| Recurring |
multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to vulnerabilities in the Comcast Xfinity Home Security system has not been explicitly mentioned to have happened again within the same organization or with its products and services in the provided article [39428].
(b) The article mentions that the security issue with the Xfinity Home Security system is just another in a long line of common security issues in Internet of Things devices. The security researcher, Tod Beardsley, notes that these kinds of design decisions and failure conditions are not getting tested in Internet of Things devices before they are sold, indicating a broader issue across various IoT devices and potentially multiple organizations [39428]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in the article is primarily related to design flaws in the Comcast Xfinity Home Security system. The vulnerabilities identified by the security researcher at Rapid7, Philip Bosco, highlight issues in the system's design that allow intruders to easily undermine the security measures. The failure to properly handle communication interruptions, the lack of alerts to homeowners about breaches, and the misleading indications of security status all point to design weaknesses in the system [39428].
(b) Additionally, the software failure incident can also be attributed to operational factors. The ease with which thieves can exploit the system by using radio jamming equipment to block signals indicates a failure in the operational security of the system. The article mentions that thieves can purchase radio jamming equipment online or create their own, highlighting how the misuse of such tools can compromise the system's effectiveness [39428]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Comcast Xfinity Home Security system can be categorized as a within_system failure. The vulnerability in the system that causes it to falsely report that a property's windows and doors are closed and secured even if they've been opened, as well as the failure to sense an intruder's motion, are internal issues within the system itself [39428]. Additionally, the lack of proper communication between the sensors and the base station hub, the failure to alert homeowners to negative conditions, and the absence of indicators to signal when something is wrong all point to internal software and communication failures within the system. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in the Comcast Xfinity Home Security system was primarily due to non-human actions. The vulnerability in the system allowed thieves to easily undermine it by using radio jamming equipment to block signals, causing the system to falsely report that windows and doors were closed and secured even when they were not. This failure was a result of the system's inability to recognize communication halts and its tendency to "fail positive" instead of alerting homeowners to negative conditions [39428].
(b) However, human actions also played a role in this software failure incident. The lack of response from Comcast after being notified of the issue by security researchers and CERT indicates a failure in human actions to address and resolve the reported vulnerabilities in a timely manner. Despite the researchers' efforts to report the problem and suggest a firmware patch as a solution, Comcast did not respond promptly or take necessary actions to mitigate the risks posed by the system's vulnerabilities [39428]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The vulnerability in Comcast's Xfinity Home Security system was due to the system's use of a ZigBee-based protocol to communicate over the 2.4 GHz radio frequency band, which allowed thieves to easily undermine the system using radio jamming equipment to block signals [39428].
- Thieves could purchase radio jamming equipment on eBay or make their own with about $130 in parts and instructions available on the internet, indicating a hardware-related vulnerability [39428].
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- The software failure in the Xfinity Home Security system was primarily due to the system's failure to recognize when communication was halted, leading to false reporting of closed and secured windows and doors even when they were open [39428].
- The system also failed to alert homeowners to negative conditions, such as open windows or doors, and lacked indicators to signal when something was wrong, indicating software-related issues in the system [39428]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the article is malicious in nature. The vulnerability found in Comcast's Xfinity Home Security system was identified by a security researcher at Rapid7, Philip Bosco, who discovered that thieves could easily undermine the system to trick homeowners into thinking they are protected when they are not. Thieves could exploit the vulnerabilities in the system by using radio jamming equipment to block signals from sensors to the home's baseband hub, causing the system to falsely report that windows and doors are closed and secured even when they have been opened. This malicious exploitation could potentially put homeowners at risk by providing false security assurances to intruders [39428]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Comcast Xfinity Home Security system can be attributed to poor decisions made in the design and implementation of the system. The vulnerabilities found by security researcher Philip Bosco at Rapid7 highlighted significant flaws in the system's ability to accurately report the status of windows, doors, and motion sensors. The system's failure to properly detect intrusions and its tendency to falsely report that all sensors are intact even when they are not indicate poor decision-making in the system's design [39428]. Additionally, the lack of response from Comcast after being notified of the issue by both Rapid7 and CERT further underscores the poor decisions made in addressing and resolving the identified vulnerabilities. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the vulnerabilities found in Comcast's Xfinity Home Security system. Security researcher Philip Bosco from Rapid7 discovered that the system falsely reported closed and secured windows and doors even when they were open, failed to sense intruders' motion, and did not alert homeowners to negative conditions. The system's failure to recognize communication halts, its inability to indicate changes in sensor status, and the lack of response from Comcast after being notified of the issue all point to a lack of professional competence in the system's development [39428].
(b) The accidental software failure in this incident is highlighted by the unintended consequences of the system's design decisions. For example, the system's failure to alert homeowners to security breaches was not intentional but rather a result of the system failing to properly handle communication breaks and sensor status changes. Additionally, the lack of response from Comcast after being notified of the vulnerabilities could be seen as an accidental failure to address the issue promptly [39428]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article is more of a temporary nature. The vulnerability in Comcast's Xfinity Home Security system allowed thieves to easily undermine the system by using radio jamming equipment to block signals, causing the system to falsely report that windows and doors are closed and secured even when they've been opened. The system failed to recognize when communication was halted and continued to report false information until the sensors re-established communication with the hub, which could take anywhere from a few minutes to three hours [39428]. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, timing, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident described in the article can be categorized as a crash. The Comcast Xfinity Home Security system was found to falsely report that a property's windows and doors are closed and secured even if they've been opened, and it could also fail to sense an intruder's motion. This failure leads to the system losing its state and not performing its intended functions [39428].
(b) omission: Additionally, the system omits to perform its intended functions at instances where it fails to recognize when communication is halted and continues reporting that all sensors are intact and that windows and doors are secured even if they're not. This omission of critical information can mislead homeowners into thinking they are protected when they are not [39428].
(c) timing: The timing of the system's response can also be considered a factor in this software failure incident. After a communication break, it can take the sensors anywhere from a few minutes to three hours to re-establish communication with the hub. This delay in re-establishing communication can lead to a timing failure where the system responds too late to the changes in the environment [39428].
(d) value: The software failure incident also involves a value failure where the system performs its intended functions incorrectly. Instead of alerting homeowners to a negative condition, the system falsely reports that everything is secure, even when it is not. This incorrect reporting misleads users about the actual security status of their property [39428].
(e) byzantine: The behavior of the software failure incident does not align with a byzantine failure, which involves inconsistent responses and interactions. In this case, the system consistently fails to report the correct status of the sensors and doors, rather than providing inconsistent responses [39428].
(f) other: The other behavior exhibited by the software failure incident is the lack of proper indication or warning to users when the system encounters issues. The system fails to alert users when there is a problem, leading to a lack of transparency and leaving homeowners unaware of potential security vulnerabilities [39428]. |