| Recurring |
multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to the vulnerability in Android ad libraries affecting Android smartphone owners was discovered by researchers Yulong Zhang and Tao Wei from security firm FireEye [29207]. This incident highlights a vulnerability in the ad libraries used via the Android software, which can be exploited by hackers to take control of Android phones and tablets.
(b) The software failure incident involving the vulnerability in Android ad libraries is not specific to a single organization but rather a widespread issue affecting popular Android apps using these ad libraries. The incident was identified by researchers from FireEye who analyzed 73,000 popular apps from Google Play with more than 50,000 downloads and identified 93 ad libraries [29207]. This indicates that the vulnerability has the potential to impact multiple organizations and their products or services utilizing these ad libraries. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase is evident in the vulnerability found in the ad libraries used by popular Android apps. The vulnerability was not with the apps themselves but with the ad libraries used via the Android software [29207]. The flaw in the code of Android ad libraries allowed hackers to exploit it to push traffic from the advertiser’s server to their own 'attack' server, enabling them to take control of Android phones and tablets [29207].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is demonstrated by how the hacker, once the phone is running on the attack server, can generate fake messages to appear each time a selected app is opened. Clicking 'OK' on the fake message grants permission for the hacker to control the device, allowing them to take photos, record videos, send text messages, access the clipboard, and make calls [29207]. This failure is attributed to the operation or misuse of the system, where users unknowingly grant permissions to the hacker by interacting with the fake messages generated during the attack [29207]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) The software failure incident described in the articles is within_system. The vulnerability was found in the ad libraries used on popular Android apps, not within the apps themselves. Hackers exploited a flaw in the code of Android ad libraries to push traffic from the advertiser’s server to their own 'attack' server, allowing them to take control of Android phones and tablets [29207]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in the articles is related to non-human actions. The vulnerability was found in the ad libraries used on popular Android apps, which can be exploited by hackers to take complete control of Android phones and tablets [29207]. The flaw in the code of Android ad libraries allowed hackers to push traffic from the advertiser’s server to their own 'attack' server, enabling them to generate fake messages and gain permissions to control the device without human intervention. This vulnerability was not with the apps themselves but with the ad libraries used via the Android software, indicating a failure introduced without human participation. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the article is not related to hardware issues. It specifically mentions a vulnerability in the ad libraries used by popular Android apps, which can be exploited by hackers to take control of Android phones and tablets [29207]. This vulnerability originates in the software used via the Android platform, rather than being a hardware-related failure.
(b) The software failure incident is directly related to software issues. The vulnerability was found in the ad libraries used on popular Android apps, not in the apps themselves, by researchers from security firm Fireye [29207]. The flaw in the code of Android ad libraries allowed hackers to exploit the software and take control of the devices, showcasing a software-related failure incident. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in the articles is malicious in nature. The vulnerability in the ad libraries used by popular Android apps was exploited by hackers to take complete control of Android phones and tablets. The hackers could perform actions such as taking photos, recording videos, sending text messages, accessing the phone’s clipboard, determining the user’s location, and obtaining passwords. The attack involved exploiting a flaw in the code of Android ad libraries to redirect traffic to the hacker's server, granting them control over the device and allowing them to manipulate the user's interactions with selected apps [29207]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
unknown |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident was not due to poor decisions but rather a vulnerability in the ad libraries used by popular Android apps that could be exploited by hackers to take control of Android phones and tablets [29207]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
accidental |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the article is not attributed to development incompetence. The vulnerability in the ad libraries used by popular Android apps was exploited by hackers, indicating a security flaw rather than a failure due to development incompetence.
(b) The software failure incident described in the article is a result of accidental factors. The vulnerability in the ad libraries used by Android apps was discovered by researchers from Fireye, indicating that the flaw was unintentional and exploited by hackers [29207]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident described in the article is more of a temporary nature. The vulnerability in the ad libraries used by popular Android apps allowed hackers to exploit the flaw in the code to take control of Android phones and tablets. This vulnerability was identified by researchers from Fireye, who analyzed popular apps from Google Play and identified 93 ad libraries that were affected. The incident was not a permanent failure but rather a temporary one caused by specific circumstances related to the ad libraries used in the Android software [29207]. |
| Behaviour |
value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident described in the article does not involve a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. The vulnerability in the ad libraries used by popular Android apps allows hackers to take control of Android phones and tablets, enabling them to perform unauthorized actions on the devices [29207].
(b) omission: The software failure incident does not involve a failure due to the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). Instead, the vulnerability in the ad libraries allows hackers to exploit the flaw to push traffic from the advertiser’s server to their own 'attack' server, enabling them to take control of the device and perform unauthorized actions [29207].
(c) timing: The software failure incident is not related to a failure due to the system performing its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. The vulnerability in the ad libraries allows hackers to immediately take control of the device once it is attached to their 'attack' server, without any delay in executing unauthorized actions [29207].
(d) value: The software failure incident does involve a failure due to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The vulnerability in the ad libraries allows hackers to gain permissions to take photos, record videos, send text messages, access the clipboard, and make calls without the user's consent, which are all unauthorized actions [29207].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not involve a failure due to the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The vulnerability in the ad libraries allows hackers to consistently exploit the flaw to control Android devices and perform unauthorized actions without variability in their behavior [29207].
(f) other: The software failure incident involves a behavior where the system is manipulated by hackers to generate fake messages that grant them permission to control the device when a selected app is opened. This behavior is a form of social engineering where users are tricked into granting permissions unknowingly, leading to unauthorized access and control by the attackers [29207]. |