| Recurring |
unknown |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Instagram client "Who Viewed Your Profile - InstaAgent" stealing usernames and passwords and uploading them to a developer's server is specific to the developer Peppersoft and their app. There is no mention in the article of a similar incident happening before within the same organization.
(b) The incident involving the malicious Instagram client "Who Viewed Your Profile - InstaAgent" is not mentioned to have happened before at other organizations or with their products and services. The focus of the article is on the specific app developed by Peppersoft and the consequences of its actions. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in Article #53309 can be attributed to a design failure. The Instagram client app "Who Viewed Your Profile - InstaAgent" was designed with malicious intent to steal usernames and passwords and upload them to a third-party server. This design flaw allowed the app to deceive users by claiming to provide a service to track profile visitors while actually compromising user credentials [53309].
(b) Additionally, the software failure incident in Article #53309 also involved an operation failure. The app not only stole user credentials through its design but also operated in a way that posted images advertising itself directly to users' Instagram feeds without their permission, violating the site's terms of service. This operation failure contributed to the app's malicious activities and misuse of user data [53309]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) The software failure incident involving the Instagram client "Who Viewed Your Profile - InstaAgent" was within the system. The app itself was designed to maliciously steal usernames and passwords from users who logged in, uploading this sensitive information to a third-party server without encryption. This behavior was not caused by external factors but was a deliberate action by the app developer, leading to a significant breach of user data security [53309].
(b) Additionally, the app engaged in another form of malicious activity by posting images advertising itself directly to users' Instagram feeds, which violated the site's terms of service and was done without the permission of affected users. This external action further compounded the software failure incident by engaging in unauthorized activities that affected users externally to the app itself [53309]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in Article 53309 occurred due to non-human_actions. The Instagram client app "Who Viewed Your Profile - InstaAgent" was silently stealing usernames and passwords and uploading them to its developer's server without the users' knowledge or consent. This malicious activity was not directly caused by human actions but rather by the app's design and functionality [53309].
(b) Additionally, human_actions also played a role in this software failure incident. The developer of the app, David Layer-Reiss, discovered the malicious activity and warned users about it on his Twitter account. The unauthorized actions of the developer in creating and distributing the app led to the compromise of hundreds of thousands of users' Instagram passwords [53309]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident in Article #53309 was primarily due to software factors. The Instagram client app, "Who Viewed Your Profile - InstaAgent," was designed to steal usernames and passwords and upload them to a third-party server. This malicious activity was a result of the app's software design and functionality, rather than any hardware-related issues [53309]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The objective of the software failure incident was malicious. The Instagram client app "Who Viewed Your Profile - InstaAgent" was designed to silently steal usernames and passwords from users who logged in, uploading them unencrypted to a third-party server. This malicious activity was discovered by developer David Layer-Reiss, who warned about it on Twitter. The app also engaged in other malicious activities such as posting images advertising itself on users' Instagram feeds without permission, violating the site's terms of service [53309]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident was poor_decisions. The app "Who Viewed Your Profile - InstaAgent" was designed to steal usernames and passwords from users who logged in, uploading them unencrypted to a third-party server. This malicious activity was intentional and not accidental, indicating poor decisions made by the developer in creating and distributing the app [53309]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in Article 53309 can be attributed to development incompetence. The Instagram client app "Who Viewed Your Profile - InstaAgent" was designed to steal usernames and passwords, uploading them to the developer's server. This malicious activity was not disclosed to users and their credentials were uploaded unencrypted to a third-party server, indicating a lack of professional competence in the app's development process.
(b) Additionally, the incident also involved accidental factors. The app not only stole user credentials but also posted images advertising itself directly to users' Instagram feeds without their permission, violating the site's terms of service. This accidental action further exacerbated the impact of the software failure incident, leading to the app's removal from both app stores and compromising the passwords of hundreds of thousands of users. |
| Duration |
permanent |
(a) The software failure incident in this case can be considered permanent as the malicious Instagram client app "Who Viewed Your Profile - InstaAgent" was actively stealing usernames and passwords and uploading them to a third-party server. The app was eventually removed from both app stores, but the damage had already been done, and users who had downloaded the app were advised to reset their passwords on Instagram and any other services where they may have used the same login details [53309]. |
| Behaviour |
value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in Article 53309 does not involve a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions.
(b) omission: The software failure incident in Article 53309 does not involve omission where the system omits to perform its intended functions at an instance(s).
(c) timing: The software failure incident in Article 53309 does not involve timing issues where the system performs its intended functions correctly but too late or too early.
(d) value: The software failure incident in Article 53309 involves a failure related to the value, where the system performs its intended functions incorrectly. The app "Who Viewed Your Profile - InstaAgent" claimed to allow users to track who visited their Instagram profile but instead stole usernames and passwords, uploading them to a third-party server [53309].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident in Article 53309 does not involve a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident in Article 53309 is related to malicious activity, specifically stealing usernames and passwords and uploading them to a third-party server, which is not explicitly covered by the options (a) to (e). |