| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident has happened again at one_organization:
The article mentions that the Hive smart heating app, owned by British Gas, experienced a software glitch that caused temperatures to soar to 32 degrees Celsius for some users. This incident is not the first problem the system has faced. In August the previous year, British Gas had to address a security issue where user data was being sent without encryption, potentially allowing hackers to access customers' information [40412].
(b) The software failure incident has happened again at multiple_organization:
There is no specific mention in the article about the same software failure incident occurring at other organizations or with their products and services. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in the article can be attributed to the design phase. The article mentions that the heating app experienced a software glitch that caused temperatures to soar to 32C without user instruction. Initially, the company suggested that users must have been hacked, but engineers are now working on a solution to the software issue [40412].
(b) Additionally, the software failure incident can also be linked to the operation phase. Users reported problems with the heating system, such as temperatures skyrocketing, the system failing to connect to the thermostat or boiler, and losing control of heating schedules. These issues were experienced during the operation of the system, indicating operational challenges and failures [40412]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Hive smart heating app was primarily within the system. The incident was caused by a software glitch within the app that led to temperatures soaring to 32 degrees Celsius without user instruction [40412]. The glitch was acknowledged by Hive, and they mentioned that a certain sequence of commands in the iOS app could cause the thermostat temperature to rise to 32 degrees [40412].
(b) Additionally, there were concerns raised about the security of the system, indicating an outside system factor. In a previous incident, it was reported that user data was being sent without encryption, potentially allowing hackers to tap into customers' Wi-Fi and steal their information [40412]. This external security vulnerability was addressed by British Gas by agreeing to start encrypting the data to reassure customers about the safety of their personal information [40412]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in the article was primarily due to non-human actions, specifically a software glitch in the Hive iOS app that caused the thermostat temperature to rise to 32 degrees without user instruction. This glitch affected dozens of users, leading to concerns about increased energy costs and potential fire risks [40412].
(b) Human actions also played a role in the incident as some users were initially told by Hive bosses that their systems must have been hacked when they reported the issue. Additionally, there were complaints from customers about the system failing to connect to the thermostat or boiler, leading to heating and hot water shutdowns, which required manual resets by the company [40412]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware:
- The article mentions that a customer was initially told by Hive that the issue with the heating system was due to a problem with his boiler, indicating a potential hardware-related contributing factor to the failure [40412].
- Additionally, there are complaints about the system failing to connect to the thermostat or the boiler, leading to shutdowns and issues with heating and hot water, which could be hardware-related problems [40412].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to software:
- The main cause of the incident is identified as a software glitch in the Hive iOS app, which causes the thermostat temperature to rise to 32 degrees without user instruction [40412].
- The article mentions that engineers are working on a solution to the software issue, indicating that the root cause of the problem lies in the software of the app [40412].
- The spokesman for Hive apologizes for the 'glitch' and mentions that a software update is being worked on to address the issue, further confirming that the failure originated in the software [40412]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in the articles is non-malicious. The incident was caused by a software glitch in the Hive iOS app that led to the thermostat temperature rising to 32 degrees for some users. This glitch was not intentional and was not caused by any malicious activity. The company, Hive, acknowledged the issue as a temporary glitch affecting a very small number of customers and stated that it was working on a software update to address the problem [40412]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions, accidental_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Hive smart heating app was primarily due to poor decisions made by the developers and operators of the app. Initially, when users complained about the heating being turned up to 32 degrees Celsius without their instruction, Hive bosses wrongly suggested that users must have been hacked [40412]. This initial response indicates a lack of understanding or acknowledgment of the software glitch within the system. Additionally, the incident highlights poor decisions in terms of data security, as it was mentioned that user data was being sent without encryption, potentially allowing hackers to tap into customers' Wi-Fi and steal their information [40412].
(b) The software failure incident also involved accidental decisions or unintended consequences. For example, one user mentioned that whenever they complained to Hive about issues with the system, Hive would reset it, and it would work for a couple of weeks before failing again [40412]. This cycle of temporary fixes followed by recurring problems suggests a pattern of accidental decisions or unintended consequences in the troubleshooting and maintenance of the system. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident in the article can be attributed to development incompetence. The article mentions that the heating app experienced a software glitch that caused temperatures to soar to 32 degrees Celsius without user instruction. Initially, Hive bosses wrongly suggested that users must have been hacked, indicating a lack of understanding of the root cause. Engineers are now working on a solution to the software issue, highlighting a need for professional competence in addressing the problem [40412].
(b) The software failure incident can also be considered accidental. The article describes how the glitch in the Hive iOS app caused the thermostat temperature to rise to 32 degrees due to a specific sequence of commands. This unintended consequence led to concerns about energy costs, fire risks, and inconvenience for users. The Hive spokesperson acknowledged the glitch as temporary and mentioned that a software update is being worked on to address the issue, indicating that the incident was accidental in nature [40412]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident in the article is temporary. The article mentions that the glitch affecting a very small number of customers causes the thermostat temperature to rise to 32 degrees. The company is aware of this temporary glitch and is working on a software update to fix it. Customers can easily fix the issue by turning the thermostat down using the app, web dashboard, or the thermostat itself. The spokesman for Hive mentioned that the rest of the app works as normal despite this specific issue [40412]. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the article can be categorized as a crash as users reported that the heating system controlled by the Hive app was turning up the temperature to 32 degrees Celsius without their instruction, indicating a failure of the system to perform its intended function correctly [40412].
(b) omission: The software failure incident can also be categorized as an omission as users mentioned instances where the system failed to connect to the thermostat or the boiler, resulting in the shutdown of the heating and hot water, omitting to perform its intended functions [40412].
(c) timing: There is no specific mention of a timing-related failure in the articles provided.
(d) value: The software failure incident can be categorized as a value failure as users experienced the system setting the temperature to 32 degrees when it should have been between 20 and 22 degrees, indicating incorrect performance of its intended function [40412].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not exhibit characteristics of a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The other behavior observed in the software failure incident is the system wrongly suggesting that users must have been hacked when the glitch first emerged, indicating a misdiagnosis of the issue [40412]. |