Incident: Android Lollipop Lock Screen Bypass Vulnerability Impacting Nexus Devices.

Published Date: 2015-09-16

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident happened in September 2015. [51584, 51598, 51838, 51421]
System 1. Android version 5 (Lollipop) lock screen system [51584, 51598, 51838, 51421]
Responsible Organization 1. The software failure incident in the Android phones was caused by a vulnerability in the Android operating system, specifically affecting devices running version 5 (Lollipop) [51584, 51598, 51838, 51421].
Impacted Organization 1. Android phone users who had their devices running version 5 of the operating system and were using a password to protect their devices [51584, 51598, 51421] 2. Nexus device users specifically were tested for the attack, but it was believed to likely work on other Android devices using version 5 of the operating system [51584] 3. Users of smartphones using the latest version of the Android operating system, Lollipop, were affected by the vulnerability [51598, 51838] 4. Android device users who had their devices running Lollipop and were using a password to protect their devices were impacted by the vulnerability [51421]
Software Causes 1. The software cause of the failure incident was a lock screen vulnerability in Android version 5 that allowed bypassing the password lock by entering a long string of characters and pressing the camera shutter button [51584, 51598, 51838]. 2. The vulnerability affected smartphones using the latest version of the Android operating system, Lollipop, and required overwhelming the lock screen with text to crash it and gain full access to the device [51598, 51421].
Non-software Causes 1. Physical access to the phone was required to execute the attack, as it involved manipulating the lock screen by entering a long string of characters and pressing the camera shutter button [51584, 51598, 51421]. 2. The vulnerability exploited in the incident was related to the design and functionality of the Android lock screen, allowing for a bypass through an overload of text input [51584, 51598, 51421].
Impacts 1. The software failure incident allowed anyone with physical access to Android phones using version 5 of the operating system to bypass the password lock by entering a long string of characters and pressing the camera shutter button, gaining full access to apps and data [51584, 51598, 51838]. 2. The vulnerability exposed contact data, phone logs, SMS messages, and other protected data on the affected phones [51598]. 3. The incident highlighted the issue of delayed software updates for Android devices, leaving many vulnerable phones without the necessary patch to fix the flaw [51584, 51598, 51838]. 4. Google released a patch for the vulnerability, but the update process was dependent on phone manufacturers and carriers, leading to a fragmented and slow distribution of the fix [51598, 51838]. 5. The incident raised concerns about the security of Android devices using passwords for lock screens, prompting recommendations to switch to PIN or pattern unlock options for enhanced security [51584, 51421].
Preventions 1. Implementing a PIN or pattern unlock instead of a password could have prevented the software failure incident as the vulnerability specifically affected phones using a password for lock screen security [51584, 51598, 51421]. 2. Timely installation of security updates and patches provided by Google could have prevented the vulnerability from being exploited [51584, 51598, 51421]. 3. Enhancing the testing procedures during software development to identify and address such vulnerabilities before the software is released to users could have prevented the incident [51421].
Fixes 1. Google issued a patch for the lock screen vulnerability affecting Android devices using version 5 of the operating system [51584]. 2. Google released a fix for the security hole on its line of Nexus devices to address the bug that allowed bypassing the lock screen with a long password [51421]. 3. Users affected by the vulnerability could switch from using a password to a PIN or pattern unlock as an alternative security measure [51584]. 4. Android device users were advised to install any available security updates to mitigate the risk posed by the software failure incident [51584]. 5. Smartphone manufacturers and mobile phone operators were expected to roll out software updates to fix the bug on affected devices [51421].
References 1. John Gordon, security analyst at the University of Texas's information security office in Austin [51584, 51598] 2. Google [51584, 51598, 51838, 51421] 3. CNNMoney [51838] 4. The Guardian [51421]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring one_organization, multiple_organization (a) The software failure incident related to the Android lock screen vulnerability has happened again at Google. The vulnerability affected Android devices using version 5 of the operating system, Lollipop, allowing attackers to bypass the lock screen by overloading it with text [51584, 51598, 51421]. (b) The incident has also occurred at other organizations or with their products and services. The vulnerability was not limited to Google's Nexus devices but likely affected other Android devices using version 5 of the operating system [51584, 51598, 51421].
Phase (Design/Operation) design, operation (a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be seen in the articles discussing the vulnerability in Android's lock screen bypass. The vulnerability was discovered by security analyst John Gordon at the University of Texas, who found a way to bypass the password lock on Android devices by entering a long string of characters into the Emergency Call dial pad and pressing the camera shutter button [51584, 51598, 51838]. This vulnerability was a result of a flaw in the design of the lock screen system in Android version 5 (Lollipop), allowing attackers to gain full access to the device's apps and data. (b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase can be observed in the articles discussing how the vulnerability required physical access to the smartphone to perform the hack [51421]. This means that the operation or misuse of the system, such as leaving the phone unattended or in the hands of someone with malicious intent, could lead to the exploitation of the vulnerability. Additionally, the need to overload the lock screen with text to crash the system and gain access highlights an operational aspect of the attack.
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) within_system: The software failure incident described in the articles is primarily within the system. The vulnerability that allowed bypassing the lock screen on Android phones by entering a long password was a result of a bug within the Android operating system itself. Researchers at the University of Texas in Austin discovered the vulnerability and reported it to Google, which then issued a patch to fix the problem [51584, 51598, 51421]. (b) outside_system: The software failure incident does not seem to be primarily caused by contributing factors originating from outside the system. The vulnerability was inherent to the Android operating system, and the exploit required physical access to the device to manipulate the lock screen, rather than being exploited remotely or through external means [51584, 51598, 51421].
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions, human_actions (a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions: - The software failure incident in the articles is related to a vulnerability in the Android operating system, specifically affecting devices running version 5 (Lollipop) [51584, 51598, 51838, 51421]. - The vulnerability allows for a lock screen bypass by overloading the system with an excessively long password, causing the lock screen to crash and granting access to the device's home screen [51584, 51598, 51838, 51421]. - This vulnerability was discovered by security researchers at the University of Texas in Austin [51584, 51421]. - Google issued a patch to address the vulnerability, but the effectiveness of the patch is dependent on device manufacturers and carriers pushing out updates to users [51584, 51598, 51838, 51421]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions: - The vulnerability was discovered and documented by security researcher John Gordon, who reported it to Google [51584, 51598, 51838]. - The exploit involves a series of steps that a user can perform, such as entering characters into the Emergency Call feature and repeatedly pasting a long string of characters [51584, 51598, 51838]. - The vulnerability was demonstrated in a video by the researcher, showing how a user could bypass the lock screen through this method [51584, 51598, 51838]. - The incident highlights the importance of security researchers and ethical hackers in identifying and reporting vulnerabilities to software companies for patching [51584, 51598, 51838].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) software (a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware: - The software failure incident described in the articles is not attributed to hardware issues but rather to a vulnerability in the Android operating system that allows for a lock screen bypass attack [51584, 51598, 51838, 51421]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to software: - The software failure incident is directly related to a software vulnerability in the Android operating system, specifically affecting devices running version 5 (Lollipop) of the OS. The vulnerability allows attackers to bypass the lock screen by overloading it with text, leading to a crash and granting full access to the device [51584, 51598, 51838, 51421].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) malicious (a) The software failure incident described in the articles is malicious in nature. The incident involved a vulnerability in Android phones running version 5 (Lollipop) that allowed an attacker to bypass the lock screen by entering an excessively long string of characters, causing the system to crash and granting full access to the device [51584, 51598, 51838]. The attack was discovered by a security analyst at the University of Texas, who demonstrated the exploit and highlighted the potential risks of allowing unauthorized access to sensitive data on the affected phones. The incident was reported to Google, which issued a patch to address the vulnerability, but the patch deployment was hindered by the fragmented update process of Android devices, leaving many phones vulnerable to exploitation. (b) The software failure incident was not non-malicious as it was a deliberate attempt to exploit a security vulnerability in the Android operating system to gain unauthorized access to locked devices. The incident required specific steps to be carried out by an attacker, including entering a long string of characters and manipulating the camera app to crash the lock screen, indicating a malicious intent to bypass security measures and access sensitive information on the targeted devices.
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) poor_decisions (a) poor_decisions: The software failure incident related to the Android lock screen vulnerability was due to poor decisions in the software design and implementation. The vulnerability allowed attackers to bypass the lock screen by entering an excessively long password, causing the system to crash and grant access to the device [51584, 51598, 51838, 51421]. This flaw was a result of inadequate testing and oversight in the development process, leading to a critical security loophole that could be exploited by attackers with physical access to the device. The incident highlighted the importance of thorough security testing and the potential consequences of overlooking such vulnerabilities in software design.
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) development_incompetence, accidental (a) The software failure incident in the articles can be attributed to development incompetence. The incident involved a vulnerability in Android phones running version 5 (Lollipop) that allowed attackers to bypass the lock screen by entering a long string of characters and crashing the system [51584, 51598, 51838]. This vulnerability was discovered by a security analyst at the University of Texas, who stumbled upon it while experimenting with his phone during a road trip. The incident highlights a flaw in the Android operating system that was exploited due to a lack of professional competence in ensuring robust security measures. (b) The software failure incident can also be categorized as accidental. The vulnerability that allowed the bypass of the lock screen on Android phones was not intentionally designed but rather discovered accidentally by a security researcher [51584, 51598, 51838]. The incident was not a deliberate feature but a flaw that was exploited through a specific sequence of actions involving entering a long string of characters and crashing the system. The accidental nature of this vulnerability is evident from the researcher's discovery process and the subsequent reporting and patching of the issue by Google.
Duration temporary (a) The software failure incident described in the articles is temporary. The vulnerability allowed for a bypass of the lockscreen on Android devices running Lollipop by overloading the lockscreen with text, causing it to crash and grant full access to the device [51584, 51598, 51838, 51421]. The issue was reported to Google, and a patch was released to address the vulnerability. However, until devices are updated with the patch, they remain vulnerable to this specific exploit.
Behaviour crash, other (a) crash: The software failure incident described in the articles can be categorized as a crash. The vulnerability allowed attackers to overload the lockscreen with text, causing the system to crash and revealing the home screen, providing full access to the device [51584, 51598, 51421]. (b) omission: There is no indication in the articles that the software failure incident was due to the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). (c) timing: The software failure incident was not related to the system performing its intended functions correctly, but too late or too early. (d) value: The software failure incident was not due to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident did not involve the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. (f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident can be categorized as a security vulnerability that allowed unauthorized access to Android devices by bypassing the lockscreen using a specific method involving overloading the system with text, leading to a crash and granting full access to the device [51584, 51598, 51421].

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception None None
Communication None None
Application None None

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence property, non-human, theoretical_consequence, other (a) death: People lost their lives due to the software failure - There is no mention of any deaths caused by the software failure incident in the provided articles. (b) harm: People were physically harmed due to the software failure - There is no mention of physical harm caused to individuals due to the software failure incident in the provided articles. (c) basic: People's access to food or shelter was impacted because of the software failure - There is no mention of people's access to food or shelter being impacted by the software failure incident in the provided articles. (d) property: People's material goods, money, or data was impacted due to the software failure - The software failure incident allowed unauthorized access to the affected phones, potentially enabling attackers to view contact data, phone logs, SMS messages, and other protected data [51598]. (e) delay: People had to postpone an activity due to the software failure - There is no mention of people having to postpone activities due to the software failure incident in the provided articles. (f) non-human: Non-human entities were impacted due to the software failure - The software failure incident primarily affected Android smartphones running Lollipop, potentially exposing user data and compromising the security of the devices [51584, 51598, 51421]. (g) no_consequence: There were no real observed consequences of the software failure - The software failure incident had real consequences, such as allowing unauthorized access to user data on affected devices [51584, 51598, 51421]. (h) theoretical_consequence: There were potential consequences discussed of the software failure that did not occur - The potential consequences discussed included the ability for an attacker to install malicious software via USB connection after exploiting the vulnerability [51584]. (i) other: Was there consequence(s) of the software failure not described in the (a to h) options? What is the other consequence(s)? - The software failure incident could potentially lead to unauthorized access to sensitive information stored on the affected devices, posing a risk to user privacy and security [51584, 51598, 51421].
Domain information, finance (a) The software failure incident reported in the articles is related to the information industry, specifically affecting Android smartphones running version 5 of the operating system [51584, 51598, 51838, 51421]. The vulnerability allowed attackers to bypass the lock screen by entering an excessively long password, leading to unauthorized access to the device's apps and data. (h) The incident also has implications for the finance industry as the vulnerability could potentially allow unauthorized access to sensitive information such as contact data, phone logs, and SMS messages [51598, 51838]. (m) The software failure incident is not directly related to any other industry mentioned in the options provided.

Sources

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