| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to the exploitation of vulnerabilities in the PHP scripting language at Pornhub has happened again within the same organization. In the article, it is mentioned that two hackers managed to gain 'remote code execution' using a complex, multi-step process by exploiting a zero-day exploit in the site's PHP scripting language. This incident led to the discovery of a vulnerability that could potentially leak user information and source code. The company responded by launching a bug bounty program and fixing the problems by removing the vulnerable function in its code [46111].
(b) There is no specific information in the provided article indicating that a similar software failure incident has happened at other organizations or with their products and services. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design |
(a) The software failure incident in the article is related to the design phase. The incident occurred due to vulnerabilities in the site's PHP scripting language that could be exploited to hack the website and potentially leak user details. The hackers discovered a zero-day exploit in the PHP code, specifically in the 'unserialize' function that handles user data, allowing them to extract user information remotely. This vulnerability was a result of flaws in the design and implementation of the system's code [46111].
(b) The software failure incident is not related to the operation phase or misuse of the system. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident in this case was due to vulnerabilities within the Pornhub website's PHP scripting language that allowed hackers to gain remote code execution and potentially leak user data [46111]. The exploit was related to an 'unserialize' function that handled user data, which the hackers were able to tap into from afar, extract user information, and potentially dump the complete database of Pornhub [46111].
(b) outside_system: The response to the software failure incident involved the company launching a bug bounty program to incentivize white hat hackers to identify vulnerabilities and help improve the security of the system [46111]. This external initiative aimed to protect the system and user data from cyber attacks originating from outside sources. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was due to non-human actions, specifically a vulnerability in the site's PHP scripting language that was exploited by hackers to gain remote code execution and potentially leak user data [46111].
(b) Human actions also played a role in this incident as the hackers actively exploited the vulnerability in the PHP code to access user information from the website [46111]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident in the article was not due to hardware issues but rather due to vulnerabilities in the software itself. The hackers exploited a zero-day exploit in the site's PHP scripting language, allowing them to potentially leak user data and the site's source code [46111]. This indicates that the contributing factors that led to the incident originated in the software rather than hardware. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious, non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was malicious. Hackers managed to exploit vulnerabilities in the popular adult entertainment website, Pornhub, with the potential to access and leak user data. The hackers discovered a zero-day exploit in the site's PHP scripting language, allowing them to potentially extract sensitive user information from the database. However, instead of leaking the information, they reported the vulnerabilities to Pornhub and received a bug bounty reward for their findings. This incident highlights how malicious actors can target software systems to access and misuse sensitive data ([46111]).
(b) The software failure incident was also non-malicious in the sense that the two hackers who discovered the vulnerabilities in Pornhub's system were 'white hat hackers,' meaning they used their skills for good. These ethical hackers reported the vulnerabilities to the company through its bug bounty program, aiming to help improve the security of the platform and protect user data from cyber attacks. By responsibly disclosing the vulnerabilities and working with Pornhub to fix the issues, the hackers demonstrated a non-malicious intent in their actions ([46111]). |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
accidental_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident was accidental_decisions. The incident involved two hackers who discovered a zero-day exploit in the PHP scripting language used by the adult entertainment website Pornhub. They found a vulnerability in the site's code that could be used to hack the website and potentially leak its source code as well as user details. The hackers did not leak the information and instead reported the vulnerability to Pornhub as part of the site's bug bounty program [46111]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in the article was not due to development incompetence. Instead, it was a case of two hackers exploiting vulnerabilities in the PHP scripting language used by the popular adult entertainment website, Pornhub. These hackers discovered a zero-day exploit in the site's PHP that could potentially leak user information and source code. The hackers were able to access user details through a complex, multi-step process involving a specific function in the code [46111].
(b) The software failure incident in the article was accidental in the sense that the vulnerabilities exploited by the hackers were not intentionally created by the development organization. The hackers, identified as 'white hat hackers,' discovered the vulnerabilities and reported them to Pornhub as part of the site's bug bounty program. The exploitation of these vulnerabilities was accidental in the sense that they were not deliberately introduced by the developers but were present in the code and discovered by external parties [46111]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident described in the articles can be categorized as a temporary failure. The incident involved hackers exploiting vulnerabilities in the PHP scripting language of the Pornhub website, leading to the potential extraction of user information. The hackers discovered a zero-day exploit in the site's PHP that could have allowed them to leak sensitive user data. However, instead of exploiting the vulnerability maliciously, they reported it to Pornhub as part of the bug bounty program, which led to the issue being patched by removing the vulnerable function from the code [46111]. |
| Behaviour |
other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the article did not involve a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. Instead, the hackers managed to access user details but did not leak the information, and the vulnerabilities were identified and fixed by the company [46111].
(b) omission: The incident did not involve the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). Instead, the hackers were able to exploit vulnerabilities in the system to access user data, but the data was not leaked [46111].
(c) timing: The failure was not related to the system performing its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. The incident involved hackers gaining unauthorized access to user details through vulnerabilities in the system [46111].
(d) value: The software failure incident did not involve the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The hackers accessed user details but did not misuse or leak the information [46111].
(e) byzantine: The incident did not exhibit a byzantine behavior where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The hackers were able to access user information through identified vulnerabilities, but the company took steps to fix the issues and secure the data [46111].
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident in the article can be categorized as a security breach due to hackers exploiting vulnerabilities in the system to access user data. The company responded by implementing a bug bounty program, rewarding the hackers who identified the vulnerabilities, and fixing the issues to enhance data security [46111]. |