Published Date: 2021-02-13
| Postmortem Analysis | |
|---|---|
| Timeline | 1. The software failure incident involving Mercedes-Benz vehicles happened in October 2019 [Article 111229]. 2. The software failure incident involving Mercedes-Benz vehicles happened in October 2019 [Article 110975]. 3. The software failure incident involving Mercedes-Benz vehicles happened in October 2019 [Article 111315]. |
| System | 1. Mercedes-Benz vehicles' eCall feature [Article 111229, Article 110977, Article 110975, Article 111315] |
| Responsible Organization | 1. Daimler AG's U.S. unit Mercedes-Benz USA was responsible for causing the software failure incident [110977, 110975, 111315]. 2. The software design issue leading to the failure was attributed to a fault in the eCall feature of the cars [111229, 112147]. |
| Impacted Organization | 1. Mercedes-Benz - The software failure incident impacted Mercedes-Benz vehicles, leading to a recall of 2.6 million vehicles in China and 1.29 million vehicles in the United States due to a software design issue affecting the communication of the vehicle's correct location in the event of a crash [112147, 111229, 110977, 110975, 111315]. |
| Software Causes | 1. The software failure incident in the Mercedes-Benz vehicles was caused by a fault in the eCall feature, which is responsible for alerting emergency services of an accident and relaying the vehicle's location to them [Article 111229]. 2. The issue stemmed from a software-related problem in the communication module used by the emergency call system, where a temporary drop in a vehicle's voltage during an accident could lead to the communication module failing to transmit the correct current position when an emergency call is made [Article 111229]. 3. The software issue could result in the wrong location being sent to emergency services, posing a safety risk as the correct vehicle location may not be communicated in the event of a crash [Article 110977]. 4. The software failure incident was identified through an investigation initiated by Mercedes-Benz in Europe after a report from the Mercedes-Benz eCall center highlighted a case where the automatic eCall system relayed an inaccurate vehicle position [Article 110977]. |
| Non-software Causes | 1. Temporary collapse of the communication module's power supply caused by a crash, leading to the vehicle's position during a potential emergency call being incorrect [110977, 110975, 111315]. 2. Inaccurate vehicle position relayed by the automatic eCall system due to a software issue connected to the communications module used by the emergency call system [110977, 110975, 111315]. |
| Impacts | 1. The software failure incident in Mercedes-Benz vehicles led to a recall of 2.6 million vehicles in China and 1.29 million vehicles in the United States due to a software design issue that could fail to communicate the correct location of the vehicle in the event of a crash [112147, 110977, 110975, 111315]. 2. The safety defect with the cars' emergency call system, specifically the eCall feature, could potentially send the wrong location to emergency services, posing a safety risk [111229]. 3. The software-related issue required a software update to be installed by dealers or over-the-air to fix the problem, affecting various models made between 2016 and 2021 [111229, 110977, 110975, 111315]. 4. The fault in the software connected to the communications module used by the emergency call system could result in an incorrect vehicle position being transmitted during an emergency call triggered by a crash [110977, 110975]. 5. Despite the software failure, Mercedes-Benz stated that other functions of the automatic and manual emergency call function remained fully operational, and there were no reported cases of material damage or personal injury in connection with the issue [110977, 110975, 111315]. |
| Preventions | 1. Implementing thorough software testing procedures to catch potential bugs and faults before the software is deployed [110977, 110975]. 2. Conducting regular software audits and reviews to identify and address any vulnerabilities or issues in the system [110977, 110975]. 3. Ensuring proper monitoring and feedback mechanisms are in place to detect any anomalies or failures in real-time [110977, 110975]. 4. Providing timely software updates and patches to address any identified issues or vulnerabilities [111229, 110975]. 5. Enhancing communication and coordination between different departments within the organization to promptly address and resolve software-related concerns [111229, 110975]. |
| Fixes | 1. A software update that will be installed by dealers or over-the-air [110977, 110975, 111315] 2. Fixing the fault in the software connected to the communications module used by the emergency call system [111229] | References | 1. China's State Administration for Market Regulation [Article 112147] 2. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [Article 111229, Article 110977, Article 110975, Article 111315] |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Recurring | one_organization, multiple_organization | (a) The software failure incident related to the incorrect communication of a vehicle's location during an emergency call has happened again at Mercedes-Benz. The incident occurred in both the U.S. and European markets, leading to a recall of over 1.29 million vehicles sold since 2016 [110977, 110975]. (b) The software failure incident related to the incorrect communication of a vehicle's location during an emergency call has also happened at other organizations or with their products and services. Mercedes-Benz in Europe launched an investigation in October 2019 after a report of a single instance where the automatic eCall system relayed an inaccurate vehicle position. This investigation revealed additional similar events with incorrect vehicle positions being transmitted [111229]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) | design, operation | (a) The software failure incident related to the design phase: The software failure incident in the Mercedes-Benz vehicles was due to a software design issue that caused the system to fail to communicate the correct location of the vehicle in the event of a crash. This issue was identified by China's State Administration for Market Regulation, leading to a recall of 2.6 million vehicles in China [112147]. The problem was specifically related to the software design of the eCall feature, which is responsible for alerting emergency services in case of an accident and providing the vehicle's location. The fault in the software could result in the wrong location being sent, posing a safety risk [111229]. (b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase: The software failure incident in the Mercedes-Benz vehicles was also related to the operation phase. The issue was described as a temporary collapse of the communication module's power supply caused by a crash, leading to the incorrect transmission of the vehicle's position during a potential emergency call. This operational failure could occur due to a crash affecting the power supply of the communication module, resulting in the incorrect location being communicated during an emergency call [110977, 110975]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) | within_system | (a) within_system: The software failure incident related to the Mercedes-Benz vehicles was due to a software design issue within the system. The issue was specifically related to the software connected to the communications module used by the emergency call system. In the event of an accident-related temporary drop in a vehicle's voltage, the communication module might not communicate the correct current position when an emergency call is made/triggered, leading to an incorrect location being transmitted [110977, 111229, 111315]. (b) outside_system: The software failure incident was not attributed to contributing factors originating from outside the system based on the information provided in the articles. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) | non-human_actions, human_actions | (a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions: - The software design issue in Mercedes-Benz vehicles in China and the United States was due to a software-related fault in the eCall feature, which could lead to the wrong location being sent to emergency services in the event of an accident [112147, 111229]. - The fault was specifically related to the software connected to the communications module used by the emergency call system, where a temporary drop in a vehicle's voltage could cause the communication module to not communicate the correct current position during an emergency call [111229]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions: - The recall and software update for the affected Mercedes-Benz vehicles were initiated by Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz USA due to the software failing to communicate the correct vehicle location in the event of a crash [110977, 110975, 111315]. - The investigation into the software issue was launched by Mercedes-Benz in Europe based on a report from the Mercedes-Benz eCall center regarding instances where the automatic eCall system relayed an inaccurate vehicle position [110977, 110975, 111315]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) | software | (a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware: - The software failure incident reported in the articles is not attributed to hardware issues but rather to a software design issue related to the communication module's power supply in the event of a crash [112147, 111229, 110977, 110975]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to software: - The software failure incident is specifically linked to a software design issue where the software may fail to communicate the correct vehicle location in the event of a crash [112147, 111229, 110977, 110975]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) | non-malicious | (a) The software failure incident related to the Mercedes-Benz vehicles was non-malicious. The issue was identified as a software design problem that could lead to the incorrect communication of a vehicle's location in the event of a crash. This issue affected the emergency call system in the cars, specifically the eCall feature, which is meant to alert emergency services in case of an accident and provide the vehicle's location. The problem was attributed to a fault in the software connected to the communications module used by the emergency call system, causing the incorrect transmission of the vehicle's position [112147, 111229, 110977, 110975]. (b) There is no indication in the articles that the software failure incident was malicious. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) | poor_decisions | (a) The software failure incident related to the Mercedes-Benz vehicles' emergency call system was primarily due to poor decisions. The issue stemmed from a fault in the eCall feature, which led to the possibility of sending the wrong location to emergency services in the event of an accident [Article 111229]. The fault was specifically related to the software connected to the communications module used by the emergency call system, which could fail to communicate the correct current position during an emergency call triggered by a crash [Article 110977]. The investigation initiated by Mercedes-Benz in Europe in October 2019 revealed instances where the automatic eCall system relayed inaccurate vehicle positions, indicating a systemic issue with the software [Article 110975]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) | development_incompetence | (a) The software failure incident related to the Mercedes-Benz vehicles occurred due to development incompetence. The articles mention that the issue was with the software design, specifically with the communication module used by the emergency call system. The fault in the software could lead to the incorrect transmission of the vehicle's location during an emergency call in the event of a crash [112147, 111229, 110977, 110975]. (b) The software failure incident was accidental as the fault in the software connected to the communications module used by the emergency call system was not intentional. It was described as a rare case where a temporary drop in a vehicle's voltage could cause the communication module to not transmit the correct current position during an emergency call triggered by a crash [112147, 111229, 110977, 110975]. |
| Duration | temporary | The software failure incident related to the Mercedes-Benz vehicles' emergency call system was temporary. The issue was with the eCall feature, which could send the wrong location to emergency services in the event of an accident due to a fault in the software. The fix for this issue could be done "over the air" via a wireless download using the car's existing mobile data connection. However, if the over-the-air update was not possible, owners could bring their cars into an authorized dealer to have the update applied [Article 111229, Article 110977, Article 110975, Article 111315]. |
| Behaviour | crash, value | (a) crash: The software failure incident in the articles is related to a crash behavior. The articles mention that the software may fail to communicate a vehicle's correct location in the event of a crash, leading to an incorrect position being relayed during an emergency call [112147, 111229, 110977, 110975]. (b) omission: The software failure incident does not seem to be related to an omission behavior where the system omits to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). (c) timing: The software failure incident is not related to a timing behavior where the system performs its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. (d) value: The software failure incident is related to a value behavior where the system performs its intended functions incorrectly. Specifically, the issue is with the communication module not communicating the correct current position when an emergency call is made/triggered [111229, 110977, 110975]. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident is not related to a byzantine behavior where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. (f) other: The software failure incident does not exhibit any other behavior not covered by the options provided. |
| Layer | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Perception | None | None |
| Communication | None | None |
| Application | None | None |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Consequence | non-human, theoretical_consequence | (a) death: There were no reports of deaths related to the software failure incident in the articles. [110977, 110975, 111315] (b) harm: The software failure incident did not result in any reported physical harm to individuals. [110977, 110975, 111315] (c) basic: The software failure incident did not impact people's access to food or shelter. [110977, 110975, 111315] (d) property: The software failure incident did not result in any reported impact on people's material goods, money, or data. [110977, 110975, 111315] (e) delay: There were no reports of people having to postpone activities due to the software failure incident. [110977, 110975, 111315] (f) non-human: The software failure incident impacted the correct communication of a vehicle's location in the event of a crash, affecting the emergency call system in Mercedes-Benz vehicles. [110977, 110975, 111315] (g) no_consequence: The software failure incident did not lead to any observed real consequences such as deaths, physical harm, or material damage. [110977, 110975, 111315] (h) theoretical_consequence: The potential theoretical consequence discussed was the incorrect transmission of a vehicle's position during an emergency call due to a temporary collapse of the communication module's power supply caused by a crash. [110977, 110975, 111315] (i) other: There were no other consequences reported in the articles. [110977, 110975, 111315] |
| Domain | transportation | (a) The software failure incident reported in the articles is related to the transportation industry. The affected system was the emergency call system in Mercedes-Benz vehicles, which is crucial for alerting emergency services in the event of an accident and relaying the vehicle's location accurately [Article 111229, Article 110977, Article 110975, Article 111315]. |
Article ID: 112147
Article ID: 111229
Article ID: 110977
Article ID: 110975
Article ID: 111315