| Recurring |
unknown |
<Article 23837> does not provide information about the software failure incident happening again at the same organization or at multiple organizations. Therefore, the information for both options is 'unknown'. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in the article can be attributed to the design phase. The issue was related to a vulnerability in Google Chrome's voice recognition abilities that could potentially allow cybercriminals to listen in on users' conversations. The problem was discovered by computer security expert Tal Ater, who reported it to Google's engineers. A patch was developed for the issue within two weeks of the initial report, showing that the problem stemmed from a design flaw in the system [23837].
(b) The software failure incident can also be linked to the operation phase. The vulnerability in Google Chrome's voice recognition feature could be exploited by malicious web developers to listen and record conversations of users, even after a specific speech recognition website had been closed down. This highlights a potential misuse of the system by criminals to invade users' privacy. Users were advised to be cautious and use HTTP versions of websites that use voice recognition to mitigate the risk of unauthorized listening [23837]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles is primarily within_system. The issue was related to Google Chrome's voice recognition abilities being potentially exploited by cyber criminals to invade users' privacy. Tal Ater discovered this vulnerability and reported it to Google's engineers, who developed a patch for the problem [23837].
The failure originated from within the system itself, specifically from the voice recognition feature of Google Chrome. The patch for the fix was developed by Google's engineers, indicating that the issue was internal to the software system and required an internal solution to address the security vulnerability. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in the article was primarily due to non-human actions. The issue stemmed from a potential vulnerability in Google Chrome's voice recognition abilities that could be exploited by technology-savvy criminals to invade users' privacy [23837].
(b) However, human actions were also involved in the resolution process. The computer security expert, Tal Ater, discovered the problem and reported it to Google's engineers. The engineers then worked on fixing the issue and developed a patch within two weeks of the initial report. Despite the human intervention in identifying and addressing the problem, the patch has not yet been implemented by Google [23837]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The software failure incident reported in the article is not directly attributed to hardware issues. The incident revolves around a potential privacy invasion through Google Chrome's voice recognition abilities, which is a software-related concern [23837].
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- The software failure incident reported in the article is primarily related to software issues. Tal Ater discovered a potential privacy breach where cybercriminals could exploit Google Chrome's voice recognition software to listen in on conversations. Despite Ater reporting the problem to Google and engineers developing a patch, the fix has not been implemented yet, indicating a software-related issue [23837]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in the articles is malicious in nature. Tal Ater discovered that criminals could potentially exploit Google Chrome's voice recognition abilities to invade users' privacy [23837]. He reported this issue to Google, and although the engineers quickly developed a patch for the problem, it has not yet been implemented. The potential threat of cyber criminals using the voice recognition feature to listen in on conversations highlights the malicious intent behind this software vulnerability. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
unknown |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident was not due to poor decisions but rather due to potential security vulnerabilities that could be exploited by technology-savvy criminals. The incident was discovered by computer security expert Tal Ater, who reported the problem to Google's engineers [23837]. Google responded by acknowledging the issue and working on a patch to fix the problem within two weeks of the initial report. However, as of the article's publication, the patch had not been implemented. The failure was not a result of poor decisions but rather a security flaw that could be exploited by malicious actors. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in the article can be attributed to development incompetence. The incident was discovered by computer security expert Tal Ater, who found that criminals could potentially exploit Google Chrome's voice recognition abilities to invade users' privacy. Ater reported the problem to Google's engineers, who developed a patch for the issue within two weeks. However, despite the patch being ready, it has not been implemented yet, indicating a delay in addressing the security vulnerability [23837].
(b) The software failure incident can also be considered accidental as it was not intentional but rather a result of a security flaw in Google Chrome's voice recognition feature. The flaw allowed for potential eavesdropping on users' conversations by malicious actors. Google responded to the issue by stating that there was 'no immediate threat' and that users would have to approve the use of their microphone for the exploit to work. The accidental nature of the vulnerability is highlighted by the fact that users may not have been aware of the risk posed by enabling speech recognition on certain websites [23837]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident reported in the articles can be categorized as a temporary failure. The incident involved a vulnerability in Google Chrome's voice recognition abilities that could potentially allow cybercriminals to listen in on users' conversations [23837]. The issue was discovered by Tal Ater, who reported it to Google's engineers. A patch for the problem was developed within two weeks of reporting the issue, showing that the failure was temporary and could be addressed with a fix [23837]. However, as of the article's publication, the patch had not yet been implemented by Google, indicating that the failure was temporary and not permanent. |
| Behaviour |
other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident described in the articles does not involve a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. The issue reported by Tal Ater regarding Google Chrome's voice recognition abilities being potentially exploited by cyber criminals does not lead to a complete system crash but rather a privacy invasion concern [23837].
(b) omission: The software failure incident does not involve a failure due to the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). Instead, the issue revolves around the potential misuse of the voice recognition feature in Google Chrome for invading users' privacy [23837].
(c) timing: The software failure incident is not related to a timing failure where the system performs its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. The concern raised by Tal Ater regarding the privacy implications of Google Chrome's voice recognition feature does not involve timing issues but rather the potential misuse of the feature by cyber criminals [23837].
(d) value: The software failure incident does not involve a failure due to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The issue reported by Tal Ater is not about the voice recognition feature malfunctioning but rather about the potential privacy risks associated with its use [23837].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not exhibit a byzantine behavior where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The concern raised by Tal Ater is focused on the potential misuse of Google Chrome's voice recognition feature for invading users' privacy, rather than the system exhibiting inconsistent behavior [23837].
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident can be categorized as a privacy vulnerability. The issue highlighted by Tal Ater involves the potential exploitation of Google Chrome's voice recognition abilities by cyber criminals to eavesdrop on users' conversations, indicating a privacy-related concern rather than a typical software failure behavior [23837]. |