| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to the VPN traffic leak vulnerability in Apple's iOS has happened again at Proton VPN. Two years ago, Proton VPN disclosed a vulnerability in Apple's iOS that allows a user's VPN traffic to leak outside of the VPN tunnel, unencrypted. The vulnerability was initially said to affect iOS version 13.3.1. Now, new research claims the vulnerability still exists in iOS 16, the brand-new version of Apple's mobile operating system. Proton VPN outlined a potential workaround in its blog post documenting the issue [134042].
(b) The software failure incident related to the VPN traffic leak vulnerability in Apple's iOS has also happened with Mullvad VPN. Mullvad VPN also warned of the issue in 2020. Additionally, security researchers at Mysk have demonstrated that iOS 16 communicates with Apple services outside of an active VPN tunnel and leaks DNS requests, affecting VPN users with critical privacy needs like journalists, dissidents, and activists. The researchers indicated that data leaks persisted even with Apple's new Lockdown Mode enabled [134042]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase is evident in the vulnerability found in Apple's iOS versions, including the latest iOS 16. Security researchers at Mysk demonstrated that iOS 16 communicates with Apple services outside of an active VPN tunnel and leaks DNS requests, posing serious privacy and security risks [134042].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is highlighted by the fact that even with Apple's new Lockdown Mode enabled, data leaks persisted and were actually worse in that mode. Lockdown Mode is described as "optional, extreme protection" for individuals facing sophisticated digital threats, yet the leaks continued despite this feature being activated [134042]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident related to the VPN traffic leak in Apple's iOS, specifically in versions 13.3.1, 15.6.1, and even the brand-new iOS 16, is a result of a vulnerability within the iOS system itself. The issue allows iOS to communicate with Apple services outside of an active VPN tunnel and leak DNS requests, posing serious privacy and security risks to users [134042].
(b) outside_system: The software failure incident does not seem to be directly caused by factors originating from outside the system, as the vulnerability and subsequent leaks are described as flaws within the iOS system itself. The article does not mention any external factors contributing to the VPN traffic leak issue. |
| 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 a vulnerability in Apple's iOS that allows VPN traffic to leak outside of the VPN tunnel [134042].
(b) However, human actions are also involved in this incident as security researchers and VPN providers have been actively working to address and raise awareness about the vulnerability. Proton VPN, Mullvad VPN, and researcher Michael Horowitz have all warned about the issue, and Proton VPN outlined a potential workaround for users in their blog post [134042]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The vulnerability in Apple's iOS that allows VPN traffic to leak outside of the VPN tunnel is a software failure incident that is not directly caused by hardware issues. The issue lies in the software implementation of iOS, specifically in how it handles VPN connections and communication with Apple services [134042].
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- The software failure incident of VPN traffic leaking outside of the VPN tunnel in Apple's iOS is primarily a software issue. The vulnerability exists in the iOS software versions, including the latest iOS 16, allowing data leaks and DNS requests to escape the VPN connection. This issue is a result of a flaw in the iOS software, not a hardware-related problem [134042]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in the articles is non-malicious. The vulnerability in Apple's iOS that allows VPN traffic to leak outside of the VPN tunnel is a result of a flaw in the operating system rather than a deliberate act to harm the system. The issue has been acknowledged by Proton VPN and other researchers as a byproduct of an iOS flaw, not a bug within Proton VPN [134042]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to the VPN vulnerability in Apple's iOS can be attributed to poor decisions made in the software design and implementation process. Despite the vulnerability being initially disclosed two years ago affecting iOS version 13.3.1, it has persisted through subsequent iOS versions, including the latest iOS 16. Security researchers at Mysk demonstrated that iOS 16 still communicates with Apple services outside of an active VPN tunnel and leaks DNS requests, posing serious privacy and security risks to users, especially those with critical privacy needs like journalists, dissidents, and activists [134042].
The fact that the vulnerability has not been adequately addressed by Apple over a long stretch of time despite being raised repeatedly by Proton VPN and other researchers indicates a lack of proactive measures and timely responses to address critical security flaws in the software. This highlights poor decisions in prioritizing and addressing security vulnerabilities in the iOS operating system, ultimately leading to the persistence of the VPN leakage issue. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the article. The vulnerability in Apple's iOS, allowing VPN traffic to leak outside of the VPN tunnel, showcases a flaw that persisted across multiple iOS versions despite warnings from Proton VPN and Mullvad VPN [134042]. The fact that the issue continued to exist in the brand-new iOS 16 version indicates a failure in addressing the root cause of the vulnerability, highlighting a lack of professional competence in resolving the issue promptly and effectively.
(b) The accidental aspect of the software failure incident is also apparent. The article mentions that the data leaks persisted even with Apple's new Lockdown Mode enabled, with researchers noting that the leaks were worse in that mode [134042]. This unintended consequence of the Lockdown Mode, designed to provide extreme protection, inadvertently exacerbated the data leakage issue, indicating accidental factors contributing to the failure incident. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident described in the article is more aligned with a temporary failure rather than a permanent one. This is evident from the fact that the vulnerability in Apple's iOS, allowing VPN traffic to leak outside of the VPN tunnel, has persisted through multiple iOS versions over the years. Initially affecting iOS version 13.3.1, the issue was also present in iOS version 15.6.1 and continues to exist in the brand-new iOS 16 [134042].
The temporary nature of this failure is further highlighted by the fact that security researchers at Mysk demonstrated the ongoing existence of the vulnerability in iOS 16, indicating that the issue is not a permanent flaw but rather a recurring problem that has not been fully addressed by Apple despite being brought to their attention by various VPN providers and researchers [134042]. |
| 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. Instead, the issue is related to a vulnerability in Apple's iOS that allows a user's VPN traffic to leak outside of the VPN tunnel, unencrypted [134042].
(b) omission: The software failure incident does not involve the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). The vulnerability in iOS allows data to leak outside of an active VPN tunnel, posing serious privacy and security risks [134042].
(c) timing: The software failure incident is not related to the system performing its intended functions too late or too early. Instead, the issue is about data leaking unencrypted outside of an active VPN tunnel, potentially exposing sensitive information to various entities [134042].
(d) value: The software failure incident is not about the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. It is specifically about a vulnerability in iOS that leads to data leaks outside of the VPN tunnel, compromising user privacy and security [134042].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not involve the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The issue is focused on the vulnerability in iOS that allows communication with Apple services outside of the VPN tunnel, leading to DNS request leaks [134042].
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident can be categorized as a security vulnerability that results in data leakage outside of an active VPN tunnel in Apple's iOS. This behavior poses significant privacy and security risks for users, especially those with critical privacy needs like journalists, dissidents, and activists [134042]. |