| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident of being able to hack Apple mobile devices through a malicious charger has happened within the same organization, Apple. The incident involved a team of researchers from Georgia Tech demonstrating the ability to hack into an iPhone or iPad using a malicious charger named Mactans. This incident highlights a security vulnerability in Apple's devices [19576].
(b) The incident of being able to hack Apple mobile devices through a malicious charger could potentially impact multiple organizations or users beyond just Apple products. The team of researchers from Georgia Tech demonstrated the vulnerability in iOS devices, which could raise concerns for other manufacturers and users about the security of their devices when charging with third-party chargers [19576]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase is evident in the article where researchers from Georgia Tech discovered a way to hack into iPhones or iPads using a malicious charger they developed named Mactans. Despite Apple's "plethora of defense mechanisms in iOS," the team was able to inject arbitrary software into current-generation Apple devices running the latest operating system without requiring a jailbroken device or user interaction. This indicates a failure in the design aspect of Apple's security measures, allowing for vulnerabilities to be exploited [Article 19576].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is highlighted by the fact that the malicious charger, Mactans, can hack iOS devices in less than a minute without requiring user interaction. This means that the operation of charging a device, which is a routine activity for users, can lead to a security breach. The incident demonstrates a failure in the operation aspect as users are affected by the attack without any specific action on their part, showcasing a flaw in the system's operational security [Article 19576]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident described in the article is within the system. The researchers from Georgia Tech were able to hack into Apple mobile devices using a malicious charger they created, named Mactans. They injected arbitrary software into current-generation Apple devices running the latest operating system without requiring a jailbroken device or user interaction. This indicates that the vulnerability and exploit were within the iOS operating system itself, bypassing Apple's defense mechanisms [19576].
(b) outside_system: The software failure incident is also influenced by factors outside the system. The malicious charger created by the researchers is an external device that was used to exploit a vulnerability within the Apple devices. While Apple has implemented various defense mechanisms within its closed-garden environment, the attack was able to bypass these defenses by targeting the device through a nontraditional method using the external charger [19576]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in this case is related to non-human actions. The incident involves a team of researchers from Georgia Tech who discovered a way to hack into an iPhone or iPad using a malicious charger named Mactans. This malicious charger can inject arbitrary software into current-generation Apple devices running the latest operating system without requiring a jailbroken device or user interaction. The attack bypasses Apple's defense mechanisms in iOS, indicating a failure introduced by non-human actions [Article 19576].
(b) The software failure incident is not directly related to human actions in terms of introducing contributing factors. The researchers behind the hack did not mention any human error or involvement in the attack. The focus is on the vulnerability in Apple devices that can be exploited through a malicious charger, highlighting a failure introduced by non-human actions [Article 19576]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware |
(a) The software failure incident in this case is related to hardware. The incident involves a team of researchers from Georgia Tech demonstrating a way to hack into an iPhone or iPad using a malicious charger named Mactans. This malicious charger is a hardware device that can inject arbitrary software into Apple devices running the latest operating system, bypassing Apple's defense mechanisms [Article 19576]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The objective of the software failure incident was malicious. The incident involved the discovery of a way to hack into iPhones and iPads using a malicious charger named Mactans. The researchers from Georgia Tech demonstrated that they could inject arbitrary software into Apple devices running the latest operating system without requiring a jailbroken device or user interaction. The charger was designed as a proof of concept to show how Apple devices could be compromised in less than a minute, highlighting the vulnerability of the system to malicious attacks [19576]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident related to poor_decisions:
The software failure incident described in the article [19576] can be attributed to poor decisions. The team of researchers from Georgia Tech intentionally created a malicious charger named Mactans to demonstrate how they could hack into Apple mobile devices in less than a minute. Despite Apple's strong security mechanisms in iOS, the team found a way to inject arbitrary software into current-generation Apple devices running the latest operating system without requiring a jailbroken device or user interaction. This deliberate act of creating a malicious charger to exploit vulnerabilities in Apple devices showcases a poor decision that led to the software failure incident. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident in the article can be attributed to development incompetence. The researchers from Georgia Tech were able to hack into Apple mobile devices using a malicious charger they developed, named Mactans. They were able to inject arbitrary software into current-generation Apple devices running the latest operating system software, bypassing Apple's defense mechanisms in iOS. The team highlighted the alarming results of their investigation, emphasizing that all users are affected by this vulnerability, as their approach does not require a jailbroken device or user interaction. They also mentioned recommendations for users to protect themselves and suggested security features that Apple could implement to make such attacks more difficult to execute [19576].
(b) The software failure incident was not accidental but rather a deliberate demonstration by the research team to showcase the vulnerability in Apple devices when it comes to charging. The team intentionally created the malicious charger, Mactans, to exploit this security flaw and present their findings at the Black Hat computer security conference. Their actions were part of a planned research project to highlight the potential risks associated with seemingly innocuous activities like charging a device. The incident was not accidental but a result of intentional investigation and experimentation by the researchers [19576]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
From the provided article [19576], the software failure incident described can be categorized as a temporary failure. The incident involves a team of researchers from Georgia Tech demonstrating a way to hack into an iPhone or iPad in less than a minute using a malicious charger they created named Mactans. This incident is temporary as it is specific to the method demonstrated by the researchers and the malicious charger they developed. It is not a permanent failure affecting all circumstances but rather a specific vulnerability that can be exploited under certain conditions. |
| Behaviour |
value, other |
(a) crash: The article does not mention a crash as the behavior of the software failure incident.
(b) omission: The software failure incident in this case does not involve the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s).
(c) timing: The software failure incident does not relate to the system performing its intended functions correctly, but too late or too early.
(d) value: The software failure incident is related to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The malicious charger named Mactans was able to inject arbitrary software into current-generation Apple devices running the latest operating system software, bypassing Apple's defense mechanisms [19576].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not involve the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident in this case is related to a security vulnerability that allows for the injection of arbitrary software into Apple devices through a malicious charger, bypassing the device's defense mechanisms [19576]. |