Incident: Windows Mobile SMS Date Bug Incident.

Published Date: 2010-01-05

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident happened on January 1, 2010 [112, 123].
System 1. Windows Mobile versions 6.1 and 6.5 [112, 123]
Responsible Organization 1. Microsoft [112, 123]
Impacted Organization 1. Windows Mobile users [112, 123]
Software Causes 1. Software bug causing Windows Mobile devices to incorrectly date incoming SMS messages to 2016 [112, 123]
Non-software Causes 1. The Windows Mobile bug causing messages to be dated incorrectly was attributed to a glitch in the system, specifically affecting text messages sent after New Year's Day [Article 123].
Impacts 1. Messages received on Windows Mobile devices starting January 1 were dated as 2016 instead of the correct date, causing confusion and inconvenience for users [112, 123]. 2. The incorrect dating of messages led to them getting lost in the inbox and conversation threads not showing up appropriately, affecting the user experience [112]. 3. Outgoing messages were dated correctly, indicating that the issue specifically affected incoming SMS messages [112]. 4. Users had to rely on unofficial patches as a temporary solution to date the messages correctly using the phone's clock instead of the SMS gateway [112].
Preventions 1. Implementing thorough testing procedures before releasing software updates or patches could have potentially prevented the software failure incident [112, 123]. 2. Conducting comprehensive quality assurance checks specifically focusing on date-related functionalities could have helped catch the bug before it affected users [112, 123]. 3. Timely communication and collaboration between Microsoft, handset makers, and mobile operators could have facilitated a quicker response to the issue and prevented its widespread impact [112, 123].
Fixes 1. Microsoft releasing an official fix for the bug affecting Windows Mobile devices [112, 123] 2. Implementing an unofficial patch that uses the phone's clock to date messages correctly as a temporary solution [112]
References 1. Microsoft (software maker) [112, 123] 2. Handset makers [112] 3. T-Mobile's network users [112]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring one_organization (a) The software failure incident of the Windows Mobile devices attaching the wrong date to incoming SMS messages has happened again within the same organization, Microsoft. The incident is similar to the once-feared Y2K problem, where computer programs had to be rewritten to interpret the "00" date tag correctly [112, 123]. (b) There is no information in the provided articles about the software failure incident happening again at multiple organizations or with their products and services.
Phase (Design/Operation) design (a) The software failure incident related to the design phase is evident in the articles. The incident with Windows Mobile devices dating incoming SMS messages to 2016 instead of the correct year 2010 is attributed to a software bug affecting smartphones running Windows Mobile versions 6.1 or 6.5 [112, 123]. This bug was a result of a design flaw in the system development or updates, causing messages to be incorrectly dated and creating confusion for users. Microsoft acknowledged the issue and mentioned working closely with partners to investigate and correct the problem, indicating a design-related failure in the software. (b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is not explicitly mentioned in the articles.
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) within_system: The software failure incident related to the Windows Mobile devices attaching the wrong date to incoming SMS messages after New Year's Day was caused by a software bug within the Windows Mobile operating system itself. Microsoft acknowledged the glitch and mentioned that they are investigating the cause and working with their partners to correct the issue [112, 123]. (b) outside_system: There is no specific mention in the articles about the software failure incident being caused by contributing factors originating from outside the system.
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions (a) The software failure incident in this case is primarily due to non-human actions, specifically a software bug affecting Windows Mobile devices. The bug causes incoming SMS messages to be dated as 2016 instead of the correct date in 2010. Microsoft is investigating the glitch and working with partners to correct the issue [112, 123]. (b) There is no specific information in the articles pointing to the software failure incident being caused by human actions.
Dimension (Hardware/Software) software (a) The software failure incident related to hardware: - The incident reported in Article 112 mentions a software bug affecting Windows Mobile smartphones, specifically versions 6.1 or 6.5, causing all messages received starting January 1 to be dated 2016. This issue is attributed to a software bug and not hardware [112]. (b) The software failure incident related to software: - Both articles highlight that the software failure incident, causing Windows Mobile devices to attach the wrong date to incoming SMS messages, is due to a glitch in the software. Microsoft is investigating the reports of this glitch, indicating that the issue originates in the software [123].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious (a) The software failure incident related to the Windows Mobile bug causing messages to be dated 2016 is categorized as non-malicious. The incident was caused by a software bug that affected smartphones running Windows Mobile versions 6.1 or 6.5, leading to incorrect date tagging on incoming SMS messages after January 1 [112, 123]. Microsoft acknowledged the glitch and mentioned that they are investigating the cause and working with partners to correct the issue, indicating that the problem was not caused by malicious intent but rather a technical flaw in the software.
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) poor_decisions (a) The software failure incident related to the Windows Mobile bug causing messages to be dated 2016 appears to be more aligned with poor_decisions. This is evident from the fact that the bug was a result of a software issue where messages received after January 1 were incorrectly dated as 2016, indicating a flaw in the date handling logic of the software [112, 123]. Additionally, the delay in providing a fix for the bug by Microsoft and the handset makers further suggests a lack of proactive decision-making to address the issue promptly, contributing to the failure.
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) development_incompetence (a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the articles. The incident with Windows Mobile devices attaching the wrong date to incoming SMS messages after New Year's Day was caused by a software bug affecting smartphones running Windows Mobile versions 6.1 or 6.5 [112]. Microsoft acknowledged the glitch and mentioned that they are investigating the cause and working with partners to correct the issue [123]. The fact that the bug caused messages to be dated as 2016 instead of the correct year indicates a lack of professional competence in the development or testing of the software. (b) The software failure incident does not seem to be related to accidental factors based on the information provided in the articles.
Duration temporary From the provided articles [112, 123], the software failure incident related to the Windows Mobile bug causing SMS messages to be dated as 2016 instead of the correct date after January 1st, 2010, can be categorized as a temporary failure. This is evident from the fact that Microsoft is actively investigating the glitch and working closely with partners to correct the issue, indicating that the problem is not permanent and efforts are being made to resolve it. Additionally, an unofficial patch has been mentioned as a temporary solution to date the messages correctly using the phone's clock [112].
Behaviour timing, value, other (a) crash: The software failure incident in the articles is not described as a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions [112, 123]. (b) omission: The software failure incident is not described as a failure due to the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s) [112, 123]. (c) timing: The software failure incident is related to a timing issue where the system is performing its intended functions incorrectly by dating incoming SMS messages as 2016 instead of the correct date [112, 123]. (d) value: The software failure incident is a value-related failure where the system is performing its intended functions incorrectly by attaching the wrong date to incoming SMS messages [112, 123]. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident is not described as a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions [112, 123]. (f) other: The other behavior of the software failure incident is related to a bug causing smartphones running Windows Mobile to incorrectly date messages received starting January 1 as 2016, impacting the inbox organization and conversation threads [112].

IoT System Layer

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

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence unknown (a) death: People lost their lives due to the software failure (b) harm: People were physically harmed due to the software failure (c) basic: People's access to food or shelter was impacted because of the software failure (d) property: People's material goods, money, or data was impacted due to the software failure (e) delay: People had to postpone an activity due to the software failure (f) non-human: Non-human entities were impacted due to the software failure (g) no_consequence: There were no real observed consequences of the software failure (h) theoretical_consequence: There were potential consequences discussed of the software failure that did not occur (i) other: Was there consequence(s) of the software failure not described in the (a to h) options? What is the other consequence(s)? The consequence of the software failure incident in the reported articles is primarily related to inconvenience and data mismanagement for users of Windows Mobile devices. There were no reports of severe consequences such as death, physical harm, impact on basic needs, or significant property loss due to the software bug. The main impact described was the incorrect dating of messages causing confusion and disruption in communication [112, 123].
Domain information (a) The software failure incident reported in the articles is related to the information industry. The Windows Mobile bug affected smartphones running the Microsoft operating system, causing all messages received starting January 1 to be dated 2016 [112]. The glitch caused text messages sent after New Year's Day to appear as if they were sent in 2016 [123]. This issue impacted the proper distribution and communication of information through text messages on Windows Mobile devices.

Sources

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