| Recurring |
unknown |
The articles do not provide information about a specific software failure incident happening again at either one organization or multiple organizations. Therefore, the information related to the recurrence of a similar incident within the same organization or across multiple organizations is unknown based on the provided articles. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
unknown |
The articles do not provide information about a software failure incident related to the development phases, specifically in terms of design or operation. Therefore, it is unknown whether the incident was due to contributing factors introduced by system development, system updates, or procedures to operate or maintain the system (design), or if it was due to contributing factors introduced by the operation or misuse of the system (operation). |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident described in the article is primarily within the system. The failure is related to the vulnerability of passwords being cracked using thermal imaging technology. Researchers from the University of Glasgow developed an AI system called ThermoSecure that can retrace recently-typed passwords from thermal images. The study demonstrated how hackers can use thermal cameras to capture the heat signature left by users typing their passwords on keyboards, smartphone screens, or keypads. The AI system was successful in cracking passwords, with success rates varying based on the time elapsed since the password was typed [133978]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident related to non-human actions in the articles is the vulnerability of passwords to thermal attacks using thermal cameras. Researchers from the University of Glasgow demonstrated how thermal cameras can be used to capture the heat signature left by users on keyboards, smartphone screens, or keypads after typing their passwords. This non-human action of capturing thermal images and using an AI system called ThermoSecure to analyze the images led to the successful cracking of passwords, with success rates varying based on the time elapsed since the password entry [133978].
(b) The software failure incident related to human actions in the articles is the potential risk posed by users typing their passwords on keyboards, smartphone screens, or keypads and then leaving the devices unguarded. Human actions such as typing passwords and not safeguarding the devices allowed for the thermal attacks to occur, enabling malicious actors to potentially capture the heat signature of the typed passwords and use that information to crack them. Additionally, the researchers highlighted how the typing behavior of users and the materials keyboards are made from can impact the security of passwords against thermal attacks, emphasizing the importance of user behavior in enhancing security [133978]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The article discusses a software failure incident related to hardware in the context of thermal attacks using thermal cameras to crack passwords typed on devices like smartphones, computer keyboards, and ATMs [133978].
- The incident involves the exploitation of heat signatures left on the devices by users' fingertips after typing their passwords, which can be captured by thermal cameras to reveal the password characters and their order [133978].
- Researchers developed an AI system called ThermoSecure to retrace recently-typed passwords from thermal images, indicating the use of technology to exploit hardware-related vulnerabilities [133978].
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- The software failure incident is primarily related to software vulnerabilities that allow for the exploitation of thermal images to crack passwords, rather than inherent software failures [133978].
- The incident involves the development of an AI system, ThermoSecure, to analyze thermal images and crack passwords, showcasing a software-based approach to exploiting hardware vulnerabilities [133978].
- While the incident involves software tools and techniques to crack passwords, the root cause lies in the ability to capture and analyze thermal images to retrieve password information, rather than a direct software failure [133978]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article is malicious in nature. It involves a study conducted by researchers from the University of Glasgow who demonstrated how hackers can use thermal cameras to retrace passwords typed into devices like smartphones, computer keyboards, or ATMs. The researchers developed an AI system called ThermoSecure that can crack passwords from thermal images, with success rates varying based on the time elapsed since the password was typed. The researchers highlighted the potential threat posed by thermal attacks and emphasized the need for computer security research to keep pace with such developments to mitigate risks [133978].
(b) The software failure incident is non-malicious in the sense that it is not a result of unintentional errors or faults in the software itself. Instead, it involves a security vulnerability that can be exploited by malicious actors to retrieve passwords through thermal imaging. The incident underscores the importance of considering potential security risks and implementing additional authentication methods like fingerprint or facial recognition to enhance security and mitigate the risks associated with thermal attacks [133978]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
unknown |
The software failure incident described in the article [133978] does not directly relate to poor decisions or accidental decisions made by developers or users. Instead, it focuses on the vulnerability of using thermal imaging to potentially crack passwords by capturing heat signatures left on devices after users input their passwords. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
unknown |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is not applicable in this case as the article does not mention any failure or issue caused by lack of professional competence by humans or the development organization.
(b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors is not applicable in this case as the article does not mention any failure or issue caused by accidental factors. |
| Duration |
unknown |
The articles do not mention any specific software failure incident related to either a permanent or temporary duration. Therefore, the duration of the software failure incident in the context of this thermal attack on passwords is unknown. |
| Behaviour |
timing, other |
(a) crash: The articles do not mention any software crash incidents.
(b) omission: The software failure incident described in the articles does not involve the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s).
(c) timing: The software failure incident is related to timing as it involves the system performing its intended functions correctly but at a specific time that allows hackers to exploit the thermal images to crack passwords. The thermal attacks can occur after users type their password on a keyboard, smartphone screen, or keypad, before leaving the device unguarded. A passer-by equipped with a thermal camera can take a picture that reveals the heat signature of where their fingers have touched the device, with the brighter an area appearing the more recently it had been touched [133978].
(d) value: The software failure incident does not involve the system performing its intended functions incorrectly.
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not involve the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident is related to a security vulnerability where the system's intended functions are performed correctly, but the method of inputting passwords can be exploited through thermal imaging to compromise security [133978]. |