| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Flash vulnerability had happened before at Adobe in 2008. In 2008, a similar problem arose, but it required Adobe to update its Flash Player software on customer computers to fix the issue [8604].
(b) The software failure incident related to the Flash vulnerability did not mention any similar incidents happening at other organizations or with their products and services. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in the article was related to a vulnerability in the Flash Player Settings Manager on Adobe's servers, which allowed websites to surreptitiously turn on a visitor's microphone or webcam. This vulnerability was due to a flaw in the design of the Flash Player Settings Manager, which was exploited using a technique called clickjacking. The issue was brought to light by a computer science student who demonstrated the attack in a blog post [8604].
(b) The software failure incident was also influenced by operational factors. The initial report of the problem was not effectively communicated to the Adobe Product Security Incident Response Team because the email was sent to an employee on sabbatical instead. This operational misstep delayed Adobe's awareness of the issue until it was publicly disclosed in the blog post, highlighting a breakdown in the operational response to security incidents [8604]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) The software failure incident in this case falls under the within_system category. The vulnerability was within the Flash Player Settings Manager on Adobe's servers, which allowed malicious actors to exploit it to turn on a visitor's microphone or Webcam surreptitiously [8604]. The issue was not with software on customer computers but rather with the Flash Player Settings Manager hosted on Adobe's servers. Adobe worked on fixing the problem on their end without requiring a product update or customer action, indicating that the issue originated within their system. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was due to non-human actions. The vulnerability in the Flash Player Settings Manager on Adobe's servers allowed for the exploit to occur without requiring any action from the users themselves [8604].
(b) The incident was also influenced by human actions. The problem was initially brought to light by a Stanford University computer science student, Feross Aboukhadijeh, who demonstrated the exploit in a blog post. Additionally, it was mentioned that Aboukhadijeh had reported the issue to Adobe a few weeks prior, but the communication was not directed to the appropriate team within Adobe, leading to a delay in addressing the problem [8604]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident reported in Article 8604 was not due to hardware issues but rather a vulnerability in the Flash Player Settings Manager on Adobe's servers. The problem was related to a technique called clickjacking, where an attacker could trick users into unknowingly turning on their microphone or webcam by clicking on seemingly harmless buttons on a webpage. This vulnerability did not require a product update on customer computers but was a server-side issue that Adobe fixed by updating the Flash Player Settings Manager SWF file hosted on their website [8604].
(b) The software failure incident in Article 8604 originated in software, specifically in the Flash Player Settings Manager on Adobe's servers. The vulnerability exploited by the attack was related to how the Flash Settings Manager SWF file was hidden behind an iFrame on a webpage, allowing the attacker to bypass framebusting JavaScript code and manipulate the user's camera or microphone settings without their knowledge. Adobe addressed this software issue by making changes to the Flash Player Settings Manager SWF file on their servers, eliminating the vulnerability without requiring users to download an update to their Flash Player software [8604]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident in this case is malicious. The vulnerability in Adobe's Flash Player Settings Manager could be exploited by websites to surreptitiously turn on a visitor's microphone or webcam without their knowledge or consent. This was demonstrated by a Stanford University computer science student, Feross Aboukhadijeh, using a technique called "clickjacking" to trick users into unknowingly activating their camera or microphone [8604]. Additionally, the Chief Technology Officer at Whitehat Security, Jeremiah Grossman, emphasized the importance of addressing this issue quickly to prevent potential malicious exploitation [8604].
(b) There is no indication in the articles that the software failure incident was non-malicious. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident related to poor_decisions:
- The software failure incident involving the Flash-related vulnerability that could turn on a visitor's microphone or Webcam was due to poor decisions in the design and implementation of the Flash Player Settings Manager on Adobe's servers [8604].
- The vulnerability was exploited using a technique called "clickjacking," which involved hiding code to trick users into unknowingly activating their camera or microphone by clicking on seemingly harmless buttons [8604].
(b) The intent of the software failure incident related to accidental_decisions:
- The incident was not primarily due to accidental decisions but rather stemmed from poor decisions in the design and implementation of the Flash Player Settings Manager on Adobe's servers [8604].
- The vulnerability was not a result of accidental decisions but rather a deliberate exploitation of the flaw using clickjacking techniques [8604]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was not due to development incompetence but rather a vulnerability in the Flash Player Settings Manager on Adobe's servers. The issue was brought to light by a Stanford University computer science student who demonstrated the attack using clickjacking techniques [8604].
(b) The software failure incident can be categorized as accidental as it was not intentionally caused by Adobe but rather a vulnerability that could be exploited by malicious actors through clickjacking techniques. The student who discovered the issue reported it to Adobe, but the email was not directed to the appropriate team, leading to a delay in addressing the problem [8604]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was temporary. Adobe Systems worked on fixing the vulnerability in the Flash Player Settings Manager on their servers, and the issue was resolved without requiring customers to update their Flash Player software on their computers [8604]. |
| Behaviour |
omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The incident reported in the article does not involve a crash where the system loses state and stops performing its intended functions. Instead, it describes a vulnerability in Adobe's Flash Player Settings Manager that could be exploited by websites to turn on a visitor's microphone or webcam surreptitiously [8604].
(b) omission: The vulnerability in the Flash Player Settings Manager allowed for the omission of the intended function of obtaining user consent before accessing the microphone or webcam. By exploiting the vulnerability, an attacker could trick users into unknowingly activating their camera or microphone without their consent [8604].
(c) timing: The incident does not involve a timing failure where the system performs its intended functions either too late or too early. Instead, the focus is on the vulnerability in the Flash Player Settings Manager that could be used for unauthorized access to the microphone or webcam [8604].
(d) value: The software failure incident is related to a value failure where the system performs its intended functions incorrectly. In this case, the vulnerability in the Flash Player Settings Manager allowed for the unauthorized activation of a visitor's microphone or webcam without their knowledge or consent, which is not the intended behavior of the software [8604].
(e) byzantine: The incident does not exhibit a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The vulnerability described in the article is more focused on a specific security flaw in the Flash Player Settings Manager that could be exploited for unauthorized access to the microphone or webcam [8604].
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident can be categorized as a security vulnerability that could be leveraged through clickjacking to trick users into unknowingly activating their microphone or webcam. This behavior falls under the category of a security exploit rather than a traditional software failure like a crash or timing issue [8604]. |