| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to Dolphin HD leaking the addresses of websites visited by users happened again at the same organization, MoboTap. After an initial hotfix (version 7.0.1) that did not fully address the URL concern, MoboTap released another update (version 7.0.2) to fix all URL issues [8625].
(b) There is no information in the provided article about the software failure incident happening again at multiple organizations. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in Article 8625 can be attributed to a design flaw in the Dolphin HD mobile browser. The incident occurred because the browser was leaking the addresses of all websites a user visits back to the company's servers for the purpose of formatting web pages in "Webzine" format. This design decision led to a potential privacy and security breach as the addresses were transmitted unencrypted, allowing eavesdroppers to intercept sensitive information. The Electronic Frontier Foundation criticized the lack of encryption and foresight in implementing such a feature, highlighting the security implications of the design choice made by the developers [8625].
(b) The software failure incident in Article 8625 can also be linked to operational issues. The incident was exacerbated by the operation of the Dolphin HD browser, which was sending URLs to MoboTap's servers without encryption, potentially compromising user privacy and security. The operational aspect of the failure is evident in the need for an update (7.0.1) to address the issue, which was later found to be ineffective, leading to the release of version 7.0.2 to fix the URL concerns. This operational oversight in handling user data and failing to address the issue adequately in the initial update contributed to the software failure incident [8625]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) The software failure incident in the article is primarily within_system. The failure was due to the Dolphin HD browser for Android leaking the addresses of all websites a user visits back to the company's servers, potentially compromising user privacy and security [8625]. The issue stemmed from how the browser was designed to transmit URLs to determine whether to format web pages in a specific way, leading to the unintended consequence of exposing user data. The fix for the problem involved updating the software to address this internal flaw. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was primarily due to non-human actions. The Dolphin HD browser for Android was found to be leaking the addresses of all websites a user visits back to MoboTap's servers for the purpose of formatting web pages in "Webzine" format. This transmission of web addresses was not intended to store user data but rather to check the current user URL against a database of supported Webzines. The issue was identified as a potential privacy and security breach as the second connection to MoboTap was unencrypted, allowing eavesdroppers on Wi-Fi networks to intercept the data [8625].
(b) Human actions also played a role in this software failure incident. The decision to implement this functionality in the browser without considering the security implications was a result of human actions. The Electronic Frontier Foundation's staff technologist, Seth Schoen, criticized the lack of foresight by browser vendors in implementing such features without considering the security risks. Additionally, the response from MoboTap's spokesman, Alan Cooper, in downplaying the impact of the security issue and the subsequent need for multiple updates to fix the problem also reflect human actions contributing to the failure [8625]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident in Article 8625 was not directly attributed to hardware issues. The incident primarily revolved around a privacy and security breach in the Dolphin HD mobile browser software developed by MoboTap. The issue stemmed from the software leaking the addresses of all websites a user visits, potentially compromising user privacy and security [8625].
(b) The software failure incident in Article 8625 was primarily due to contributing factors originating in the software itself. The Dolphin HD browser software had a flaw that transmitted web addresses back to MoboTap's servers, creating a privacy and security vulnerability. This issue was addressed through software updates to fix the URL concerns and enhance privacy practices within the software [8625]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident in Article 8625 was non-malicious. The incident involved a privacy and security breach in the Dolphin HD mobile browser where the software leaked the addresses of all websites a user visits back to the company's servers. This leak was not intentional and was used for determining the formatting of web pages. The company, MoboTap, confirmed that the addresses were not stored and there was no intention to store user data. Efforts were made to fix the issue through updates to the software [8625]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident was related to poor_decisions. The incident occurred because the Dolphin HD browser for Android was leaking the addresses of all websites a user visits back to MoboTap's servers. This was done to determine whether to format web pages in "Webzine" format. The decision to transmit these web addresses back to the company's servers without encryption led to a potential privacy and security breach, allowing eavesdroppers to intercept user data, including potentially taking over user sessions [8625]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in Article 8625 can be attributed to development incompetence. The incident involved the popular mobile browser Dolphin HD leaking the addresses of all websites a user visits, leading to potential privacy and security breaches. The issue arose from the browser transmitting web addresses back to the company's servers without encryption, allowing eavesdroppers to intercept sensitive information. The Electronic Frontier Foundation criticized the lack of foresight in implementing such a feature, emphasizing the security implications. Despite attempts to fix the problem through updates, initial fixes were ineffective, indicating a lack of thorough testing and consideration of security implications [8625].
(b) The software failure incident in Article 8625 can also be considered accidental. The company behind Dolphin HD, MoboTap, initially downplayed the security implications of the incident, stating that they never stored user data and had no intention to do so. They mentioned that the transmission of web addresses was necessary for formatting web pages in a specific way. However, the inadvertent exposure of user data due to the unencrypted transmission of URLs back to the company's servers highlights accidental oversight in terms of privacy and security considerations. The subsequent updates and fixes rolled out by MoboTap to address the issue indicate a reactive approach to resolving the accidental breach [8625]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident described in the article was temporary. The incident involved a privacy and security breach in the Dolphin HD mobile browser, where the software leaked the addresses of all websites a user visited due to the transmission of web addresses back to the company's servers. The issue was acknowledged by MoboTap, the developer of Dolphin HD, and they released updates (7.0.1 and 7.0.2) to fix the problem. The initial fix in version 7.0.1 did not completely resolve the URL concern, leading to the release of version 7.0.2, which finally fixed all URL issues [8625]. |
| Behaviour |
value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the article does not involve a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. The issue reported is related to a privacy and security breach where the software leaked the addresses of all websites a user visits [8625].
(b) omission: The software failure incident does not involve an omission where the system omits to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). The issue reported is more about a privacy and security breach related to data leakage [8625].
(c) timing: The software failure incident does not involve a timing issue where the system performs its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. The main issue reported is the unauthorized transmission of web addresses to the company's servers, leading to privacy and security concerns [8625].
(d) value: The software failure incident does involve a value issue where the system performs its intended functions incorrectly. In this case, the software was leaking web addresses, which could potentially allow for session takeovers and compromise user privacy and security [8625].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not involve a byzantine behavior where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The main issue reported is the unauthorized transmission of web addresses to the company's servers, leading to privacy and security concerns [8625].
(f) other: The other behavior observed in this software failure incident is the lack of proper consideration for security implications before implementing certain functionalities. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) criticized the lack of foresight regarding the security implications of the software's actions and suggested that browser vendors should think through such implementations more thoroughly [8625]. |