Incident: Clubhouse Vulnerability Allows Eavesdropping and Disruption Attacks

Published Date: 2021-04-21

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident happened more than a year before the article was published in April 2021 [113344]. Estimation: Step 1: The article mentions, "It's been more than a year since the audio social network Clubhouse debuted." Step 2: The article was published on 2021-04-21. Step 3: The incident likely occurred around March or April of 2020.
System 1. Clubhouse app on iOS [113344]
Responsible Organization 1. The software failure incident in the Clubhouse app was caused by a pair of vulnerabilities discovered by security researcher Katie Moussouris [113344].
Impacted Organization 1. Clubhouse users were impacted by the software failure incident as the vulnerabilities discovered by Katie Moussouris could have allowed attackers to eavesdrop on conversations or disrupt discussions within Clubhouse rooms [113344].
Software Causes 1. The software failure incident was caused by a pair of vulnerabilities in the Clubhouse app that allowed an attacker to eavesdrop on conversations and disrupt discussions beyond a moderator's control [113344].
Non-software Causes 1. Slow response from Clubhouse to security researcher's findings and fixes [113344] 2. Overwhelming number of media requests leading to delayed responses from Clubhouse [113344] 3. Challenges faced by individuals trying to file CCPA requests with Clubhouse due to lack of response [113344]
Impacts 1. The software failure incident in Clubhouse allowed attackers to eavesdrop on conversations and disrupt discussions beyond a moderator's control, posing significant security and privacy risks [113344]. 2. The vulnerability could be exploited with minimal technical knowledge, highlighting a critical flaw in the platform's security measures [113344]. 3. The incident raised concerns about privacy issues, harassment, hate speech, and other forms of abuse on the Clubhouse platform, creating a worst-case scenario for the company [113344]. 4. Clubhouse had to patch two bugs related to the incident, one ensuring that ghost participants were muted and the other resolving a cache display issue to enhance user security [113344]. 5. The slow response from Clubhouse to the security researcher's findings and the delay in fully resolving the issue indicated potential challenges in the company's handling of security vulnerabilities [113344].
Preventions 1. Implementing a thorough security review process to identify and address vulnerabilities before they can be exploited [113344]. 2. Promptly responding to security researchers who report vulnerabilities and working collaboratively to address the issues [113344]. 3. Conducting regular security audits and bug bounty programs to incentivize researchers to report vulnerabilities [113344].
Fixes 1. Implementing the bug fixes related to the vulnerabilities discovered by Katie Moussouris, such as ensuring ghost participants are always muted and cannot hear a room, and resolving cache display issues to log users out fully on old devices when logging into another [113344]. 2. Enhancing the responsiveness of the company, in this case, Clubhouse, to security disclosures and bug reports to address issues swiftly and effectively [113344]. 3. Establishing a more efficient and timely communication channel for security researchers, journalists, and users to report incidents, vulnerabilities, and data requests, ensuring prompt responses and actions [113344].
References 1. Katie Moussouris, a longtime security researcher [Article 113344] 2. Clubhouse, the audio social network platform [Article 113344] 3. Whitney Merrill, a privacy and data protection lawyer and former Federal Trade Commission attorney [Article 113344]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring unknown (a) The software failure incident related to the Clubhouse vulnerabilities discovered by security researcher Katie Moussouris is specific to the Clubhouse platform. There is no mention in the article of a similar incident happening before within the same organization (Clubhouse) or with its products and services. Therefore, the incident seems to be unique to Clubhouse and not a recurring issue within the organization. (b) The article does not provide information about a similar incident happening before at other organizations or with their products and services. The focus is primarily on the vulnerabilities discovered in Clubhouse and the specific actions taken to address them. Hence, there is no indication of this incident being a recurring issue across multiple organizations.
Phase (Design/Operation) design, operation (a) The software failure incident in the article is related to the design phase. The vulnerabilities discovered by security researcher Katie Moussouris in the Clubhouse app allowed for eavesdropping and interrupting attacks due to flaws in the system design. These vulnerabilities could have been exploited with virtually no technical knowledge, highlighting the importance of addressing design flaws in software systems [113344]. (b) The software failure incident is also related to the operation phase. The vulnerabilities discovered in the Clubhouse app could have allowed an attacker to lurk and listen in a room undetected or disrupt a discussion beyond a moderator's control. This highlights the impact of operational issues and misuse of the system on software failures [113344].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) The software failure incident reported in the article is primarily within_system. The vulnerabilities discovered by security researcher Katie Moussouris in the Clubhouse app allowed attackers to exploit flaws within the system itself, such as eavesdropping and interrupting discussions in Clubhouse rooms [113344]. The vulnerabilities were related to how the app handled user logins and room connections, indicating that the failure originated from within the system. Additionally, the fixes implemented by Clubhouse to address these vulnerabilities were focused on internal system changes, like muting ghost participants and improving the logout process on devices [113344].
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions, human_actions (a) The software failure incident in the article was primarily due to non-human actions, specifically vulnerabilities in the Clubhouse app that allowed for eavesdropping and disrupting discussions without human intervention. The vulnerabilities, named "Stillergeist" and "Banshee Bombing," were discovered by security researcher Katie Moussouris and were fixed by Clubhouse after being reported [113344]. (b) Human actions also played a role in this software failure incident as the vulnerabilities were discovered and reported by security researcher Katie Moussouris. Additionally, the response time and communication issues with Clubhouse regarding the fixes and data requests highlighted some challenges related to human actions in addressing security and privacy concerns [113344].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) software (a) The software failure incident reported in the article [113344] was not due to hardware issues but rather due to vulnerabilities in the Clubhouse app itself. The vulnerabilities discovered by security researcher Katie Moussouris allowed attackers to eavesdrop on Clubhouse rooms and disrupt discussions beyond a moderator's control. These vulnerabilities were related to the software implementation and not hardware-related issues. (b) The software failure incident in the article [113344] was primarily due to software vulnerabilities in the Clubhouse app. The vulnerabilities allowed for attacks like eavesdropping and disrupting discussions within Clubhouse rooms. These issues were fixed by the company through software patches to address the flaws in the application's code and functionality.
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) malicious (a) The software failure incident described in the article is malicious in nature. Security researcher Katie Moussouris discovered a pair of vulnerabilities in the Clubhouse app that could have allowed an attacker to eavesdrop on conversations or disrupt discussions beyond a moderator's control. These vulnerabilities, named "Stillergeist" and "Banshee Bombing" by Moussouris, could be exploited by an attacker with virtually no technical knowledge using two iPhones with the Clubhouse app installed [113344]. The vulnerabilities posed a serious threat to user privacy and security on the platform, highlighting the potential for malicious actors to exploit software weaknesses for harmful purposes.
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) unknown (a) The intent of the software failure incident was not due to poor decisions. The vulnerability in Clubhouse that allowed for eavesdropping and interrupting attacks was discovered by security researcher Katie Moussouris, who reported it to the company. Clubhouse eventually patched the bugs related to the findings, showing a willingness to address the security issues raised [113344]. (b) The software failure incident was not due to accidental decisions. The vulnerabilities discovered by Moussouris were not accidental but were actively exploited by her to demonstrate the flaws in Clubhouse's security. The company took steps to resolve the issues after being informed about them, indicating a response to the identified problems [113344].
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) development_incompetence (a) The software failure incident in the article was related to development incompetence. The vulnerabilities discovered by security researcher Katie Moussouris in the Clubhouse app allowed attackers to eavesdrop on conversations and disrupt discussions beyond a moderator's control. These vulnerabilities could be exploited with virtually no technical knowledge, highlighting a lack of professional competence in ensuring the security and privacy of the app [113344]. (b) The software failure incident was not related to accidental factors but rather to intentional exploitation of vulnerabilities in the Clubhouse app.
Duration temporary (a) The software failure incident described in the article was temporary. The vulnerabilities discovered by security researcher Katie Moussouris in the Clubhouse app allowed for eavesdropping and interrupting attacks, but these issues were fixed by the company after Moussouris reported them. The vulnerabilities were related to a flaw that allowed an attacker to lurk and listen in a Clubhouse room undetected or verbally disrupt a discussion beyond a moderator's control. The company patched the bugs and implemented fixes to prevent ghost participants from being able to hear a room and to ensure users are more fully logged out on old devices [113344].
Behaviour other (a) crash: The software failure incident described in the article did not involve a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. Instead, it focused on vulnerabilities that allowed attackers to eavesdrop or disrupt conversations on the Clubhouse app [113344]. (b) omission: The incident did not involve the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). It was more about security vulnerabilities that could be exploited to listen in on conversations or disrupt them [113344]. (c) timing: The failure was not related to the system performing its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. It was more about security vulnerabilities that could be exploited to eavesdrop or disrupt conversations on the Clubhouse app [113344]. (d) value: The software failure incident did not involve the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. Instead, it was about vulnerabilities that could be exploited to eavesdrop or disrupt conversations on the Clubhouse app [113344]. (e) byzantine: The incident did not involve the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. It was more about security vulnerabilities that could be exploited to listen in on conversations or disrupt them on the Clubhouse app [113344]. (f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident can be categorized as a security vulnerability that allowed attackers to lurk and listen in a Clubhouse room undetected or verbally disrupt a discussion beyond a moderator's control. The vulnerability could be exploited with virtually no technical knowledge, highlighting a critical flaw in the app's security [113344].

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception None None
Communication None None
Application None None

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence harm, property, theoretical_consequence The consequence of the software failure incident discussed in the article is related to potential harm and theoretical consequences: - Harm: The software failure incident could have allowed an attacker to eavesdrop on conversations or disrupt discussions beyond a moderator's control, potentially leading to privacy violations, harassment, hate speech, and other forms of abuse [113344]. - Theoretical Consequence: The vulnerability in the Clubhouse app could have resulted in nightmare scenarios for users, such as not knowing who is listening in on a conversation or being unable to stop an invisible person from saying whatever they want in a room [113344].
Domain information (a) The software failure incident reported in the article is related to the information industry, specifically the audio social network Clubhouse. The incident involved security and privacy vulnerabilities that could allow attackers to eavesdrop on conversations or disrupt discussions within Clubhouse rooms [113344]. (h) The incident also highlights the importance of privacy and security issues, as well as the slow response of the company to security disclosures and data requests. The article mentions a privacy and data protection lawyer encountering challenges while trying to file a CCPA request with Clubhouse, emphasizing the need for startups to prioritize privacy and security concerns [113344]. (m) The software failure incident is not directly related to any other industry mentioned in the options provided.

Sources

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