| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to tractor hacking and jailbreaking has happened again at John Deere & Co. The hacker known as Sick Codes presented a new jailbreak for John Deere tractors at the DefCon security conference, highlighting vulnerabilities in the devices that could be exploited by malicious actors [131208].
(b) The software failure incident related to tractor hacking and jailbreaking has also happened at other organizations within the agriculture industry. The article mentions incidents like the 2021 JBS Meat ransomware attack, which underscore the security implications of such vulnerabilities in farming equipment [131208]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase is evident in the tractor hacking incident described in Article 131208. The hacker known as Sick Codes was able to exploit vulnerabilities in John Deere tractors' touchscreen consoles, allowing him to take control of multiple models through their touchscreens. This exploitation highlights fundamental insecurities in the devices that could be exploited by malicious actors or potentially chained with other vulnerabilities [131208].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is also present in the same tractor hacking incident. Sick Codes was able to develop a jailbreak that required physical access to the circuit board of the tractors. By bypassing John Deere's dealer authentication requirements and gaining root access, he demonstrated the potential for unauthorized control over the tractor systems, showcasing a failure in the operation or security measures of the equipment [131208]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident described in the article is primarily within the system. The failure occurred due to vulnerabilities and flaws within the John Deere tractor control touchscreen consoles that allowed the hacker known as Sick Codes to jailbreak the tractors and take control of multiple models through their touchscreens [131208]. Sick Codes found bypasses to John Deere's dealer authentication requirements and was able to gain root access to the system, indicating that the failure originated from within the system itself. The vulnerabilities within the software of the tractors allowed for this exploit to take place, highlighting the importance of addressing internal security weaknesses to prevent such incidents. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in this case is primarily due to non-human actions, specifically vulnerabilities in the tractor control touchscreen consoles that allowed the hacker known as Sick Codes to exploit the system and gain root access to the tractors without remote attacks [131208].
(b) However, human actions also played a role in this incident as Sick Codes, the hacker, actively engaged in reverse engineering, experimentation, and exploiting the vulnerabilities in the tractor software to develop the jailbreak. Additionally, the broader context of the right-to-repair movement and the actions taken by farmers and activists to push for more control over their equipment also contributed to the software failure incident [131208]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The software failure incident described in the article is primarily related to hardware as it involves physical access to the circuit board, disassembly of a hardware product, and reverse engineering of proprietary software [131208].
- The hacker known as Sick Codes demonstrated capabilities that were obtained through invasive/persistent physical access to the tractor's hardware, indicating that the exploit required manipulation of the hardware components [131208].
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- The software failure incident also has software-related aspects as Sick Codes exploited vulnerabilities in the tractor's software, such as bypassing dealer authentication requirements and gaining root access to the system [131208].
- Sick Codes' jailbreak involved finding software vulnerabilities in the tractor's touchscreen consoles, which allowed him to access logs and potentially execute a timing attack for deeper access [131208]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article is related to malicious intent. The hacker known as Sick Codes conducted tractor hacking to bypass digital locks on John Deere tractors, allowing him to take control of multiple models through their touchscreens. This action was part of the right-to-repair movement, where Sick Codes aimed to empower farmers to fully control their own equipment by exploiting vulnerabilities in the devices [131208]. John Deere responded by emphasizing that the capabilities demonstrated by Sick Codes required invasive physical access and reverse engineering of proprietary software, and at no point were customers' equipment, networks, or data at risk [131208].
(b) The software failure incident can also be viewed as non-malicious from the perspective of the right-to-repair movement and the farmers' need to modify and repair their expensive equipment. Sick Codes' actions were aimed at highlighting the vulnerabilities in the devices that could be exploited by malicious actors but also helped farmers have more control over their equipment. The incident underscores the security implications of the right-to-repair movement and the importance of securing the agriculture industry and food supply chain [131208]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident related to poor decisions can be inferred from the article. The incident involved tractor hacking by Sick Codes, who found vulnerabilities in John Deere tractors that allowed him to take control of multiple models through their touchscreens. Sick Codes' intent was to enable farmers to modify and repair their equipment by bypassing digital locks imposed by manufacturers. This action was driven by the right-to-repair movement, which aims to give farmers more control over their equipment and software. Sick Codes' actions highlight the security implications and fundamental insecurities in the devices that could be exploited by malicious actors [131208].
(b) The intent of the software failure incident related to accidental decisions is not evident from the articles. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is not evident in the provided articles.
(b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors is demonstrated in the article where the hacker known as Sick Codes discovered vulnerabilities in John Deere tractors that allowed him to take control of multiple models through their touchscreens. This exploitation was not a remote attack but rather involved fundamental insecurities in the devices that could be exploited by malicious actors [131208]. |
| Duration |
permanent |
(a) The software failure incident described in the articles is more of a permanent nature. The incident involves tractor hacking by Sick Codes, which allows farmers to bypass digital locks on their vehicles, presenting a new jailbreak for John Deere tractors at the DefCon security conference [131208]. Sick Codes was able to gain root access to the tractor's system, demonstrating a significant vulnerability that could potentially be exploited by malicious actors. The vulnerabilities found by Sick Codes represent fundamental insecurities in the devices that could be exploited, highlighting a long-term issue in the security of the equipment. John Deere's response to the incident also indicates a need for ongoing efforts to address and prevent such vulnerabilities in the future. |
| Behaviour |
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 incident is more related to security vulnerabilities and exploitation rather than a system crash [131208].
(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, it revolves around security vulnerabilities, jailbreaking, and right-to-repair issues in tractor software [131208].
(c) timing: The software failure incident is not related to a timing failure where the system performs its intended functions too late or too early. The focus is on security vulnerabilities, jailbreaking, and the implications for the agriculture industry rather than timing issues [131208].
(d) value: The software failure incident does not involve a failure due to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The incident is more about security vulnerabilities, jailbreaking, and the right-to-repair movement in the context of tractor software [131208].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not exhibit a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The primary focus is on security vulnerabilities, jailbreaking, and the implications for the agriculture industry rather than inconsistent system behavior [131208].
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident can be categorized as a security vulnerability and exploitation issue rather than a traditional software failure like a crash, omission, timing issue, value error, or byzantine behavior. The incident involves a hacker known as Sick Codes presenting a new jailbreak for John Deere tractors, highlighting security implications and the right-to-repair movement in the agriculture industry [131208]. |