Published Date: 2014-09-01
| Postmortem Analysis | |
|---|---|
| Timeline | 1. The software failure incident happened in September 2014 [Article 30020, Article 30060, Article 29209]. 2. The incident occurred in September 2014 based on the articles published around that time. |
| System | 1. iCloud service - The iCloud service from Apple was reported to have a flaw in its "Find My iPhone" function that allowed hackers to access celebrities' private images [Article 29209, Article 29761]. 2. iBrute software - The iBrute software, designed to take advantage of a flaw in Apple's "Find My iPhone" feature to brute-force users' iCloud passwords, was also implicated in the security breach [Article 30020]. 3. Elcomsoft Phone Password Breaker (EPPB) - The software from Elcomsoft, known as EPPB, was used by hackers to download victims' data from iCloud backups, allowing them to impersonate a victim's iPhone and access extensive data [Article 30020]. |
| Responsible Organization | 1. Hackers who exploited a flaw in Apple's iCloud service and Find My iPhone function [30020, 30060, 29209, 29761] |
| Impacted Organization | 1. Celebrities such as Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton, Kirsten Dunst, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and others [30020, 30060, 29209, 29761] |
| Software Causes | 1. A flaw in the 'Find My iPhone' function of Apple's iCloud service may have helped the hacker to steal nude photos of celebrities [30060]. 2. The hacker used a specific flaw in the 'Find My iPhone' service to access celebrities' private images [29209]. 3. The hacker exploited a flaw in the 'Find My iPhone' service to gain access to accounts [29761]. |
| Non-software Causes | 1. Social engineering techniques may have been used to obtain Apple IDs and passwords based on other information, such as email addresses, mother's maiden names, and dates of birth, which are easier to find out about celebrities than the everyday user [Article 29209]. 2. The hacker may have used a flaw in the 'Find My iPhone' function of Apple's iCloud service to gain access to accounts [Article 29209]. 3. The hacker may have used a brute force attack to gain account passwords on Apple iCloud, allowing them to access private images [Article 29761]. |
| Impacts | 1. The software failure incident involving the hacking of iCloud accounts and leaking of private celebrity photos had a significant impact on the privacy and security of the individuals affected [30020, 30060, 29209]. 2. The incident led to outrage among the celebrities whose photos were stolen and leaked, with some like Kirsten Dunst publicly criticizing Apple for the security breach [30060, 29761]. 3. The leaked photos caused distress and violated the privacy of the celebrities involved, leading to legal actions being considered to prosecute those responsible for disseminating the stolen images [29761]. 4. The incident raised concerns about the security of cloud services like iCloud, highlighting the vulnerabilities that can be exploited by hackers to access sensitive data [29209]. 5. The hacking incident prompted investigations by the FBI and other authorities to address the unlawful release of the stolen material and to identify the individuals involved in the cyber intrusion [30060, 29761]. |
| Preventions | 1. Implementing stronger password policies and encouraging users to use unique and complex passwords to prevent brute force attacks [Article 30060, Article 29761]. 2. Enhancing security measures such as two-step verification for iCloud accounts to add an extra layer of protection [Article 30060]. 3. Conducting regular security audits and patching vulnerabilities promptly to prevent exploitation by hackers [Article 30060]. 4. Educating users, especially celebrities, on the risks of social engineering and the importance of safeguarding personal information [Article 29761]. 5. Ensuring that cloud storage services like iCloud have robust security protocols in place to protect user data from unauthorized access [Article 29209, Article 29761]. |
| Fixes | 1. Apple should address the specific flaw in the 'Find My iPhone' service that allowed the hacker to access celebrities' private images [Article 29209]. 2. Apple should enhance the security of iCloud accounts by implementing measures to prevent brute force attacks on passwords [Article 29761]. 3. Users should practice good password hygiene, such as using strong and unique passwords for their accounts, to prevent unauthorized access [Article 29761]. 4. Apple should continue investigating the incident and work with law enforcement to identify and prosecute the criminals involved [Article 30060]. 5. Users should consider enabling two-step verification for their iCloud accounts to add an extra layer of security [Article 30060]. | References | 1. The articles gather information about the software failure incident from various sources such as: - Security researchers like Jonathan Zdziarski [30020] - Apple's statements and responses [30020, 30060, 29209, 29761] - Forensics firms like Elcomsoft [30020] - Hackers involved in the incident [30020, 29209, 29761] - FBI investigations [30060, 29761] - Twitter reactions and statements from celebrities affected by the incident [29761] - Tech experts and commentators [29209, 29761] |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Recurring | one_organization, multiple_organization | (a) The software failure incident related to iCloud security breaches involving the theft and leak of celebrity photos has happened again at Apple. The incident involved a flaw in Apple's iCloud service, particularly in the 'Find My iPhone' function, which allowed hackers to access celebrities' private images stored in iCloud accounts [Article 30060]. (b) The software failure incident related to iCloud security breaches has also happened at other organizations or with their products and services. The incident highlighted concerns over the security of cloud services in general, including Google Drive and Dropbox, which had experienced security flaws in the past that could have exposed private information to hackers [Article 29209]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) | design, operation | (a) In the reported software failure incident, the failure due to the development phase can be attributed to the design aspect. The incident involved a flaw in Apple's iCloud service, particularly in the 'Find My iPhone' function, which may have contributed to the theft of private celebrity photos. The flaw allowed a hacker to access celebrities' private images by exploiting a specific vulnerability in the service [Article 29209]. (b) The software failure incident can also be linked to the operation phase, specifically due to the operation or misuse of the system. The incident involved hackers using various techniques, including 'brute force' attacks and 'social engineering,' to obtain Apple IDs and passwords of celebrities, leading to the unauthorized access and leak of private photos stored in iCloud accounts [Article 29761]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) | within_system | (a) The software failure incident related to the leaked celebrity photos from iCloud accounts can be categorized as within_system. The incident involved a flaw in Apple's iCloud service, specifically in the 'Find My iPhone' function, which allowed a hacker to access celebrities' private images stored in iCloud [Article 29209]. The flaw was exploited through a brute force attack, where a malicious user could repeatedly guess passwords on Apple's service without alerting the user or locking out the attacker [Article 29761]. This flaw in the system's security protocols led to the unauthorized access and leak of sensitive data stored within the iCloud accounts. Additionally, the incident involved the use of software tools like iBrute and Elcomsoft Phone Password Breaker (EPPB) to impersonate victims' devices and download their data from iCloud backups [Article 30020]. These tools, although intended for legitimate purposes like law enforcement investigations, were misused by hackers to gain unauthorized access to private information stored within the iCloud system. Furthermore, the incident highlighted the importance of user privacy and data security within the iCloud system, emphasizing the need for stronger authentication measures and safeguards to prevent such breaches [Article 30060]. Apple's response to the incident included issuing patches to address the security vulnerabilities in their system, indicating that the failure originated from within the iCloud service itself. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) | non-human_actions, human_actions | (a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions: - The software failure incident related to the leak of nude celebrity photos was primarily due to a flaw in Apple's iCloud service, specifically in the 'Find My iPhone' function, which allowed a hacker to access private images stored in iCloud accounts [Article 29209]. - The flaw in the 'Find My iPhone' service was exploited by the hacker using a brute force attack method, as code was found on Github that allowed malicious users to repeatedly guess passwords without alerting the user or locking out the attacker [Article 29761]. - The iCloud service automatically stores users' photos and data online, and the flaw in the 'Find My iPhone' function undermined the security of the service, leading to the unauthorized access to private images [Article 29761]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions: - The incident also involved human actions, as the hacker used social engineering techniques to obtain Apple IDs and passwords based on other information about the celebrities, such as email addresses, mother's maiden names, and dates of birth [Article 29761]. - The hacker's actions involved accessing private information through deceptive means and exploiting personal details to gain unauthorized access to iCloud accounts, indicating a significant human element in the software failure incident [Article 29761]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) | software | (a) The articles do not mention any software failure incident occurring due to hardware-related contributing factors. (b) The software failure incident reported in the articles is related to software contributing factors. The incident involved a flaw in Apple's iCloud service, specifically in the 'Find My iPhone' function, which allowed a hacker to access and steal nude photos of celebrities stored in iCloud accounts [30020, 30060, 29209, 29761]. The flaw in the software allowed the hacker to use 'brute force' to gain access to user accounts and bypass encryption, leading to the unauthorized access and leak of private photos [30020, 30060, 29209, 29761]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) | malicious | (a) The software failure incident related to the leaking of nude celebrity photos from iCloud accounts was malicious in nature. Hackers exploited a flaw in Apple's "Find My iPhone" feature to gain unauthorized access to celebrities' iCloud accounts and steal private photos [30020, 30060, 29209]. The hackers used tools like iBrute and Elcomsoft Phone Password Breaker to crack victims' iCloud passwords and download their data from iCloud backups [30020]. The incident involved a targeted attack on user names, passwords, and security questions of celebrities [30060]. The hacker claimed to have accessed accounts through a flaw in the "Find My iPhone" service and used brute force methods to guess passwords [29761]. (b) The software failure incident was non-malicious in the sense that it was not caused by unintentional factors or system errors. Instead, it was a deliberate act by hackers to breach the security of iCloud accounts and steal private photos [30020, 30060, 29209, 29761]. The incident involved social engineering techniques to obtain Apple IDs and passwords based on publicly available information about the celebrities [29209]. The flaw in the "Find My iPhone" service was exploited by the hackers to gain access to the accounts [29761]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) | poor_decisions | (a) The software failure incident related to the leaked celebrity photos from iCloud accounts can be attributed to poor_decisions. The incident involved a flaw in Apple's iCloud service, specifically in the 'Find My iPhone' function, which allowed hackers to access celebrities' private images [Article 29209]. The flaw was exploited through a brute force attack, where malicious users could repeatedly guess passwords without alerting the user or locking out the attacker [Article 29761]. Additionally, the incident involved social engineering techniques to obtain Apple IDs and passwords based on other information, making it easier for hackers to access accounts [Article 29761]. The incident highlighted a vulnerability in the iCloud service that led to the unauthorized access and leak of private photos. Furthermore, the incident raised concerns about the security of cloud services like iCloud, emphasizing the importance of strong password management and data protection practices [Article 29209]. The leaked photos were a result of a targeted attack on user names, passwords, and security questions, indicating a deliberate effort to compromise the privacy of the affected individuals [Article 30060]. The incident also led to public criticism of Apple and the need for enhanced security measures to prevent similar breaches in the future [Article 29761]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) | development_incompetence | (a) The software failure incident occurring due to development_incompetence: - The incident involved a flaw in Apple's iCloud service, particularly in the 'Find My iPhone' function, which allowed a hacker to access nude photos of celebrities stored in iCloud accounts [Article 29209]. - The flaw was related to a specific vulnerability in the 'Find My iPhone' service that allowed for a brute force attack on iCloud accounts, potentially due to a lack of robust security measures in place [Article 29761]. (b) The software failure incident occurring accidentally: - The incident was not accidental but rather a deliberate hacking attack by an unknown individual who exploited the vulnerability in Apple's iCloud service to access and leak private photos of celebrities [Article 29761]. |
| Duration | permanent | (a) The software failure incident in the articles is temporary. The incident was related to a flaw in Apple's iCloud service, specifically in the 'Find My iPhone' function, that allowed a hacker to access and steal nude photos of celebrities. The flaw was identified and a fix was issued by Apple to address the vulnerability [Article 30060]. (b) The software failure incident in the articles is also considered permanent to some extent. This is because the incident involved a flaw in the 'Find My iPhone' service of Apple's iCloud, which could have long-lasting implications for user privacy and security. The incident raised concerns about the security of storing personal data in the cloud and highlighted the risks associated with potential breaches in such services [Article 29761]. |
| Behaviour | crash, omission, other | (a) crash: The software failure incident related to the leaked celebrity photos can be categorized as a crash. This is evident from the fact that the incident involved a flaw in Apple's iCloud service, specifically in the 'Find My iPhone' function, which allowed a hacker to gain unauthorized access to private photos stored in iCloud accounts [Article 29761]. (b) omission: The software failure incident can also be categorized as an omission. This is because the flaw in the 'Find My iPhone' service led to the omission of the intended function of securely storing and protecting users' photos and data in iCloud. The omission occurred when the hacker was able to bypass the security measures and access private images without authorization [Article 29761]. (c) timing: The software failure incident does not align with the timing category as there is no indication that the system performed its intended functions either too late or too early. The focus of the incident was more on unauthorized access and privacy breaches rather than timing issues [Article 29761]. (d) value: The software failure incident is not related to the value category, as there is no mention of the system performing its intended functions incorrectly in terms of providing value to the users. The primary concern was the unauthorized access to private photos stored in iCloud accounts [Article 29761]. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not fall under the byzantine category, as there is no mention of the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The focus was more on the security flaw that allowed unauthorized access to private photos [Article 29761]. (f) other: The other behavior exhibited in this software failure incident is related to a security vulnerability that allowed a hacker to exploit a flaw in the 'Find My iPhone' function of Apple's iCloud service. This behavior led to the unauthorized access and leakage of private celebrity photos stored in iCloud accounts [Article 29761]. |
| Layer | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Perception | None | None |
| Communication | None | None |
| Application | None | None |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Consequence | property, non-human, theoretical_consequence, other | (a) death: People lost their lives due to the software failure There is no mention of any deaths resulting from the software failure incident reported in the articles. (b) harm: People were physically harmed due to the software failure There is no mention of any physical harm to individuals due to the software failure incident. (c) basic: People's access to food or shelter was impacted because of the software failure There is no mention of people's access to food or shelter being impacted by the software failure incident. (d) property: People's material goods, money, or data was impacted due to the software failure The software failure incident resulted in the theft and leaking of private photos of celebrities, impacting their privacy and potentially causing emotional distress [30020, 30060, 29209, 29761]. (e) delay: People had to postpone an activity due to the software failure There is no mention of people having to postpone activities due to the software failure incident. (f) non-human: Non-human entities were impacted due to the software failure The software failure incident impacted the security of data stored in iCloud, leading to unauthorized access to private photos [30020, 30060, 29209, 29761]. (g) no_consequence: There were no real observed consequences of the software failure The software failure incident had significant consequences related to privacy breaches and unauthorized access to personal data. (h) theoretical_consequence: There were potential consequences discussed of the software failure that did not occur The potential consequences discussed in the articles, such as blackmail, further leaks, and misuse of personal data, did not occur as direct outcomes of the software failure incident. (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 software failure incident led to a breach of privacy, emotional distress for the affected individuals, and raised concerns about the security of cloud services and personal data protection. |
| Domain | information, finance, other | (a) The failed system was related to the industry of information, specifically the production and distribution of information. The incident involved the theft and leaking of private celebrity photos stored on iCloud, which is a cloud service used for storing data such as photos, emails, and documents [30020, 30060, 29209, 29761]. (h) The incident also had implications for the finance industry as it involved the hacking and unauthorized access to personal accounts and data, which could potentially lead to financial implications for the affected individuals [30020, 30060, 29209, 29761]. (m) The incident could also be related to other industries not explicitly mentioned in the options, such as technology and cybersecurity. The exploitation of vulnerabilities in the iCloud service and the use of hacking techniques like brute force attacks highlight the importance of cybersecurity in the technology sector [30020, 30060, 29209, 29761]. |
Article ID: 30020
Article ID: 30060
Article ID: 29209
Article ID: 29761