| Recurring |
unknown |
(a) The software failure incident related to a critical flaw in Yahoo Mail allowing attackers to hijack accounts has not been reported to have happened again within the same organization or with its products and services [40019].
(b) The software failure incident related to the critical flaw in Yahoo Mail has not been reported to have happened at other organizations or with their products and services [40019]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design |
(a) The software failure incident in the Yahoo Mail system was related to a critical flaw that allowed attackers to hijack accounts by embedding malicious JavaScript code in tailored email messages. This flaw was a result of a vulnerability in how Yahoo filters HTML-formatted email messages, where certain malformed HTML code could pass the filter, leading to the execution of malicious code upon reading the email [40019]. This indicates a failure in the design phase of the system development, where the filtering mechanism did not adequately prevent the injection of malicious code.
(b) The article does not provide specific information about the software failure incident being caused by factors related to operation or misuse of the system. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was within the system. The critical flaw in Yahoo Mail, which allowed attackers to hijack accounts by embedding malicious JavaScript code in tailored email messages, was a result of a vulnerability within Yahoo's email filtering system. The bug allowed the execution of code when a victim read the message, compromising the account without their knowledge or consent [40019]. The flaw was fixed after being reported through Yahoo's bug bounty program, indicating that the issue originated from within the system's design and implementation. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was due to non-human actions, specifically a critical flaw in Yahoo Mail that allowed the embedding of malicious JavaScript code in tailored email messages. This flaw could be exploited by cyberattackers without requiring any action from the victim other than reading the message, leading to the compromise of the account [40019]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident in the article was due to contributing factors that originate in software. The critical flaw in Yahoo Mail, which allowed attackers to hijack accounts, was caused by a vulnerability that allowed the embedding of malicious JavaScript code in tailored email messages. This flaw in how Yahoo filters HTML-formatted email messages enabled certain malformed HTML code to pass the filter, leading to the potential execution of malicious code [40019]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was malicious. The critical flaw in Yahoo Mail allowed attackers to hijack accounts by embedding malicious JavaScript code in tailored email messages. This code would execute when the victim read the message, giving cyberattackers the ability to fully compromise the account, hijack settings, and forward or send emails to the attacker's server without the victim's knowledge or consent. The vulnerability was discovered by a security researcher and reported to Yahoo through their bug bounty program, highlighting that the flaw was introduced with the intent to harm the system [40019]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
unknown |
(a) The software failure incident in the article was not due to poor decisions but rather due to a critical flaw in Yahoo Mail that allowed attackers to hijack accounts. The vulnerability stemmed from a bug in how Yahoo filters HTML-formatted email messages, which allowed for the embedding of malicious JavaScript code in tailored email messages. The bug was fixed promptly after being reported through Yahoo's bug bounty program, indicating a proactive response to address the security issue [40019].
(b) The incident was not a result of accidental decisions but rather a specific vulnerability in the software that was exploited by cyber attackers. The security researcher who discovered the flaw reported it to Yahoo through the proper channels, and the bug was patched before it could impact real-world users. This demonstrates a systematic approach to addressing software vulnerabilities rather than accidental decisions leading to the failure [40019]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was not due to development incompetence. The critical flaw in Yahoo Mail that could have allowed attackers to hijack accounts was identified and fixed promptly after being reported through Yahoo's bug bounty program. The security researcher who discovered the vulnerability was awarded for his efforts, indicating that the issue was addressed effectively and professionally [40019].
(b) The software failure incident can be categorized as accidental. The vulnerability in Yahoo Mail, which could have been exploited by cyber attackers to compromise accounts, was not intentionally introduced by the development team. It was a result of a critical flaw in how Yahoo filters HTML-formatted email messages, which allowed certain malformed HTML code to bypass the filter. This accidental oversight led to the potential security risk, which was promptly addressed once identified [40019]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident described in Article 40019 was temporary. The critical flaw in Yahoo Mail, which could have allowed attackers to hijack accounts by embedding malicious JavaScript code in tailored email messages, was fixed in early January after being reported through Yahoo's bug bounty program. The vulnerability was patched before affecting any real-world users, indicating that it was a temporary issue that was resolved promptly [40019]. |
| Behaviour |
omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The article does not mention any instance of the system losing state and not performing any of its intended functions.
(b) omission: The software failure incident in the article is related to a critical flaw in Yahoo Mail that could have allowed attackers to hijack accounts by embedding malicious JavaScript code in tailored email messages. This flaw could lead to the system omitting to perform its intended functions of protecting user accounts from unauthorized access [40019].
(c) timing: The article does not mention any instance of the system performing its intended functions correctly, but too late or too early.
(d) value: The software failure incident in the article is related to a vulnerability in Yahoo Mail that allowed attackers to fully compromise user accounts, hijack settings, and forward or send emails to the attacker's server without the victim's knowledge or consent. This indicates a failure in the system performing its intended functions incorrectly, compromising the security and integrity of user accounts [40019].
(e) byzantine: The article does not mention any instance of the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The software failure incident described in the article involves a critical flaw in Yahoo Mail that allowed for the execution of malicious code through email messages, leading to the compromise of user accounts. This behavior could be categorized as a security vulnerability or a breach of confidentiality, where the system failed to protect user data from unauthorized access [40019]. |