| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident of DNS redirection attacks has happened again at Avira, an antivirus company. The incident involved a fake password-reset request that allowed a third party to assume control of Avira's DNS records, similar to what happened with WhatsApp and AVG [22373].
(b) The software failure incident of DNS redirection attacks has happened before at other organizations as well. The article mentions previous incidents such as the New York Times and Twitter being hit by a DNS attack in August by the Syrian Electronic Army, Twitter being hacked in 2009 by the "Iranian Cyber Army," and various websites including the Daily Telegraph, the Register, and UPS being redirected by a Turkish hacker group in 2011 [22373]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design |
(a) The software failure incident in the articles can be attributed to the design phase. The incident was caused by a DNS redirection attack on the websites of WhatsApp, AVG, and Avira, which was facilitated by hackers gaining access to the DNS records of Network Solutions. This access was obtained through a fake password-reset request that Network Solutions honored, allowing the hackers to assume control of the DNS records [22373].
The attack on the DNS records led to the misdirection of internet traffic, affecting the websites for days even after the original changes were undone. This incident highlights a vulnerability in the design or implementation of the DNS management system, which allowed unauthorized access to critical records, leading to the redirection of traffic and potential data leakage [22373]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident involving the DNS redirection attacks on WhatsApp, AVG, and Avira was primarily due to contributing factors that originated from within the system. The incident was a result of hackers gaining access to the DNS records of Network Solutions, the domain name registrar and website hosting company, possibly through a fake password-reset request. This allowed the hackers to redirect the domain names of the three companies to their websites, causing the websites to be defaced and potentially leading to data leakage [22373]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
- The incident involved DNS redirection attacks on websites like WhatsApp, AVG, and Avira conducted by pro-Palestinian hackers affiliated with the KDMS group [22373].
- The attack was facilitated by a fake password-reset request that was not initiated by anyone at Avira, leading to a third party assuming control of their DNS records at Network Solutions [22373].
- The DNS redirection hacks misdirected traffic by changing DNS records, which can have lasting effects even after the original change is undone [22373].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
- The incident involved hackers gaining access to the DNS records of Network Solutions, possibly through a simple password reset request, and redirecting the domain names of the affected companies [22373].
- There was a possibility of data leakage as a result of the DNS hack, potentially affecting email services as well [22373].
- The incident highlighted the importance of security measures to prevent unauthorized access to DNS records and the potential risks associated with such attacks [22373]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The incident involved DNS redirection attacks on websites like WhatsApp, AVG, and Avira, which were facilitated by a fake password-reset request that allowed a third party to assume control of the DNS records [22373].
- The attack on Network Solutions, a domain name registrar and website hosting company, led to the redirection of the domain names of the affected companies to the hacker's websites [22373].
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- The incident involved DNS redirection hacks, which have become popular with hackers as sites have improved their security [22373].
- There was a concern about the possibility of data leakage due to the DNS hack, potentially affecting email services as well [22373].
- The incident highlighted the vulnerability of DNS records, which when changed can misdirect traffic and have lasting effects even after the original change is undone [22373]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in the articles is malicious in nature. Pro-Palestinian hackers affiliated with the KDMS group conducted DNS redirection attacks on the websites of WhatsApp, AVG, and Avira with the intent to deface the websites and deliver pro-Palestinian messages. The hackers managed to gain control of the DNS records of these websites through unauthorized access, leading to the redirection of traffic and potential data leakage concerns [22373]. The incident was part of a series of DNS attacks by various hacker groups targeting high-profile websites, indicating a deliberate effort to disrupt and compromise the affected systems. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident involving the DNS redirection attacks on the websites of WhatsApp, AVG, and Avira was primarily due to poor decisions made by Network Solutions, a domain name registrar and website hosting company. The incident occurred because Network Solutions honored a fake password-reset request, allowing a third party to assume control of the DNS records of the affected websites [22373].
The poor decision by Network Solutions to accept and act upon a fraudulent password-reset request led to the DNS redirection attacks, demonstrating a significant security flaw in their verification and authentication processes. This poor decision ultimately resulted in the successful hacking of the DNS records of multiple websites, causing disruption and potential data leakage risks. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the DNS redirection attacks on the websites of WhatsApp, AVG, and Avira. The incident was caused by hackers gaining access to the DNS records of Network Solutions, a domain name registrar and website hosting company, possibly through a simple password reset request. This allowed the hackers to redirect the domain names of the three companies to their websites [22373].
(b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors is seen in the fake password-reset request received by Avira's account used to manage the DNS records registered at Network Solutions. Avira stated that the fake request was not initiated by anyone at Avira, indicating an accidental introduction of a contributing factor that led to the failure [22373]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was temporary. The incident involved DNS redirection attacks on the websites of WhatsApp, AVG, and Avira by pro-Palestinian hackers. The attack resulted in the websites being redirected to hacker-controlled pages, affecting their availability and potentially leading to data leakage. However, the incident was temporary as the websites were eventually recovered, and the DNS corrections were propagated across the internet to restore normal functionality [22373]. |
| 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 incident primarily revolves around DNS redirection attacks conducted by hackers on the websites of WhatsApp, AVG, and Avira [22373].
(b) omission: The incident does not involve a failure due to the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). The focus is on the DNS redirection attacks and the potential data leakage resulting from the attacks [22373].
(c) timing: The incident does not relate to a failure due to the system performing its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. The primary issue is the unauthorized DNS redirection that misdirected traffic to the hackers' websites [22373].
(d) value: The software failure incident does not involve a failure due to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The main concern is the unauthorized access to DNS records leading to redirection of website traffic [22373].
(e) byzantine: The incident does not exhibit a byzantine behavior where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The hackers' actions were deliberate and aimed at redirecting traffic and potentially causing data leakage [22373].
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident can be categorized as a security breach resulting from unauthorized access to DNS records leading to DNS redirection attacks on the websites of WhatsApp, AVG, and Avira. The incident highlights the vulnerability of DNS records and the potential risks associated with such attacks, including data leakage and website defacement [22373]. |