| Recurring |
multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to the hacking tool exploit created by Candiru targeting various civil society organizations, including a Saudi dissident group and a left-leaning Indonesian news outlet, affected users in several countries such as Iran, Lebanon, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Microsoft fixed the discovered flaws through a software update [116890].
(b) The incident involving Candiru's tools exploiting weaknesses in common software products like Google's Chrome browser was also disclosed by Google in a blog post. Google patched two vulnerabilities earlier this year that were connected to Candiru, a "commercial surveillance company" [116890]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase is evident in the article. The incident involved a hacking tool vendor named Candiru that created and sold a software exploit to penetrate Microsoft Windows. This exploit was used to target various civil society organizations globally, including a Saudi dissident group and an Indonesian news outlet. The exploit was able to spread to numerous customers, indicating a flaw in the design of the Windows software that allowed for such vulnerabilities to be exploited [116890].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is also highlighted in the article. The exploit created by Candiru was deployed against users in several countries, including Iran, Lebanon, Spain, and the United Kingdom. This indicates a failure in the operation or misuse of the Windows software by these users, leading to successful exploitation by the hacking tool [116890]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident described in the articles is primarily due to contributing factors that originate from within the system. The incident involved a hacking tool vendor named Candiru that created and sold a software exploit to penetrate Microsoft Windows and other common software platforms. Microsoft released a software update to fix the discovered flaws caused by the exploit [116890]. Additionally, Google disclosed two Chrome software flaws connected to Candiru, which were also patched [116890].
(b) outside_system: The software failure incident also involved contributing factors that originate from outside the system. Candiru, the hacking tool vendor, targeted various civil society organizations, including a Saudi dissident group and a left-leaning Indonesian news outlet, using the exploit. The incident highlighted the growing business of finding and selling tools to hack widely used software, indicating external threats and vulnerabilities in the software ecosystem [116890]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was primarily due to non-human actions, specifically the creation and sale of a software exploit by the hacking tool vendor Candiru, which could penetrate Windows and other common software platforms [Article 116890].
(b) Human actions also played a significant role in this software failure incident, as the Israeli group Candiru actively developed and sold the hacking tool exploit, targeting various civil society organizations and individuals in different countries. Additionally, government agencies around the world were customers of Candiru, using the cyberweapons to hack into targets' computers, phones, and network infrastructure [Article 116890]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The incident involved a hacking tool created and sold by a vendor named Candiru that exploited a software exploit to penetrate Microsoft Windows [Article 116890].
- The exploit was deployed against users in several countries, including Iran, Lebanon, Spain, and the United Kingdom, indicating a global impact [Article 116890].
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- The software failure incident was primarily due to a software exploit created and sold by Candiru, which targeted vulnerabilities in common software platforms like Microsoft Windows and Google Chrome [Article 116890].
- Microsoft and Google released software updates to fix the discovered flaws in their products, indicating that the failure originated in the software itself [Article 116890]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident in this case is malicious. The incident involved a group named Candiru selling a tool to hack into Microsoft Windows, which was used to target various civil society organizations, including a Saudi dissident group and a left-leaning Indonesian news outlet [116890]. Candiru's tools were also found to exploit weaknesses in other common software products like Google's Chrome browser [116890]. This indicates a deliberate intent to harm the systems of targeted organizations through the exploitation of software vulnerabilities. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
The software failure incident described in the articles is more aligned with the intent of poor_decisions. This incident involved the Israeli group Candiru selling a hacking tool to exploit Microsoft Windows and other software products to various clients, including government agencies, for surveillance purposes. The exploit was used against civil society organizations, indicating a deliberate decision to target specific groups. Additionally, the exploit was deployed in multiple countries, highlighting a systematic approach rather than accidental actions [116890]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
unknown |
(a) The software failure incident in the articles is not related to development incompetence. The incident was caused by a sophisticated hacking tool developed and sold by a group named Candiru, which exploited vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows and other software products [116890].
(b) The software failure incident in the articles is related to an accidental failure. The incident involved the exploitation of software vulnerabilities by a hacking tool developed and sold by Candiru, a secretive industry player, to target various organizations globally. The incident was not accidental in the sense that it was intentional exploitation of vulnerabilities, rather than a result of accidental errors or mistakes in software development [116890]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident described in the articles is more aligned with a temporary failure rather than a permanent one. This is evident from the fact that the software exploit created by the vendor Candiru was fixed by Microsoft through a software update [116890]. The exploit was actively used against users in several countries, indicating a specific set of circumstances that allowed for the exploit to be successful. Additionally, Google also patched vulnerabilities related to Candiru earlier this year, further highlighting the temporary nature of the software failure incident [116890]. |
| Behaviour |
other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident described in the articles does not involve a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. The incident is related to a hacking tool exploit created by Candiru that can penetrate Windows and other software platforms, leading to surveillance activities against various organizations [116890].
(b) omission: The incident does not involve a failure due to the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). Instead, it is about the exploitation of software vulnerabilities by Candiru to target users in different countries and organizations [116890].
(c) timing: The failure is not related to the system performing its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. It is about the exploitation of software vulnerabilities by Candiru for surveillance purposes [116890].
(d) value: The software failure incident is not about the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. It is about the creation and sale of a hacking tool exploit by Candiru to breach software platforms like Windows and Google Chrome for surveillance purposes [116890].
(e) byzantine: The incident does not involve a failure due to the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. It is primarily focused on the activities of a secretive industry selling tools to hack widely used software platforms for surveillance purposes [116890].
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident can be categorized as a security breach and exploitation of software vulnerabilities by a commercial surveillance company, Candiru, to target organizations globally. The incident highlights the risks associated with the mercenary spyware industry and the potential for widespread abuse of surveillance technology [116890]. |