| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident has happened again at one_organization:
The incident of the software failure related to the Y2K22 bug affecting Microsoft Exchange servers is reminiscent of the Y2K bug that occurred 22 years ago. The Y2K bug was a computer programming flaw that affected some computers at the turn of the millennium, causing concerns about interpreting dates incorrectly. The current issue with Microsoft Exchange servers, dubbed Y2K22, is a similar glitch affecting the system's anti-malware scanning software, leading to email delivery problems [122903].
(b) The software failure incident has happened again at multiple_organization:
The articles do not provide specific information about similar incidents happening at other organizations or with their products and services. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in Article 122903 occurred due to a design flaw related to the naming system used by Microsoft for its malware-scanning engine updates. The issue stemmed from the way updates were named, with the update number exceeding the maximum value that could be inputted, causing the system to fail when the calendar ticked over to 2022 [122903].
(b) The software failure incident in Article 122903 also involved operational factors. System administrators shared workarounds on social media, such as disabling anti-malware scanning, to release queued messages sooner. However, Microsoft warned that these workarounds should only be used if there is an existing malware scanner for email other than the engine in Exchange Server, as disabling the anti-malware scanning could leave systems open to attack [122903]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident related to the Y2K22 glitch affecting Microsoft Exchange servers is primarily within the system. The issue stemmed from a flaw in the way Microsoft named updates for its malware-scanning engine, which led to the system exceeding the maximum value in the naming system and subsequently failing to queue and check messages properly [122903].
(b) outside_system: The Y2K22 glitch affecting Microsoft Exchange servers also had contributing factors originating from outside the system. For example, the original Y2K bug that occurred in 2000 was a result of a computer programming issue that affected some computers at the turn of the millennium, which was an external factor influencing the software failure incident [122903]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurred due to non-human actions, specifically a computer programming flaw known as the Millennium bug, which resurfaced in Microsoft Exchange servers 22 years later. This flaw caused issues with interpreting dates, leading to the failure of Microsoft's anti-malware scanning software and resulting in emails being queued but not delivered [122903].
(b) The software failure incident also involved human actions, as system administrators had to share workarounds on social media to address the issue. These workarounds involved disabling anti-malware scanning, which left systems vulnerable to attacks. Additionally, Microsoft engineers were working on a fix that would require customer action to resolve the problem [122903]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware:
- The issue with Microsoft Exchange servers was caused by a flaw in the way Microsoft names updates for its malware-scanning engine, which involves a limitation in the field where the update number is stored [122903].
- The naming system for updates exceeded the maximum value when the calendar ticked over to 2022, leading to the failure of Microsoft's anti-malware scanning software [122903].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to software:
- The glitch affecting Microsoft Exchange servers was attributed to a software issue related to the naming system for updates and the limitation in the update number field [122903].
- Microsoft engineers are working on a fix for the software issue that is causing the anti-malware scanning software to crash and messages to be stuck in transport queues [122903]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in the articles is non-malicious. The issue with Microsoft Exchange servers was caused by a computer programming flaw related to the Y2K22 bug, where the naming system for updates exceeded the maximum value due to a limit in the field where the update number is stored. This led to Microsoft's anti-malware scanning software queueing emails instead of sending them on, impacting the delivery of messages [122903]. The failure was not due to malicious intent but rather a technical limitation in the software system. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions, accidental_decisions |
The intent of the software failure incident can be attributed to both poor decisions and accidental decisions:
(a) poor_decisions: The software failure incident related to the Y2K22 bug affecting Microsoft Exchange servers can be linked to poor decisions made in the past regarding the naming system for updates. The system used by Microsoft to name updates for its malware-scanning engine had a limitation in the field where the update number is stored, causing the failure when the calendar ticked over to 2022 [122903].
(b) accidental_decisions: The incident also involved accidental decisions or unintended consequences, such as the unintended overflow of the naming system for updates due to the limitation in the update number field, leading to the failure of Microsoft's anti-malware scanning software and the queuing of emails instead of delivering them [122903]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to development incompetence:
- The software failure incident related to the Y2K22 glitch affecting Microsoft Exchange servers was caused by a development flaw in the way Microsoft named updates for its malware-scanning engine. The naming system for updates exceeded the maximum value that could be inputted, leading to the failure of the anti-malware scanning software and causing emails to queue instead of being delivered [122903].
- The issue stemmed from a limitation in the field where the update number is stored, which resulted in the failure of the anti-malware scanning software [122903].
(b) The software failure incident occurring accidentally:
- The incident was not described as accidental but rather as a consequence of a development flaw in the software system related to the naming of updates for the malware-scanning engine [122903].
- The failure was not attributed to accidental factors but rather to a technical limitation in the system that caused the software to malfunction [122903]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident related to the Microsoft Exchange glitch, known as Y2K22, is temporary. The incident began as the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve [Article 122903]. Microsoft engineers are actively working on a fix that will require several days to develop and deploy [Article 122903]. System administrators have shared workarounds on social media, such as disabling anti-malware scanning, to release messages sooner [Article 122903]. Microsoft is expected to provide an update shortly along with actions required by customers [Article 122903]. The incident is being actively addressed, and steps are being taken to resolve the issue, indicating a temporary nature of the software failure. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the articles can be categorized as a crash. The issue with Microsoft Exchange servers led to the anti-malware scanning software crashing, resulting in messages being stuck in transport queues and not being delivered to recipients [122903].
(b) omission: The incident also involved a failure of omission, where the software omitted to perform its intended functions of delivering emails due to the crash in the anti-malware scanning software [122903].
(c) timing: The timing of the failure incident is related to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly due to a timing issue. The failure occurred as the calendar ticked over to 2022, causing the naming system for updates to exceed the maximum value and fail, leading to the software issue [122903].
(d) value: The software failure incident can be attributed to a failure related to the value. The issue stemmed from the way Microsoft named updates for its malware-scanning engine, where the update number exceeded the maximum value that could be inputted, causing the failure in the system [122903].
(e) byzantine: The incident does not exhibit characteristics of a byzantine failure, as there is no mention of inconsistent responses or interactions in the behavior of the software failure incident reported in the articles.
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident can be described as a system losing state and not performing its intended functions due to a crash in the anti-malware scanning software, leading to messages being stuck in transport queues and not being delivered to recipients [122903]. |