Incident: Android Phones Vulnerable to Malicious Code Injection via NFC

Published Date: 2012-07-26

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident happened in June 2012 [Article 13247].
System 1. Android smartphones [13247] 2. Android feature known as near field communications [13247] 3. Android browser security [13247] 4. Google's "Bouncer" technology for identifying malicious programs in Google Play Store [13247]
Responsible Organization 1. Hacking experts at the Black Hat hacking conference in Las Vegas demonstrated ways to attack Android smartphones, showcasing methods that work on virtually all devices despite Google's efforts to enhance protection [Article 13247]. 2. Accuvant researcher Charlie Miller demonstrated a method for delivering malicious code to Android phones using a new Android feature known as near field communications [Article 13247]. 3. Hacking expert Georg Wicherski of CrowdStrike infected an Android phone with a piece of malicious code that exploited a security flaw in the Android browser [Article 13247]. 4. Two Trustwave researchers discovered a technique for evading Google's "Bouncer" technology for identifying malicious programs in the Google Play Store by using a legitimate programming tool known as java script bridge [Article 13247].
Impacted Organization 1. Android smartphones users were impacted by the software failure incident demonstrated at the Black Hat hacking conference in Las Vegas [13247]. 2. Android phone users who were vulnerable due to carriers and device manufacturers not pushing out security updates were also impacted [13247]. 3. Users of Android phones with the security flaw in the Android browser were affected by the malicious code exploit [13247].
Software Causes 1. Exploitation of a security flaw in the Android browser that was publicly disclosed by Google's Chrome browser development team [13247]. 2. Vulnerability of Android phones due to carriers and device manufacturers not pushing out security fixes or patches to users [13247]. 3. Evasion of Google's "Bouncer" technology for identifying malicious programs in the Google Play Store using a legitimate programming tool known as java script bridge [13247].
Non-software Causes 1. Lack of timely security updates from carriers and device manufacturers for Android devices [13247]. 2. Inadequate push of security fixes or patches by carriers and device manufacturers to Android users [13247].
Impacts 1. Android smartphones were vulnerable to various hacking methods, including the delivery of malicious code through near field communications, exploiting security flaws in the Android browser, and evading Google's security measures in the Google Play Store [13247]. 2. Users' phones could be infected without their knowledge by simply walking by a device planted with malicious code, leading to potential data breaches and loss of control over the device [13247]. 3. The lack of timely security updates from carriers and device manufacturers left Android users exposed to known vulnerabilities, contrasting with the quicker update process for iPhones and iPads [13247].
Preventions 1. Implementing timely security updates and patches for Android devices by both carriers and device manufacturers could have prevented the software failure incident [13247]. 2. Enhancing the security features on Android devices to prevent malicious code delivery through methods like near field communications could have helped in avoiding such incidents [13247]. 3. Strengthening the security measures in the Android browser to address known security flaws and vulnerabilities could have mitigated the risk of attacks on Android phones [13247].
Fixes 1. Pushing out security updates and patches by carriers and device manufacturers to address the security flaws in Android phones [13247]. 2. Implementing security features similar to those on iPhones and iPads, where carriers push out security updates fairly quickly after release [13247]. 3. Addressing the evasion of Google's "Bouncer" technology by monitoring and controlling the use of legitimate programming tools like java script bridge for potential malicious exploitation [13247].
References 1. Hacking experts at the Black Hat hacking conference in Las Vegas [Article 13247] 2. Accuvant researcher Charlie Miller [Article 13247] 3. Georg Wicherski of CrowdStrike [Article 13247] 4. Marc Maiffret, chief technology officer of BeyondTrust [Article 13247] 5. Two Trustwave researchers [Article 13247] 6. Nicholas Percoco, senior vice president of Trustwave’s SpiderLabs [Article 13247]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring one_organization, multiple_organization (a) The software failure incident related to Android smartphones being vulnerable to hacking has happened again within the same organization, Google. The article mentions that Google has fixed a security flaw in Chrome but Android users are still vulnerable because carriers and device manufacturers have not pushed those fixes or patches out to users [13247]. (b) The software failure incident of evading Google's "Bouncer" technology for identifying malicious programs in the Google Play Store has implications beyond one organization. The article mentions that Trustwave researchers discovered a technique to evade Google's security measures using a legitimate programming tool, java script bridge, which could be exploited maliciously. This indicates a potential vulnerability across multiple organizations that use similar tools for legitimate purposes [13247].
Phase (Design/Operation) design, operation (a) The software failure incident related to the design phase is evident in the article as experts demonstrated methods to attack Android smartphones despite Google's efforts to boost protection [13247]. The vulnerabilities exploited by hackers, such as delivering malicious code through near field communications and exploiting security flaws in the Android browser, highlight design weaknesses in the system that allow for such attacks to occur. The failure to push security updates to users by carriers and device manufacturers also points to design flaws in the system's update and patch distribution process. (b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is seen in the article through the technique discovered by Trustwave researchers for evading Google's "Bouncer" technology in the Google Play Store [13247]. By using a legitimate programming tool called java script bridge, the researchers were able to remotely add new features to a program without going through the normal Android update process. This operation-related failure allowed them to load malicious code onto a phone and gain control of the browser, demonstrating how system operation and misuse can lead to security breaches and total control by malicious actors.
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) within_system: The software failure incident discussed in the articles is primarily due to contributing factors that originate from within the system. The incident involves security vulnerabilities in Android smartphones that allow for the delivery of malicious code, exploitation of security flaws in the Android browser, and evading Google's security measures within the Google Play Store. These issues highlight weaknesses within the Android operating system and its associated features that can be exploited by hackers and malicious actors [13247]. (b) outside_system: The articles do not specifically mention any contributing factors that originate from outside the system leading 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 article discusses how hacking experts demonstrated ways to attack Android smartphones using methods that work on virtually all devices, despite efforts by Google to boost protection [13247]. - The incident involved exploiting a security flaw in the Android browser that was publicly disclosed by Google's Chrome browser development team [13247]. - The researchers also discovered a technique for evading Google's "Bouncer" technology for identifying malicious programs in the Google Play Store by using a legitimate programming tool known as java script bridge [13247]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions: - The article mentions that the researchers demonstrated methods for delivering malicious code to Android phones using new Android features like near field communications [13247]. - It is highlighted that carriers and device manufacturers have not pushed security fixes or patches out to Android users, leaving them vulnerable to attacks [13247]. - The researchers loaded malicious code onto their phones and remotely gained control of the browser, showcasing how java script bridge could be exploited maliciously [13247].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) hardware, software (a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware: - The article discusses how hacking experts demonstrated ways to attack Android smartphones at the Black Hat hacking conference in Las Vegas [13247]. - One of the experts, Charlie Miller, demonstrated a method for delivering malicious code to Android phones using the near field communications feature, which involves hardware interactions [13247]. - Miller also mentioned creating a small device that could be placed near a cash register to infect Android phones when they come into close proximity, highlighting a hardware-related attack method [13247]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to software: - The article mentions that hacking experts were able to infect an Android phone with a piece of malicious code that exploited a security flaw in the Android browser, which was publicly disclosed by Google's Chrome browser development team [13247]. - Additionally, the Trustwave researchers discussed a technique for evading Google's "Bouncer" technology in the Google Play Store by using a legitimate programming tool called java script bridge, which could be exploited maliciously to gain control of the browser and download more code [13247]. - These instances point to software-related vulnerabilities and failures exploited by the hackers during the demonstrations at the conference.
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) malicious (a) The software failure incident described in the articles is malicious in nature. Hacking experts demonstrated methods to attack Android smartphones, showing how malicious code could be delivered to devices using near field communications and exploiting security flaws in the Android browser. They were able to infect Android phones with malicious code, highlighting vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers. Additionally, researchers discovered techniques to evade Google's security measures in the Google Play Store, demonstrating how malicious code could be loaded onto phones and grant attackers total control [13247].
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) poor_decisions (a) The software failure incident described in the articles is more related to poor_decisions. The incident involved hacking experts demonstrating ways to attack Android smartphones despite efforts by Google to boost protection. The experts showed methods to deliver malicious code using new Android features like near field communications and exploiting security flaws in the Android browser. Additionally, the article mentions that carriers and device manufacturers have not pushed out fixes or patches to protect Android users, leaving them vulnerable [13247].
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) development_incompetence, accidental (a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the article as it discusses how Android phones were vulnerable to attacks due to a security flaw in the Android browser that had been publicly disclosed by Google's Chrome browser development team. However, carriers and device manufacturers had not pushed out the necessary fixes or patches to users, leaving Android users vulnerable [13247]. (b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors is demonstrated in the article through the demonstration by Accuvant researcher Charlie Miller of a method for delivering malicious code to Android phones using a new Android feature known as near field communications. This method could allow an attacker to take over a phone by exploiting this feature, showcasing how accidental vulnerabilities in software features can lead to security breaches [13247].
Duration permanent (a) The software failure incident described in the articles seems to be more of a permanent nature. The articles discuss various methods demonstrated by hacking experts to attack Android smartphones, highlighting vulnerabilities in the Android system that could potentially allow for malicious code delivery and exploitation of security flaws. These issues are not limited to specific circumstances but rather indicate ongoing vulnerabilities in the Android platform that could be exploited by attackers [13247].
Behaviour value, byzantine (a) crash: The articles do not mention any specific incidents of software crashing. (b) omission: The articles do not mention any instances of the system omitting to perform its intended functions. (c) timing: The articles do not discuss any failures related to the timing of the system's functions. (d) value: The software failure incident mentioned in the articles involves the exploitation of security flaws in Android devices, leading to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. For example, the malicious code delivered to Android phones through near field communications allowed for taking over the phone [13247]. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident described in the articles involves the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions, particularly in the context of security vulnerabilities being exploited by hackers to gain control over Android devices [13247]. (f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident can be categorized as a security vulnerability exploit, where hackers demonstrated methods to attack Android smartphones, bypass security measures, and gain control over the devices [13247].

IoT System Layer

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

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence property, theoretical_consequence, other (a) unknown (b) unknown (c) unknown (d) unknown (e) unknown (f) unknown (g) no_consequence (h) harm: The software failure incident discussed in the articles did not directly result in any observed consequences such as death or physical harm to individuals. However, the potential harm of the incident was highlighted by the hacking experts who demonstrated ways to attack Android smartphones, potentially compromising users' personal data and privacy [13247]. (i) other: The software failure incident led to potential security risks for Android users, as demonstrated by the hacking experts at the Black Hat conference. The vulnerabilities exploited could result in unauthorized access to users' devices, allowing for the installation of malicious code and the potential compromise of sensitive information [13247].
Domain information (a) The software failure incident discussed in the articles is related to the information industry, specifically concerning the security vulnerabilities in Android smartphones [13247]. The incident involved hacking experts demonstrating ways to attack Android smartphones, highlighting the risks associated with the production and distribution of information in the digital realm.

Sources

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