| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to the hack on Pinterest where pins were replaced with spam images of women in underwear has happened before at Pinterest. The article mentions a previous incident in March where users reported their pinned photos being replaced with spam images of women in underwear, referred to as the 'butt pics hacking incident' [25244].
(b) The software failure incident of pins being replaced with spam images has also occurred at other websites that host 'Pin this' buttons. Hackers are infiltrating these websites and inserting malicious codes into these third-party buttons, causing pinned images to be swapped for spam links [25244]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in the article can be attributed to the design phase. The incident occurred due to hackers infiltrating other websites hosting 'Pin this' buttons and inserting malicious codes that swapped pinned images for spam links [25244]. This indicates a vulnerability in the design of the system where external elements (third-party buttons) were exploited to compromise the integrity of Pinterest boards.
(b) The software failure incident can also be linked to the operation phase. Users reported their pinned photos being replaced with spam images of women in underwear, indicating a failure in the operation of the system where unauthorized access and misuse led to the dissemination of inappropriate content [25244]. Additionally, Pinterest had to clean up affected accounts and place them in safe mode, suggesting operational challenges in maintaining the security and integrity of user accounts [25244]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
From the provided articles, the software failure incident related to the Pinterest hack can be categorized as a failure with contributing factors originating both within and outside the system:
(a) within_system: The hack on Pinterest boards was facilitated by malicious code inserted into 'Pin' buttons on other websites, which allowed hackers to infiltrate Pinterest boards and replace pinned images with spam [25244].
(b) outside_system: The issue was not directly caused by a flaw within Pinterest's system but rather by hackers infiltrating third-party websites hosting 'Pin this' buttons and inserting malicious code into these buttons, leading to the swapping of pinned images for spam links [25244]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in the Pinterest hack was primarily due to non-human actions. Hackers accessed boards using malicious code in 'Pin' buttons on other sites, infiltrating these websites and inserting malicious codes that swapped pinned images for links to spam [25244]. This indicates that the failure was caused by external factors introduced without human participation.
(b) However, human actions also played a role in the incident. Users were advised to report spam pins, change their passwords, and be cautious about linking their accounts to other social media platforms to prevent such incidents in the future [25244]. Additionally, Pinterest took action to secure compromised accounts and notify users to reset their passwords when compromised email credentials were detected [25244]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles does not indicate any hardware-related issues. It primarily focuses on a hack that originated from malicious code inserted into third-party 'Pin this' buttons on other websites, leading to spam images replacing pinned photos on Pinterest boards [25244].
(b) The software failure incident is attributed to a hack caused by malicious code inserted into third-party 'Pin this' buttons on external websites. This hack resulted in spam images, particularly photos of women in underwear, replacing legitimate pinned photos on Pinterest boards. Pinterest is investigating the issue and has taken steps to secure affected accounts and warn users of unusual activity [25244]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles is malicious in nature. Hackers accessed Pinterest boards using malicious code in 'Pin' buttons on other sites, causing pinned photos to be replaced with spam images of women in underwear [25244]. The attack involved replacing legitimate images with inappropriate and spam content, indicating a deliberate attempt to harm the system and disrupt user experience. Additionally, hackers were infiltrating websites hosting 'Pin this' buttons and inserting malicious codes to swap pinned images for spam links, further demonstrating malicious intent behind the software failure incident. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident reported in Article 25244 was primarily due to poor decisions made by hackers who accessed boards on Pinterest using malicious code in 'Pin' buttons on other sites. This malicious code allowed the hackers to replace pinned photos with spam images of women in underwear, leading to a significant security breach on the platform. Pinterest is investigating the hack and has taken measures to secure affected accounts and clean up the spam content [25244]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in Article 25244 occurred due to accidental factors. The incident involved a hack on Pinterest where hackers accessed boards using malicious code in 'Pin' buttons on other sites, leading to pins being replaced with spam images of women in underwear. Pinterest responded by investigating the issue, cleaning up affected accounts, and securing them. Additionally, the rise in spam prompted Pinterest to warn users of unusual activity on their accounts and suggest password resets to mitigate the impact of the hack. The incident was not attributed to development incompetence but rather to external malicious actions [25244]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident in this case appears to be temporary. The incident was caused by hackers infiltrating other websites hosting 'Pin this' buttons and inserting malicious code that swapped pinned images for spam links [25244]. Pinterest was alerted to the problem, investigated the issue, and took immediate action to clean up and secure the affected accounts. Additionally, Pinterest started warning users of unusual activity on their accounts and advised them to reset their passwords as a precautionary measure [25244]. This indicates that the failure was not permanent but rather a temporary issue that was actively addressed by Pinterest. |
| Behaviour |
value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the articles does not specifically mention a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions [25244].
(b) omission: The incident does not describe a failure due to the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s) [25244].
(c) timing: The incident does not involve a failure due to the system performing its intended functions correctly, but too late or too early [25244].
(d) value: The software failure incident is related to a failure where the system is performing its intended functions incorrectly. In this case, hackers accessed boards using malicious code in 'Pin' buttons on other sites, causing pinned photos to be replaced with spam images of women in underwear [25244].
(e) byzantine: The incident does not exhibit a failure due to the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions [25244].
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident in this case involves a hack where malicious actors infiltrated websites hosting 'Pin this' buttons and inserted malicious code to swap pinned images for spam links, leading to inappropriate content being displayed on Pinterest boards [25244]. |