| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to the HTC Android smartphones containing a flaw that gives Internet-connected apps access to personal information has happened again within the same organization. Researcher Artem Russakovskii, along with Justin Case and Trevor Eckhart, discovered a vulnerability involving logging tools that HTC installed on the devices during a software update. This incident highlights a security flaw within HTC's devices, indicating a recurring issue within the organization [8612].
(b) There is no specific information in the provided article about the software failure incident happening again at multiple 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 flaw that gave Internet-connected apps access to personal information on HTC Android smartphones was introduced during a software update where logging tools were installed on the devices [8612]. This vulnerability was a result of the system development and update process, indicating a design-related failure.
(b) There is no specific information in the article indicating that the software failure incident was due to operation or misuse of the system. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) The software failure incident reported in Article 8612 is within_system. The flaw that gave Internet-connected apps access to personal information on HTC Android smartphones was due to a vulnerability involving logging tools that HTC installed on the devices during a software update. This internal system update introduced the security vulnerability, allowing any app requesting a single android.permission.INTERNET to access sensitive user data [8612]. |
| 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 vulnerability was discovered in logging tools that HTC installed on the devices during a software update, which allowed Internet-connected apps to access personal information without the users' knowledge or consent [8612]. This flaw was not intentionally introduced by human actions but rather as a result of a misguided software update.
(b) Human actions were involved in reporting the vulnerability to HTC. The security researchers, Artem Russakovskii, Justin Case, and Trevor Eckhart, contacted HTC about the problem on September 24 and waited for a response. When they did not hear back after five business days, they decided to make the issue public to raise awareness [8612]. This proactive action taken by the researchers highlights the importance of human involvement in identifying and addressing software vulnerabilities. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident reported in Article 8612 is related to a flaw in HTC Android smartphones, including models like the Evo 3D, Evo 4G, and Thunderbolt. The flaw was caused by logging tools that HTC installed on the devices during a software update. This indicates that the contributing factor for the failure originated in the hardware of the HTC smartphones, specifically due to the software update that introduced the vulnerability [8612].
(b) The same incident also highlights that the vulnerability in the HTC smartphones allowed Internet-connected apps to access personal information such as text message data, location info, email addresses, and phone numbers. This indicates that the contributing factor for the failure also originated in the software of the affected devices, as the flaw allowed apps to access sensitive data due to the software issue introduced by the logging tools [8612]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article is malicious in nature. Security researchers discovered a vulnerability in HTC Android smartphones due to logging tools installed on the devices during a software update. This flaw allowed Internet-connected apps to access personal information such as text message data, location info, e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and system logs without user consent. The incident was not accidental but a result of deliberate actions by HTC in implementing the logging tools, making it a malicious software failure incident [8612]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident described in Article 8612 was primarily due to poor decisions made by HTC during a software update. The vulnerability was a result of logging tools that HTC installed on the devices, which allowed Internet-connected apps to access sensitive personal information without proper authorization. This decision to include such tools without adequate security measures led to the exposure of user data, indicating a failure caused by poor decisions [8612]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in Article 8612 can be attributed to development incompetence. The flaw that gave Internet-connected apps access to personal information on HTC Android smartphones was a result of a vulnerability involving logging tools that HTC installed on the devices during a software update. This update introduced a security loophole that allowed any app requesting a single android.permission.INTERNET to access sensitive data such as email addresses, phone numbers, SMS data, and system logs. The trio of security researchers discovered this issue and highlighted the lack of professional competence in implementing the update, likening it to leaving keys under the mat and expecting nobody to unlock the door [8612].
(b) The software failure incident in Article 8612 can also be considered accidental. The security vulnerability was not intentionally created but was a side effect of the software update by HTC. The logging tools installed during the update inadvertently exposed sensitive user information to any app requesting internet access on the affected devices. This accidental exposure of personal data highlights how unintended consequences can arise from software updates or changes made without thorough testing and consideration of potential risks [8612]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article seems to be temporary. The vulnerability in the HTC Android smartphones, allowing access to personal information by Internet-connected apps, was caused by a flaw introduced during a software update. This flaw was not a permanent issue but rather a specific vulnerability that could be addressed with a fix from HTC or by removing the logging tools through jailbreaking the phone [8612]. |
| Behaviour |
value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident described in the article does not involve a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. Instead, the vulnerability allows unauthorized access to personal information by Internet-connected apps on HTC Android smartphones [8612].
(b) omission: The software failure incident is not characterized by the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). The flaw in the HTC smartphones allows apps to access sensitive data without proper authorization, indicating a breach rather than an omission of functions [8612].
(c) timing: The software failure incident is not related to the system performing its intended functions correctly but at the wrong time. The vulnerability in the HTC smartphones allows immediate unauthorized access to personal information by apps, indicating a timing issue in terms of unauthorized access [8612].
(d) value: The software failure incident is related to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The flaw in the HTC smartphones allows apps to access a range of sensitive data, including email addresses, phone numbers, SMS data, and system logs, without proper authorization, indicating incorrect behavior of the system [8612].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not involve the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The vulnerability in the HTC smartphones allows consistent unauthorized access to various types of personal information by apps, indicating a systematic flaw rather than erratic behavior [8612].
(f) other: The software failure incident involves a security vulnerability in HTC Android smartphones that grants unauthorized access to personal information by Internet-connected apps due to a flaw in the logging tools installed during a software update. This behavior can be categorized as a privacy breach or data leakage, where sensitive information is accessed without proper authorization [8612]. |