| Recurring |
multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Poodle bug in SSL 3.0 has happened again at multiple organizations. The vulnerability in SSL 3.0 was similar to previous incidents like Heartbleed and Shellshock, which were also critical bugs affecting internet security [30743]. These incidents highlight the ongoing challenges in maintaining secure software systems and the need for continuous vigilance and updates to prevent exploitation by hackers. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase is evident in the discovery of the Poodle bug in the SSL 3.0 software. The vulnerability in the design of SSL 3.0 allowed attackers to decrypt and steal data, highlighting a flaw introduced during the development of this security protocol [30743].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is seen in the potential exploitation of the Poodle bug through a "man-in-the-middle attack" that requires tapping into the connection between users and servers. This type of attack targets the operation of the system, specifically the communication between users and servers, which could lead to data interception and unauthorized access to accounts [30743]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident related to the Poodle bug is primarily within the system. The vulnerability in the SSL 3.0 software, which allows attackers to decrypt and steal data, is a result of a flaw in the design of the SSL protocol itself [30743]. The bug exists within the software's code and architecture, making it a within-system failure. |
| 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 bug in the SSL 3.0 software known as the Poodle vulnerability. This bug allows attackers to decrypt and steal data by exploiting a flaw in the design of SSL 3.0 [30743]. The vulnerability was not introduced by human actions but rather existed in the software itself.
(b) Human actions also play a role in this incident as internet firms have taken proactive steps to address the vulnerability. Companies like CloudFlare, Slack, DuckDuckGo, Fitbit, and Twitter have disabled support for SSL 3.0 to prevent exploitation of the bug [30743]. This human intervention is crucial in mitigating the impact of the software failure incident. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The article does not mention any hardware-related contributing factors that led to the software failure incident. Therefore, it is unknown if hardware played a role in this specific incident.
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- The software failure incident in this case is directly related to a new bug found in the security software that underpins the web, specifically in the SSL 3.0 software. This bug, named "Poodle," allows attackers to decrypt and steal data transmitted between users and servers [30743]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious, non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Poodle bug in SSL 3.0 can be categorized as a malicious software failure. The vulnerability in SSL 3.0 allowed attackers to decrypt and steal data, leading to potential interception of logins and access to user accounts [30743]. The exploit required a "man-in-the-middle attack" where hackers could tap into the connection between users and servers to steal information [30743].
(b) The incident can also be considered a non-malicious software failure as it was a result of a bug in the design of SSL 3.0, which was quickly replaced by the more secure TLS in 1999 [30743]. The flaw in SSL 3.0 was not intentionally introduced to harm the system but was a result of the outdated and vulnerable nature of the protocol. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident related to poor_decisions:
- The software failure incident related to the Poodle bug in SSL 3.0 was not due to accidental decisions but rather poor decisions in the design of the SSL protocol. The vulnerability in SSL 3.0 allowed attackers to decrypt and steal data, highlighting a flaw in the design of the protocol [30743].
- The decision to continue supporting SSL 3.0 despite its known vulnerabilities and the availability of more secure alternatives like TLS can be considered a poor decision that contributed to the software failure incident [30743]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence can be seen in the case of the Poodle bug in SSL 3.0. Despite SSL 3.0 being nearly 18 years old and deprecated for about 15 years, the vulnerability was discovered by security researchers from Google in 2014 [30743]. This indicates a lack of professional competence in maintaining and updating the security software to prevent such vulnerabilities from being exploited.
(b) The accidental nature of the software failure incident is evident in the discovery of the Poodle bug in SSL 3.0. The bug was not intentionally introduced but was a result of a flaw in the design of the SSL 3.0 software, which allowed attackers to decrypt and steal data [30743]. This highlights how accidental flaws or oversights in software design can lead to significant security vulnerabilities. |
| Duration |
permanent |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Poodle bug in SSL 3.0 can be considered as a permanent failure. This is because the vulnerability in SSL 3.0 was a fundamental flaw in the design of the protocol itself, making it susceptible to attacks that could decrypt and steal data. As mentioned in the article, the bug allowed attackers to exploit the flaw in SSL 3.0, which was a long-standing issue since the protocol's inception in 1996. The bug was not a temporary issue caused by specific circumstances but rather a fundamental weakness in the software that persisted until websites updated their security standards to more modern protocols like TLS. This necessitated the permanent removal of SSL 3.0 support to prevent exploitation of the vulnerability [30743]. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The article mentions a vulnerability in the SSL 3.0 software that allows attackers to decrypt and steal data, which can be considered a form of failure due to the system losing state and not performing its intended functions [30743].
(b) omission: The vulnerability in the SSL 3.0 software allows attackers to intercept a log in to a web-based service and access someone’s account, indicating a failure due to the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance [30743].
(c) timing: The article does not specifically mention any failure related to the system performing its intended functions too late or too early.
(d) value: The Poodle bug in the SSL 3.0 software allows hackers to steal information in a relatively simple manner, indicating a failure due to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly [30743].
(e) byzantine: The article does not describe any failure related to the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident can also be categorized as a security vulnerability that allows for a "man-in-the-middle attack," where the attacker taps into the connection between users and servers to exploit the SSL 3.0 vulnerability [30743]. |