Published Date: 2020-07-17
| Postmortem Analysis | |
|---|---|
| Timeline | 1. The software failure incident happened in mid-July [102298]. 2. The incident occurred in July 2020 [102298]. |
| System | 1. Twitter's internal administrative tool known as "agent tools" or the "Twitter Services UI" failed, allowing hackers to access high-profile accounts, view protected user information, change email addresses linked to accounts, and reset passwords [102508]. 2. Twitter's security protocols and access controls within the agent tools system failed, leading to unauthorized access to sensitive user data and account controls [102508]. 3. Lack of proper access controls and monitoring within Twitter's internal systems contributed to the failure, allowing unauthorized access to administrative tools by a significant number of employees [102508]. 4. Failure to properly secure and restrict access to the agent tools platform, including the ability to disable two-factor authentication and change email addresses associated with accounts, led to the successful takeover of prominent Twitter accounts [102508]. 5. Inadequate measures to prevent social engineering attacks and unauthorized access to critical tools and systems within Twitter's infrastructure contributed to the security breach [102508]. |
| Responsible Organization | 1. Former Twitter employees, including some who were members of Twitter's security team, who are conducting an unofficial investigation into the hack incident [102508]. 2. Hackers who exploited Twitter's internal administrative tool to access high-profile accounts and carry out the attack [102508]. |
| Impacted Organization | 1. Twitter [132637, 103794, 130995, 102298, 102508] |
| Software Causes | 1. The failure incident at Twitter was primarily caused by a vulnerability in the internal administrative tool known as "agent tools" or the "Twitter Services UI" that allowed a significant number of authorized Twitter employees to manage high-profile accounts, view protected user information, and change email addresses linked to the accounts [102508]. 2. The hackers likely exploited this tool to access the accounts and reset passwords, enabling them to take control of the accounts of prominent individuals and organizations on the platform [102508]. 3. The internal tool, intended for customer support requests and content moderation, had the capability to show users' cellphone numbers, geolocation, IP addresses, and change email addresses for password resets, allowing the hackers to alter user passwords and gain unauthorized access to the accounts [102508]. 4. The attack involved disabling two-factor authentication, changing email addresses for password resets, surreptitiously changing victims' passwords, and logging into the accounts as the rightful owners, bypassing security measures and gaining control over the targeted accounts [102508]. |
| Non-software Causes | 1. Lack of proper access controls and oversight: The failure incident at Twitter was exacerbated by the lack of strict access controls and oversight on the internal administrative tool known as "agent tools" or "Twitter Services UI." This tool allowed a significant number of authorized Twitter employees to manage high-profile accounts, view protected user information, and change email addresses linked to the accounts, leading to unauthorized access and control over prominent accounts [102508]. 2. Inadequate security protocols: The incident highlighted the inadequacy of security protocols within Twitter, as the hackers were able to exploit vulnerabilities in the system to gain access to the administrative platform and manipulate user accounts. The lack of robust security measures and safeguards contributed to the success of the attack [102508]. 3. Social engineering tactics: The attack was attributed to a sophisticated and coordinated "social engineering" attack on Twitter's workforce, where hackers targeted employees with administrative privileges and manipulated them into providing access to internal controls. This reliance on social engineering techniques to deceive employees played a significant role in the success of the breach [102508]. |
| Impacts | 1. The software failure incident at Twitter, where hackers compromised high-profile accounts, including those of Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Elon Musk, led to a Bitcoin scam that netted the attackers nearly $200,000 [102508]. 2. The incident raised concerns about the vulnerability of Twitter's security systems and the potential for malicious attackers to exploit the platform, posing risks such as false market-moving tweets, misinformation affecting elections, or even instigating serious conflicts like nuclear attacks [102508]. 3. The hack highlighted the lack of robust security measures at Twitter, including issues with internal administrative tools that allowed hackers to access and control high-profile accounts, change email addresses, disable two-factor authentication, and potentially access private messages [102508]. 4. The incident also brought attention to the potential risks associated with employees having broad access to sensitive tools and data within the company, as demonstrated by the unauthorized access to the administrative platform used to manage accounts [102508]. 5. The hack prompted investigations by the FBI, Congress, cybersecurity experts, and Twitter itself to understand the full extent of the breach, identify the vulnerabilities exploited by the attackers, and prevent similar incidents in the future [102508]. |
| Preventions | 1. Implementing stricter access controls and permissions for internal tools such as the agent tools used by Twitter employees, ensuring that only authorized personnel have access to sensitive functions [102508]. 2. Regularly auditing and monitoring employee access to internal tools to detect any unauthorized or suspicious activities [102508]. 3. Enhancing security measures such as two-factor authentication to prevent unauthorized logins and ensuring that such security features cannot be easily disabled by unauthorized users [102508]. 4. Implementing robust training programs for employees on cybersecurity best practices, including how to identify and respond to social engineering attacks [102508]. 5. Enforcing a culture of security awareness and accountability within the organization to prioritize data protection and prevent security breaches [102508]. |
| Fixes | 1. Implement stricter access controls and monitoring for internal tools like the agent tools at Twitter to prevent unauthorized access and misuse [102508]. 2. Enhance security protocols for password resets and two-factor authentication to prevent hackers from taking over accounts even if they gain access to internal tools [102508]. 3. Conduct thorough investigations to determine the extent of employee involvement and potential insider threats in the security breach [102508]. 4. Improve remote work security measures to ensure that working from home does not compromise the security of internal systems [102508]. | References | 1. Former Twitter security head Peiter "Mudge" Zatko [Article 132637] 2. Twitter whistleblower disclosure obtained exclusively by CNN and The Washington Post [Article 130995] 3. Group of former Twitter employees [Article 102508] 4. Twitter spokesperson [Article 102508] 5. FBI officials [Article 102508] 6. Security expert Ashkan Soltani [Article 102508] 7. Former Twitter chief information security officer Michael Coates [Article 102508] 8. Person close to the Biden campaign [Article 102508] |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Recurring | one_organization, multiple_organization | (a) In the software failure incident at Twitter, former employees are conducting an unofficial investigation to understand how the recent hack compromising high-profile accounts occurred. They are analyzing the internal tool known as "agent tools" or the "Twitter Services UI," which allows employees to manage accounts, view protected user information, and change email addresses linked to accounts [102508]. (b) The incident at Twitter involving the hack of high-profile accounts, including those of Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Elon Musk, has raised concerns about the vulnerability of social media platforms to malicious attacks. The attack involved a sophisticated "social engineering" technique targeting Twitter employees with administrative privileges, allowing the hackers to take control of the accounts. The FBI is investigating the incident, and cybersecurity experts are also trying to understand how such a large-scale attack occurred [102508]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) | design, operation | (a) In the software failure incident related to the Twitter hack, the incident occurred due to a significant security breach where hackers gained access to internal tools and compromised high-profile accounts, including those of Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Elon Musk. The hackers exploited an administrative platform known as "agent tools" or the "Twitter Services UI," which allowed them to manage accounts, view protected user information, change email addresses linked to accounts, and disable two-factor authentication. This breach was a result of vulnerabilities in the design and implementation of Twitter's internal tools, allowing unauthorized access to critical functions [102508]. (b) The operation-related failure in the Twitter hack incident was due to the misuse of internal administrative tools by hackers. By exploiting the operational procedures and access controls within Twitter's system, the attackers were able to manipulate user accounts, change email addresses, disable two-factor authentication, and send out fraudulent tweets promoting a Bitcoin scam. The misuse of the administrative platform by unauthorized individuals highlights operational weaknesses in how access privileges were managed and monitored within the company [102508]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) | within_system | (a) within_system: The software failure incident involving the Twitter hack appears to have occurred due to contributing factors that originated from within the system. Former Twitter employees are conducting an unofficial investigation to reconstruct the events leading up to the hack based on their knowledge of Twitter's internal protocols and technical systems [Article 102508]. The hackers likely used an internal administrative platform known as "agent tools" or the "Twitter Services UI" to access high-profile accounts, view protected user information, change email addresses linked to the accounts, and reset passwords [Article 102508]. The attack involved disabling two-factor authentication, changing email addresses for password resets, and surreptitiously changing victims' passwords to gain access to the accounts [Article 102508]. (b) outside_system: The software failure incident does not seem to have been primarily caused by contributing factors originating from outside the system. The attack was attributed to "coordinated social engineering," which could involve techniques like phishing emails or bribery [Article 102508]. While the possibility of nation-state involvement has not been ruled out, there is no evidence of it at the moment [Article 102508]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) | human_actions | (a) In the software failure incident related to the Twitter hack, the incident was primarily attributed to a form of social engineering attack known as "coordinated social engineering" [Article 102508]. This type of attack involves manipulating individuals into divulging confidential information or performing actions that compromise security. The hackers in this incident used social engineering techniques to gain access to Twitter's internal administrative tools, allowing them to take control of high-profile accounts and send out tweets promoting a Bitcoin scam [Article 102508]. (b) Human actions played a significant role in the Twitter security incident as well. Former Twitter employees, including some from the security team, are conducting an unofficial investigation to understand how the attack occurred based on their knowledge of Twitter's internal protocols and technical systems [Article 102508]. The attack involved exploiting an internal tool called "agent tools" or "Twitter Services UI," which is intended for employees to handle customer support requests and moderate content. The hackers likely used this tool to access accounts, change email addresses, and reset passwords [Article 102508]. Additionally, the attack involved social engineering tactics that targeted Twitter employees with administrative privileges, highlighting the role of human vulnerabilities in the incident [Article 102508]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) | software | (a) The articles do not provide information about the software failure incident occurring due to hardware factors. (b) The software failure incident reported in the articles is related to software factors. Former Twitter employees are conducting an unofficial investigation to understand how hackers compromised high-profile accounts on the platform, including Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Elon Musk. The attack involved the hackers gaining access to an internal tool known as "agent tools" or the "Twitter Services UI," which allowed them to manage high-profile accounts, view protected user information, and change email addresses linked to the accounts [102508]. The hackers likely used this tool to access the accounts, change email addresses associated with the accounts, and reset passwords, enabling them to take control of the accounts and send out tweets promoting a Bitcoin scam [102508]. The attack involved social engineering techniques and the manipulation of internal controls to carry out the unauthorized access and takeovers [102508]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) | malicious | (a) malicious: - The software failure incident involving the Twitter hack was a malicious attack orchestrated by hackers who compromised high-profile accounts like Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Elon Musk to promote a Bitcoin scam [102508]. - The hackers used sophisticated social engineering techniques to gain access to Twitter's internal systems and tools, allowing them to take control of the targeted accounts and send out fraudulent tweets [102508]. - The attack was described as a coordinated and sophisticated "social engineering" attack on Twitter's workforce, leading to the compromise of multiple high-profile accounts [102508]. (b) non-malicious: - The software failure incident was not due to non-malicious factors but was a deliberate and malicious attack carried out by hackers targeting Twitter's internal systems and tools [102508]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) | poor_decisions | (a) poor_decisions: The software failure incident involving the Twitter hack, where high-profile accounts were compromised, can be attributed to poor decisions made by Twitter in terms of security practices and access controls. Former employees conducting an unofficial investigation highlighted that the hackers likely exploited an internal tool called "agent tools" or "Twitter Services UI," which allowed a significant number of authorized Twitter employees to manage high-profile accounts, including changing email addresses and disabling two-factor authentication [102508]. Additionally, the tool's access was not properly restricted, with hundreds of employees having access to it, and the lack of proper controls and oversight contributed to the breach [102508]. Furthermore, the incident revealed that Twitter stored the username and password for the admin panel in Slack, allowing unauthorized access to the credentials by numerous individuals, including some who did not work at the company. This poor security practice facilitated the compromise of high-profile accounts [102298]. (b) accidental_decisions: The software failure incident involving the Twitter hack was not primarily due to accidental decisions or unintended mistakes. Instead, it was a result of deliberate actions by hackers who exploited vulnerabilities in Twitter's security practices and access controls. The incident was described as a sophisticated and coordinated "social engineering" attack, indicating a planned and intentional effort to compromise the accounts [102508]. The former employees investigating the incident focused on reconstructing the events leading up to the takeovers based on their knowledge of Twitter's internal protocols and technical systems, suggesting a deliberate and calculated attack [102508]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) | development_incompetence, accidental | (a) The software failure incident occurring due to development incompetence: - The incident at Twitter involving a major security breach was attributed to a lack of professional competence in handling security practices. Former employees and security experts highlighted deficiencies in Twitter's security protocols, such as inadequate access controls and outdated software on servers, which made the platform vulnerable to exploitation [Article 102508]. - Former Twitter security head Peiter Zatko testified about extreme deficiencies in Twitter's security practices, including outdated and vulnerable software on data center servers, lack of knowledge about company data, and employees having excessive access to data, leading to vulnerabilities exploited by hackers [Article 132637]. (b) The software failure incident occurring accidentally: - The incident at Twitter, where hackers compromised high-profile accounts, was described as a sophisticated and coordinated "social engineering" attack that allowed the hackers to take control of the accounts. The attack was attributed to a group of young people who opportunistically leveraged their access to internal tools, indicating an accidental exploitation of vulnerabilities [Article 102508]. - The incident was characterized by Twitter as a result of a coordinated social engineering attack, suggesting that the hackers manipulated employees into providing access to internal controls, leading to the compromise of accounts [Article 102508]. |
| Duration | temporary | The software failure incident discussed in the articles was temporary. It was a result of a hack that compromised the accounts of prominent individuals on Twitter, including Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Elon Musk. The hackers gained access to the accounts by exploiting an internal administrative tool known as "agent tools" or the "Twitter Services UI" [Article 102508]. The attack involved a coordinated "social engineering" effort targeting Twitter employees with administrative privileges, allowing the hackers to change email addresses associated with the accounts and reset passwords [Article 102508]. The incident was not a permanent failure but rather a temporary breach caused by specific circumstances, such as the exploitation of internal tools and the compromise of employee accounts. The attack led to the promotion of a Bitcoin scam through the compromised accounts, highlighting the temporary nature of the incident [Article 102508]. |
| Behaviour | crash, omission | (a) crash: The incident described in Article 102508 involved a significant security breach on Twitter where hackers compromised the accounts of prominent individuals like Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Elon Musk. The attack was described as a sophisticated and coordinated "social engineering" attack that allowed the hackers to take control of the accounts and send out tweets promoting a Bitcoin scam. The incident was considered a worst-case scenario where false market-moving tweets, fake declarations of war, or misinformation could have been spread, indicating a system crash in terms of security vulnerability [102508]. (b) omission: The incident in Article 102508 involved the hackers gaining access to Twitter's internal administrative tool, known as "agent tools," which allowed them to manage high-profile accounts, view protected user information, and even change email addresses linked to the accounts. The hackers likely used this tool to access the accounts and reset passwords, indicating an omission in the system's security protocols that allowed unauthorized access to sensitive functions [102508]. (c) timing: The incident in Article 102508 did not involve a timing failure. (d) value: The incident in Article 102508 did not involve a value failure. (e) byzantine: The incident in Article 102508 did not involve a byzantine failure. (f) other: The incident in Article 102508 involved a failure in the system's security protocols that allowed hackers to exploit internal administrative tools and compromise high-profile accounts on Twitter. The incident highlighted vulnerabilities in the system's access controls and the potential for unauthorized access to critical functions [102508]. |
| Layer | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Perception | None | None |
| Communication | None | None |
| Application | None | None |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Consequence | property, no_consequence, theoretical_consequence | (a) death: There is no mention of people losing their lives due to the software failure incident in the provided articles. (b) harm: There is no mention of people being physically harmed due to the software failure incident in the provided articles. (c) basic: There is no mention of people's access to food or shelter being impacted because of the software failure incident in the provided articles. (d) property: The software failure incident resulted in hackers taking control of high-profile Twitter accounts, including those of prominent individuals like Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Elon Musk, and others. The hackers used their access to promote a Bitcoin scam, which netted them a little under $200,000 [102298]. (e) delay: There is no mention of people having to postpone an activity due to the software failure incident in the provided articles. (f) non-human: There is no mention of non-human entities being impacted due to the software failure incident in the provided articles. (g) no_consequence: The software failure incident had real consequences, including the compromise of high-profile Twitter accounts and the promotion of a Bitcoin scam by the hackers [102298]. (h) theoretical_consequence: There were potential consequences discussed, such as the possibility of false market-moving tweets, fake declarations of war or nuclear attacks, or misinformation that could change the course of an election due to the hack [102508]. (i) other: There is no other consequence of the software failure incident mentioned in the provided articles. |
| Domain | information, finance, government | (a) The failed system was related to the information industry, specifically social media platform Twitter, which is used for the production and distribution of information. The incident involved a significant security breach that compromised the accounts of high-profile individuals and led to the dissemination of a Bitcoin scam through the hacked accounts [Article 102508]. (h) The incident also has implications for the finance industry, as one of the affected individuals was Elon Musk, a prominent figure in the business and finance world. The hackers used the compromised accounts to promote a Bitcoin scam, which could have financial implications [Article 102508]. (l) The government sector is impacted as well, as the security breach on Twitter involved accounts of political figures like Barack Obama and Joe Biden. The potential consequences of such a breach could include misinformation that affects elections or national security [Article 102508]. (m) Additionally, the incident has broader implications for cybersecurity and social media platforms, which are crucial in various industries for communication, marketing, and information dissemination. The attack raised concerns about the security practices of tech companies and the potential risks associated with social engineering attacks [Article 102508]. |
Article ID: 132637
Article ID: 103794
Article ID: 130995
Article ID: 102298
Article ID: 102508