| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to credential stuffing and unauthorized access to user accounts on Spotify due to password reuse is a case of a security breach that happened within the same organization (Spotify) [107607]. This incident highlights the importance of not reusing passwords across different accounts to prevent such security vulnerabilities.
(b) The article does not provide information about similar incidents happening at other organizations or with their products and services. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to design can be attributed to the hackers exploiting the basic security mistake of Spotify account holders reusing passwords from other accounts. This allowed the hackers to perform credential stuffing, a technique that doesn't require genius but rather relies on users' poor password practices [107607].
(b) The software failure incident related to operation can be seen in the hackers' own security blunder of storing the stolen records on an unsecured cloud database. This operation mistake exposed their entire operation to anyone with a web browser, highlighting the importance of secure operational practices to prevent unauthorized access [107607]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the article is primarily within_system. The hackers were able to access as many as 350,000 Spotify accounts by exploiting the fact that users were reusing passwords from other accounts, which is a basic security mistake [Article 107607]. The hackers used a technique known as credential stuffing, which involves trying combinations of login credentials on a service to look for matches. Additionally, the hackers exposed their own operation by storing the stolen records on an unsecured cloud database, making the data easily accessible to anyone with a web browser [Article 107607].
(b) The software failure incident also has elements of outside_system factors. The stolen login credentials used by the hackers were obtained from other data breaches, indicating that the initial breach or compromise of those credentials occurred outside of Spotify's systems [Article 107607]. This external factor of compromised credentials from other breaches contributed to the success of the attack on Spotify accounts. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was primarily due to non-human actions. The hackers were able to access around 350,000 Spotify accounts by using a cache of login credentials stolen in other data breaches and employing a technique known as credential stuffing. This technique did not require breaching Spotify's systems but rather relied on the reuse of passwords by account holders from other accounts. Additionally, the hackers exposed their own operation by storing the stolen records on an unsecured cloud database, allowing anyone with a web browser to access the data without needing a password [Article 107607].
(b) Human actions also played a significant role in this software failure incident. The security blunder committed by the hackers in storing the stolen records on an unsecured cloud database was a human error that exposed their operation. Furthermore, the advice given by security researchers to end-users not to recycle passwords highlights the importance of human actions in preventing such incidents in the future [Article 107607]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the article is not related to hardware issues. It primarily involves a security breach where hackers accessed Spotify accounts using stolen login credentials obtained from other data breaches. The incident was a result of users reusing passwords across multiple accounts, which is a basic security mistake [Article 107607].
(b) The software failure incident is directly related to software vulnerabilities and security flaws. The hackers exploited the practice of credential stuffing, where they tried combinations of stolen login credentials on Spotify to gain unauthorized access to accounts. Additionally, the hackers made a security blunder by storing the stolen records on an unsecured cloud database, making the data easily accessible to anyone with a web browser [Article 107607]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident in this case is malicious. Hackers accessed as many as 350,000 Spotify accounts by using stolen login credentials from other data breaches and employing a technique known as credential stuffing. The hackers exposed their operation by storing the stolen records on an unsecured cloud database, allowing anyone to access the data without needing a password. The stolen accounts could be rented to other users at a discount or used for "streaming manipulation," which is a major concern in the recording industry. Spotify prompted a password reset for the affected users to mitigate the impact of the breach [107607].
(b) The software failure incident is non-malicious in the sense that the users who fell victim to the breach were reusing passwords from other accounts, which is a basic security mistake. The security researchers who discovered the exposed records on the unsecured cloud database were scanning the internet for unsecured data as part of their project. The incident highlights the importance of not recycling passwords to prevent such breaches in the future [107607]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident was primarily due to poor_decisions made by the hackers. The hackers were able to access around 350,000 Spotify accounts by utilizing stolen login credentials from other data breaches and employing a technique known as credential stuffing. Additionally, the hackers made a security blunder by storing the stolen records on an unsecured cloud database, making the data easily accessible to anyone with a web browser [107607]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in the article was not directly attributed to development incompetence. The hackers were able to access Spotify accounts not because of a flaw in Spotify's system but because users were reusing passwords from other accounts, which is considered a basic security mistake [Article 107607].
(b) The software failure incident in the article can be categorized as accidental in the sense that the hackers exposed their own operation by storing the stolen login credentials on an unsecured cloud database. This accidental exposure allowed security researchers to discover the records and prompt Spotify to reset passwords for affected users, ultimately ending the utility of the stolen data [Article 107607]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident described in the article is more aligned with a temporary failure. The incident occurred due to the hackers exploiting the reuse of passwords by Spotify users, leading to unauthorized access to around 350,000 accounts. However, Spotify took action by prompting a password reset for the affected users, thereby ending the utility of the stolen data and preventing further unauthorized access [Article 107607]. |
| Behaviour |
other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the article did not involve a crash where the system lost state and did not perform any of its intended functions. The incident was related to hackers accessing Spotify accounts through credential stuffing and storing stolen login credentials on an unsecured cloud database [Article 107607].
(b) omission: The software failure incident did not involve the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). Instead, the incident was primarily about unauthorized access to user accounts due to password reuse and the exposure of login credentials on an unsecured database [Article 107607].
(c) timing: The software failure incident was not related to the system performing its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. The incident focused on the unauthorized access to Spotify accounts through credential stuffing and the subsequent exposure of stolen login credentials [Article 107607].
(d) value: The software failure incident did not involve the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The incident was centered around the security vulnerability caused by users reusing passwords and hackers exploiting this to access Spotify accounts [Article 107607].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident did not exhibit the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The incident primarily involved unauthorized access to user accounts through credential stuffing and the exposure of stolen login credentials on an unsecured cloud database [Article 107607].
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident in the article can be categorized as a security breach resulting from the exploitation of password reuse by hackers. The incident highlighted the risks associated with using the same passwords across multiple accounts and the consequences of storing sensitive data in an unsecured manner [Article 107607]. |