecOps, which found suspicious lines of code on iPhones belonging to a client [Article 98580]. The flaw was connected to a previously unknown vulnerability in Apple's email app, and Apple was in the process of fixing it [Article 98580]. Apple mentioned that the security flaws discovered by ZecOps did not pose an immediate risk to users and would be addressed in a software update soon [Article 98580]. This indicates that the failure was temporary and could be mitigated through a software update. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident described in the articles can be categorized as a crash. The flaw in Apple's Mail app caused the app to crash when a seemingly blank email was opened, forcing the user to reboot the device. During the reboot, hackers could access information on the device [Article 98578].
(b) omission: The software failure incident can also be categorized as an omission. The flaw in the Mail app allowed hackers to gain access to iPhones without the users needing to take any action such as downloading external software or visiting malicious websites. This omission of requiring user action made the attack different from typical hacks that require victim interaction [Article 98578].
(c) timing: The software failure incident does not align with a timing failure as the system did not perform its intended functions too late or too early. The focus of the incident was on the crash and omission aspects rather than timing issues [Article 98578, Article 98580].
(d) value: The software failure incident can be associated with a value failure as the system performed its intended functions incorrectly. The flaw in the Mail app allowed hackers to exploit the system and access information on the device, which was not the intended function of the app [Article 98578, Article 98580].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not exhibit characteristics of a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The incident primarily involved a specific flaw in the Mail app that allowed unauthorized access to iPhones [Article 98578, Article 98580].
(f) other: The other behavior exhibited by the software failure incident is the exploitation of a previously unknown flaw in Apple's email app by hackers. This flaw was not known to Apple before being reported by the security firm, and it allowed attackers to gain access to iPhones without the users' knowledge or interaction [Article 98578, Article 98580]. |