| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization:
- Adobe has a long history of security flaws and breaches with its products like Adobe Reader, Flash Player, and others [22358].
- In the recent incident, hackers managed to steal source code for Adobe Acrobat, ColdFusion, and other Adobe products, giving them access to further weaknesses [22358].
- Adobe's chief security officer mentioned that the attack on 2.9 million customers' data could be remembered as the worst in Adobe's history [22358].
- Adobe's products are widely used and have become a significant target for cyber attacks due to their vulnerabilities [22358].
(b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization:
- The article does not mention any similar incidents happening at other organizations or with their products and services. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase:
- The incident involving Adobe's security breach and data compromise of 2.9 million customers was a result of sophisticated attacks on Adobe's systems, indicating a failure in the design and security measures of Adobe's software [22358, 22370].
- Adobe's long history of major security vulnerabilities, including bugs in Adobe Reader and Flash Player, highlights design flaws in the software that allowed hackers to exploit weaknesses and gain unauthorized access to users' computers [22358].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase:
- The breach at Adobe, where attackers accessed customer IDs, encrypted passwords, and other sensitive information, could be attributed to operational failures in maintaining secure systems and protecting customer data during regular operations [22370].
- Adobe's response to the breach, including resetting passwords, recommending password changes, and offering credit monitoring services, indicates operational challenges in ensuring the security and integrity of customer data during day-to-day operations [22370]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident related to Adobe's security breach can be attributed to factors originating from within the system. Adobe's long history of major security vulnerabilities, including bugs in Adobe Reader, fake Flash Player updates, vulnerabilities in Reader and Flash Player, and hackers gaining access to Adobe's security verification system by tapping into its internal servers, all point to internal weaknesses within Adobe's software [22358].
(b) outside_system: The software failure incident also involved contributing factors originating from outside the system. The attack on 2.9 million Adobe customers, where hackers managed to steal source code for Adobe products, including Adobe Acrobat and ColdFusion, indicates an external breach that exploited vulnerabilities within Adobe's systems [22358, 22370]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
- The software failure incident at Adobe was primarily due to security vulnerabilities in Adobe's software, such as Adobe Flash Player and Adobe Reader, which allowed hackers to exploit these weaknesses [22358].
- Hackers gained access to Adobe's security verification system by tapping into its internal servers, indicating a breach caused by non-human actions [22358].
- The attackers managed to steal source code for Adobe Acrobat, ColdFusion, and other Adobe products, providing them with blueprints to find further weaknesses and exploit them, highlighting a failure due to non-human actions [22358].
- Adobe's chief security officer mentioned that the attackers accessed Adobe customer IDs and encrypted passwords on their systems, indicating a breach caused by non-human actions [22370].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
- The article does not provide specific information about the software failure incident being directly caused by human actions. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The articles do not mention any specific hardware-related issues contributing to the software failure incident reported in the Adobe security breach incident [22358, 22370].
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- The software failure incident reported in the articles is primarily attributed to software vulnerabilities in Adobe's products, particularly Adobe Acrobat, ColdFusion, and Flash Player [22358, 22370].
- Adobe's long history of major security screwups is highlighted, indicating that the root cause of the failure lies in the software's inherent flaws and weaknesses [22358].
- Hackers exploited vulnerabilities in Adobe's software to gain unauthorized access to customer data, steal source code, and compromise sensitive information [22358, 22370].
- Adobe's chief security officer mentioned that the attackers accessed customer IDs, encrypted passwords, and other customer information stored in Adobe's systems, emphasizing the software-related nature of the incident [22370]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the news articles is malicious in nature. The incident involved a sophisticated attack on Adobe's systems, where attackers accessed customer IDs, encrypted passwords, and other sensitive information of 2.9 million Adobe customers [22370]. The attackers also managed to steal the source code for Adobe products, which could potentially be used to find further weaknesses and exploit them [22358]. This indicates a deliberate attempt to harm the system and compromise customer data. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to Adobe's massive security breach can be attributed to poor decisions made by the company over the years. The article highlights Adobe's long history of major security screwups, vulnerabilities, and breaches dating back to 2007 [22358]. Despite being warned by cybersecurity experts about the worsening security record, Adobe's software continued to be riddled with security flaws, making it a prime target for hackers. The incident involving the attack on 2.9 million Adobe customers' data, including the theft of source code for various Adobe products, can be seen as a culmination of poor decisions and inadequate security measures taken by the company [22358]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the Adobe security breach incident. The articles highlight Adobe's long history of security flaws and vulnerabilities in its software products, such as Adobe Reader and Flash Player. These vulnerabilities allowed hackers to gain unauthorized access to users' computers and exploit security weaknesses [22358]. The incident also involved hackers stealing source code for Adobe products, potentially giving them blueprints to find further weaknesses and exploit them, indicating a lack of robust security measures in place [22358].
(b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors is seen in the sophisticated attacks carried out on Adobe's systems, compromising the data of 2.9 million customers. Adobe's chief security officer, Brad Arkin, mentioned that the attackers accessed customer IDs and encrypted passwords, as well as certain information like customer names, encrypted credit or debit card numbers, and expiration dates. Adobe deeply regretted the incident and took steps to reset passwords, notify affected customers, and offer complimentary credit monitoring memberships [22370]. The breach of Adobe's source code for various software products was also noted, although the company stated it was not aware of any specific increased risk to customers as a result of the breach [22370]. |
| Duration |
permanent |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Adobe security breach can be considered as a permanent failure. The incident involved a massive security breach affecting 2.9 million Adobe customers, with attackers accessing customer IDs, encrypted passwords, and other sensitive information [22358, 22370]. The breach also resulted in the theft of source code for Adobe products, potentially giving hackers blueprints to find further weaknesses and exploit them [22358]. Additionally, Adobe took steps such as resetting passwords, recommending customers to change passwords on other websites, and offering credit monitoring memberships, indicating the severity and long-term impact of the incident [22370]. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident related to Adobe involved a massive security breach where hackers accessed customer data, including names, encrypted passwords, and bank account information [22358]. This breach could be considered a form of a crash as the system lost control over the security of customer data, leading to unauthorized access and potential compromise.
(b) omission: The incident also involved the attackers removing certain information relating to 2.9 million Adobe customers, including customer names, encrypted credit or debit card numbers, expiration dates, and other information relating to customer orders [22370]. This omission of sensitive customer data from Adobe's systems can be categorized as a failure due to omission.
(c) timing: The software failure incident did not specifically involve timing issues where the system performed its intended functions too late or too early.
(d) value: The incident did not involve the system performing its intended functions incorrectly, leading to a failure due to value.
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident did not exhibit behaviors of inconsistent responses or interactions that would classify it as a byzantine failure.
(f) other: The software failure incident could also be categorized as a failure due to a security flaw in the system, leading to unauthorized access and data breach [22358]. |