| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to spoofing GPS coordinates to hijack a drone has happened before within the same organization. In 2008, Iranian-backed insurgents in Iraq managed to intercept unencrypted video feeds from drones, exploiting a vulnerability known to the Air Force since 1996 [54620]. This incident highlights a recurring issue with the security of American drones and their susceptibility to exploitation.
(b) The software failure incident of spoofing GPS coordinates to hijack a drone has also happened at other organizations or with their products and services. The article mentions that military officials have been aware of the GPS vulnerability of the RQ-170 Sentinel drone since 2003, indicating that similar vulnerabilities may exist in other military systems or drones [54639]. This suggests that the technique of spoofing GPS signals to manipulate drones may not be unique to a single organization. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase:
- The incident involved a U.S. stealth drone being hijacked by spoofing GPS coordinates, which forced it to land at a specific location chosen by the hackers [54639].
- The vulnerability in the GPS navigation system of the drone was exploited by putting noise on the communications, forcing the drone into autopilot mode, leading to the loss of control [54639].
- Military officials had been aware of the GPS vulnerability of the drone since 2003, indicating a long-standing design flaw in the system [54639].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase:
- The incident involved the drone's GPS system being reconfigured by hackers to land at specific coordinates without needing to crack remote-control signals, highlighting an operational vulnerability [54639].
- Iranian specialists reportedly studied the wreckage of previously downed drones to identify vulnerabilities, suggesting that operational weaknesses were exploited in the incident [54639].
- The spoofing attack on the GPS system was described as more elegant than jamming because it was surreptitious, indicating a method that could be executed during the operation of the drone [54639]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident related to the U.S. stealth drone being hijacked by Iran was primarily within the system. The incident involved hackers reconfiguring the GPS system of the drone, forcing it to land at specific coordinates by spoofing GPS signals [Article 54639]. The vulnerability in the GPS navigation system of the drone was exploited by manipulating the signals to trick the drone into autopilot mode and land where the hackers wanted it to land [Article 54620]. This manipulation of the drone's internal systems led to the successful hijacking of the drone.
(b) outside_system: The software failure incident also had elements originating from outside the system. The external factor in this case was the jamming of communications and GPS signals by the hackers, which forced the drone into autopilot mode and ultimately led to its capture by Iran [Article 54620]. The use of external interference to disrupt the drone's normal operations and manipulate its behavior highlights the impact of factors outside the system contributing to the software failure incident. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
- The incident involved the hijacking of a U.S. stealth drone by hackers who reconfigured the GPS system of the drone, forcing it to land at specific coordinates without cracking the remote-control signals and communications [54639].
- The vulnerability exploited in the drone's GPS system was known to military officials since 2003, indicating a pre-existing weakness in the system [54639].
- The spoofing attack on the drone's GPS system was described as a more pernicious and surreptitious method compared to jamming, as it involved feeding fake GPS signals to deceive the drone about its location [54639].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
- The Iranian engineer claimed that by jamming the drone's communication links and forcing it into autopilot mode, they were able to manipulate the drone's GPS system with false coordinates, leading it to land in Iran [54620].
- The engineer suggested that by putting noise on the communications, the drone was forced into autopilot, causing it to lose its ability to navigate properly [54639].
- Iranian specialists reportedly studied the wreckage of previously downed drones to identify vulnerabilities, indicating a deliberate effort to exploit weaknesses in the drone technology [54639]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware:
- The incident involving the U.S. stealth drone being hijacked by spoofing GPS coordinates was attributed to a vulnerability in the GPS system of the drone, which is a hardware component [54639].
- The Iranian engineer mentioned in the articles highlighted that by jamming the communications and manipulating the GPS navigation system, they were able to force the drone into autopilot mode, indicating a hardware vulnerability in the drone's systems [54620].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to software:
- The incident of the U.S. stealth drone being hijacked by spoofing GPS coordinates was executed using software that spoofed the GPS system, indicating a software-based attack [54639].
- The article mentions vulnerabilities in the drone's software, such as the GPS navigation system being the weakest point and susceptible to manipulation through software-based attacks like jamming communications [54639]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles is malicious in nature. Iranian engineers and hackers intentionally manipulated the GPS system of the U.S. stealth drone, RQ-170 Sentinel, to spoof its coordinates and force it to land in Iran. The incident involved jamming the drone's communication links to force it into autopilot mode and then spoofing its GPS system with false coordinates to deceive it into landing where the hackers wanted it to [54620, 54639]. This malicious act was aimed at capturing the drone and exploiting its technology for strategic advantage.
(b) The software failure incident is non-malicious in the sense that the failure was not caused by accidental or unintentional factors. It was a deliberate act of exploiting a known vulnerability in the drone's GPS system, indicating a targeted and intentional effort to manipulate the drone's navigation and control mechanisms [54620, 54639]. The incident was not a result of a random or unintended software glitch or error but rather a calculated and planned attack on the drone's systems. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident related to poor_decisions:
- The incident involving the U.S. stealth drone being hijacked by spoofing GPS coordinates was a result of poor decisions made in the design and implementation of the drone's GPS navigation system. The vulnerability of the GPS system was known to military officials since 2003, indicating a lack of proactive measures to address this known weakness [54639].
- The use of unencrypted video feeds on drones, which were intercepted by Iranian-backed insurgents in Iraq in 2008, also points to poor decisions in terms of security measures implemented on the drones [54620].
(b) The intent of the software failure incident related to accidental_decisions:
- The accidental aspect of the software failure incident is not explicitly mentioned in the articles. The incidents discussed primarily highlight vulnerabilities and weaknesses in the design and implementation of the drone systems, indicating more of a systemic issue rather than accidental decisions leading to the failures. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in the articles can be attributed to development incompetence. The incident involved the hijacking of a U.S. stealth drone by spoofing its GPS coordinates, forcing it to land at a specific location without having to crack the remote-control signals and communications. An Iranian engineer mentioned that the GPS navigation was the weakest point of the drone, and by jamming the communications, they were able to force the drone into autopilot mode, causing it to lose control [54639].
Furthermore, the articles highlight vulnerabilities in the drone's security, such as unencrypted video feeds being intercepted in the past and malware infecting the drone fleet's computers due to someone playing a game on them. These incidents point towards a lack of professional competence in ensuring the security and integrity of the drone systems [54620].
(b) The software failure incident can also be considered accidental to some extent. While the intentional spoofing of the drone's GPS coordinates was a deliberate act by hackers, the U.S. officials initially attributed the loss of the drone to a malfunction rather than acknowledging the successful hijacking. This misattribution could be seen as an accidental failure to recognize the true cause of the incident [54639]. |
| Duration |
permanent, temporary |
From the provided articles, the software failure incident related to the U.S. stealth drone being hijacked by spoofing its GPS coordinates can be categorized as a temporary failure. The incident was temporary because hackers were able to manipulate the drone's GPS system to force it to land at specific coordinates without having to crack the remote-control signals and communications [54639]. This temporary failure was achieved by exploiting the vulnerability in the GPS navigation system of the drone, which allowed the hackers to manipulate the drone's behavior and control its landing location [54639]. Additionally, the incident highlights the susceptibility of the drone's GPS system to spoofing attacks, indicating a specific vulnerability that was exploited in this temporary failure [54639].
On the other hand, the incident could also be considered as a potential permanent failure due to the long-known vulnerability in the GPS system of the drone, which military officials have been aware of since 2003 [54639]. The fact that the vulnerability has been known for a significant period without being fully addressed suggests a permanent aspect to the failure, as the contributing factors introduced by this vulnerability have persisted over time [54639]. This indicates that the software failure incident may have been a combination of both temporary exploitation of a specific vulnerability and a permanent underlying weakness in the system. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident described in the articles can be associated with a crash. The incident involved the U.S. stealth drone, RQ-170 Sentinel, being hijacked by spoofing GPS coordinates, which led to the drone landing at specific coordinates without the ability to crack remote-control signals and communications [54639].
(b) omission: The software failure incident can also be linked to omission. The incident resulted in the drone omitting to perform its intended functions as it was forced into autopilot mode due to jamming of communications, causing it to lose control and land where the hackers wanted it to [54639].
(c) timing: The timing aspect is not explicitly mentioned in the articles as a factor contributing to the software failure incident.
(d) value: The software failure incident can be associated with a failure in value. The incident involved the drone's GPS system being spoofed with false coordinates, leading to incorrect navigation and landing in Iran instead of its intended base in Afghanistan [54620].
(e) byzantine: The byzantine behavior is not explicitly described in the articles as a characteristic of the software failure incident.
(f) other: The software failure incident also involved a flaw in the system's security, with vulnerabilities such as unencrypted video feeds, susceptibility to malware, and potential exploitation of GPS vulnerabilities by hackers [54620]. |