Incident: Phone Camera Hijacking by PlaiceRaider Android App - Privacy Breach

Published Date: 2012-10-01

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident happened in 2012. Therefore, the estimated timeline for the software failure incident would be in 2012.
System 1. Android 2.3 operating system [14553]
Responsible Organization 1. US military experts at Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, Indiana [14553]
Impacted Organization 1. Users of smartphones with the Android 2.3 operating system [14553] 2. Individuals who unknowingly had the PlaiceRaider app installed on their phones [14553]
Software Causes 1. The software cause of the failure incident was the development and deployment of the PlaiceRaider Android app by US military experts at Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, Indiana, which allowed hackers to remotely hijack users' phone cameras and capture images without their knowledge or consent [14553].
Non-software Causes 1. Lack of physical security measures on smartphones allowing unauthorized access to the camera [14553] 2. Inadequate user awareness about the potential risks of malicious apps accessing phone features [14553]
Impacts 1. Invasion of privacy: The software failure incident allowed hackers to secretly take pictures using the phone's camera, potentially capturing personal and private moments of individuals [Article 14553]. 2. Theft of sensitive information: Hackers could glean vital information from users, including financial documents, information on computer monitors, and personally identifiable information, by reconstructing 3D models of indoor environments using the captured images [Article 14553]. 3. Security vulnerability: The incident highlighted a significant security vulnerability in smartphones running on the Android 2.3 operating system, which could potentially be exploited by cybercriminals to conduct intrusive surveillance and theft of virtual objects [Article 14553].
Preventions 1. Implementing stricter permission controls for apps on smartphones to prevent unauthorized access to the camera [14553]. 2. Regular security audits and testing of apps to identify and fix vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by hackers [14553]. 3. Ensuring that smartphone operating systems have robust security features to detect and prevent malicious apps from accessing sensitive data like the camera [14553].
Fixes 1. Implementing stricter permission controls for apps on smartphones to prevent unauthorized access to the camera [14553]. 2. Enhancing security measures on smartphone operating systems to detect and prevent malicious apps like PlaiceRaider from running in the background [14553]. 3. Developing software updates that address vulnerabilities exploited by such apps to ensure user privacy and data protection [14553].
References 1. The articles gather information about the software failure incident from the research team at Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, Indiana who created the PlaiceRaider app [14553].

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring one_organization, multiple_organization (a) The software failure incident related to the PlaiceRaider Android app created by US military experts at Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, Indiana, could potentially be a concern for the organization itself if similar incidents were to occur again within the same organization or with its products and services. The app demonstrated how cybercriminals could operate in the future by hijacking users' cameras to spy on them and steal information [14553]. (b) The software failure incident involving the PlaiceRaider app could also be a concern for multiple organizations or their products and services. The researchers behind the app mentioned that such malware could generalize to other platforms such as iOS and Windows Phone, indicating a potential threat to a wider range of devices and users beyond just Android smartphones [14553].
Phase (Design/Operation) design, operation (a) The software failure incident in the article is related to the design phase. The PlaiceRaider app was created by US military experts at Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, Indiana, as a proof of concept to demonstrate how cybercriminals could operate in the future. The app was designed to turn on a phone's camera and beam images back to thieves, allowing them to virtually steal from homes by building up a 3D model of the environment and gleaning information about valuables, calendar entries, and more [14553]. (b) The software failure incident is also related to the operation phase. The PlaiceRaider app, once installed on a user's phone, could instantly begin beaming back images from the phone when it sensed the right conditions. The software on the other end could then reconstruct maps of the visited room, allowing hackers to explore the user's property at will and steal virtual objects from the environment [14553].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) within_system: The software failure incident described in the article is within the system. The failure was caused by the PlaiceRaider Android app, which was specifically created by US military experts at Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, Indiana, to demonstrate how cybercriminals could operate in the future [14553]. The app was designed to surreptitiously take pictures using the phone's camera and send them back to a central server for reconstruction of the user's room, allowing hackers to steal information such as financial documents, computer screen details, and personally identifiable information. The failure originated from within the system itself, as the app was intentionally developed to carry out these malicious activities.
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions, human_actions (a) The software failure incident in the article is related to non-human actions, specifically the PlaiceRaider Android app created by US military experts at Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, Indiana. This app could turn on a phone's camera without human participation, allowing hackers to spy on users and potentially steal information ([14553]). (b) The software failure incident also involves human actions as the researchers intentionally created the PlaiceRaider app to demonstrate how cybercriminals could operate in the future. The researchers gave infected phones to 20 individuals without their knowledge and asked them to continue operating in their normal office environment, showing how human actions can contribute to software vulnerabilities ([14553]).
Dimension (Hardware/Software) hardware, software (a) The software failure incident in the article is related to hardware as it involves the unauthorized use of a smartphone's camera and sensors to capture images and data without the user's knowledge or consent. The PlaiceRaider app exploits the hardware components of the smartphone to spy on users and gather sensitive information about their surroundings [14553]. (b) The software failure incident is also related to software as the PlaiceRaider app itself is a piece of malicious software designed to run on Android smartphones. The app can surreptitiously take pictures, record data, and send this information back to a central server for reconstruction and analysis by hackers. The software's ability to operate in the background and manipulate the smartphone's sensors showcases a software-based failure in terms of privacy and security vulnerabilities [14553].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) malicious (a) The software failure incident described in the article is malicious in nature. The PlaiceRaider Android app was created by US military experts to demonstrate how cybercriminals could operate in the future. The app could turn on a phone's camera without the user's knowledge, allowing hackers to spy on individuals, gather personal data, and even steal virtual objects from the environment [14553]. The researchers behind the app aimed to show the potential risks of such technology in the hands of malicious actors, highlighting the dangers of unauthorized access to personal information and privacy invasion.
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) poor_decisions (a) The intent of the software failure incident was related to poor_decisions. The PlaiceRaider Android app was created by US military experts at Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, Indiana, as a proof of concept to demonstrate how cybercriminals could operate in the future. The app was designed to turn on a phone's camera without the user's knowledge and beam images back to thieves, allowing them to snoop around homes and potentially steal valuable information [14553].
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) development_incompetence, accidental (a) The software failure incident in the article is related to development incompetence as it involves the creation of a malicious app called PlaiceRaider by US military experts at Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, Indiana. The app was designed to demonstrate how cybercriminals could operate in the future by turning on a phone's camera without the user's knowledge and beaming images back to thieves [14553]. This malicious software was developed with the intention of spying on individuals and stealing information from their environments, showcasing a lack of professional competence in creating secure and ethical software. (b) The software failure incident can also be categorized as accidental as the app PlaiceRaider was surreptitiously installed on the phones of 20 volunteers without their knowledge, who continued to operate in their normal office environment [14553]. The individuals were unaware of the malicious app running in the background and capturing images, indicating that the failure to protect user privacy and security was accidental from the perspective of the users.
Duration permanent The software failure incident described in the article is more of a permanent nature. The PlaiceRaider Android app, created by US military experts, was designed to surreptitiously turn on a phone's camera and capture images for the purpose of spying and stealing information [14553]. The app was able to run in the background of any smartphone using the Android 2.3 operating system, indicating a persistent and ongoing capability to capture and transmit images without the user's knowledge [14553]. The researchers behind the app demonstrated how it could continuously capture images, record data such as time and location, and send this information back to a central server for reconstruction of the user's room [14553]. This continuous and ongoing functionality points towards a permanent nature of the software failure incident.
Behaviour value, other (a) crash: The software failure incident described in the article does not involve a crash where the system loses state and stops performing its intended functions [Article 14553]. (b) omission: The software failure incident does not involve the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s) [Article 14553]. (c) timing: The software failure incident does not involve the system performing its intended functions correctly, but too late or too early [Article 14553]. (d) value: The software failure incident involves the system performing its intended functions incorrectly by allowing hackers to remotely take control of the phone's camera and capture images without the user's knowledge or consent, potentially compromising sensitive information [Article 14553]. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not involve the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions [Article 14553]. (f) other: The software failure incident involves the system being exploited by a malicious app (PlaiceRaider) created by US military experts to demonstrate how cybercriminals could operate in the future. The app can surreptitiously take pictures, record data, and reconstruct 3D models of indoor environments to steal information from users [Article 14553].

IoT System Layer

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

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence property, theoretical_consequence (d) property: People's material goods, money, or data was impacted due to the software failure The software failure incident described in the article resulted in potential harm to people's property and personal information. The PlaiceRaider Android app, created as a proof of concept by US military experts, had the capability to turn on a phone's camera without the user's knowledge and capture images of the user's surroundings. This could lead to the theft of valuable information, such as financial documents, information on computer monitors, and personally identifiable information [Article 14553]. The app could reconstruct 3D models of indoor environments, allowing remote burglars to virtually steal objects from the environment, including sensitive data like cheque numbers and personal details [Article 14553].
Domain finance The software failure incident described in the article [14553] is related to the industry of **finance**. The PlaiceRaider Android app, created by US military experts, was designed to demonstrate how cybercriminals could potentially spy on individuals and steal sensitive financial information such as cheque numbers and personal identifiable information by hijacking the phone's camera and sensors. The app could reconstruct 3D models of indoor environments, allowing remote burglars to virtually steal financial documents and other valuable information from the environment. The incident highlights the potential risks to financial security posed by such software vulnerabilities in smartphones.

Sources

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