| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident happened again at McAfee. The incident described in the articles is related to a buggy antivirus update that caused computers running Windows XP with Service Pack 3 to crash or keep rebooting. McAfee acknowledged that the problem occurred due to poor testing and a faulty DAT file that misidentified a key Windows file as a virus ([1598], [1406]).
(b) The software failure incident also affected other organizations besides McAfee. The incident impacted various customers worldwide, including chipmaker Intel, Rhode Island hospitals, Kentucky police, University of Michigan's medical school, and an Australian supermarket chain. These organizations experienced issues such as computer crashes, lost productivity, and disruptions due to the faulty antivirus update released by McAfee ([1598], [1406]). |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident with McAfee's antivirus update was primarily attributed to poor testing as a contributing factor introduced during system development. McAfee acknowledged that the buggy DAT file got past the test environment due to changes in its quality assurance process [1598]. The update misidentified a key Windows file as a virus, causing PCs to crash or keep rebooting, impacting customers worldwide [1598]. McAfee also mentioned adding new QA steps to address updates affecting crucial Windows system files to prevent such incidents in the future [1598].
(b) The software failure incident also involved contributing factors introduced during the operation or misuse of the system. The faulty update released by McAfee redirected the PC's immune system to attack a legitimate operating system component, causing widespread computer crashes and reboots [1406]. System administrators were forced to manually install the repair on affected computers, indicating operational challenges faced by users [1406]. The incident led to significant disruptions for enterprise users, with complaints flooding tech-related mailing lists and social media platforms [1406]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident with McAfee's antivirus update was primarily caused by poor testing within the system. McAfee acknowledged that the buggy DAT file was able to get past the test environment due to changes in their quality assurance process, leading to the misidentification of a key Windows file as a virus and causing PCs to crash or keep rebooting [1598].
(b) outside_system: The software failure incident also had contributing factors originating from outside the system. For example, the update released by McAfee caused widespread damage affecting various organizations and individuals outside of McAfee's immediate control, such as the University of Michigan's medical school, Kentucky police, Intel, Rhode Island hospitals, and an Australian supermarket chain [1598]. Additionally, the incident led to significant disruptions for enterprise users, system administrators, and individuals who were forced to manually install the repair provided by McAfee [1406]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurred due to non-human actions, specifically poor testing processes at McAfee. McAfee acknowledged that the buggy antivirus update was a result of a faulty DAT file that misidentified a key Windows file as a virus, causing PCs to crash or keep rebooting. This issue arose because McAfee recently changed its quality assurance process, allowing the buggy DAT file to pass through the testing environment and onto customers' PCs [1598].
(b) The software failure incident also involved human actions. McAfee's executive vice president of support and customer service, Barry McPherson, issued an apology on behalf of the company for the chaos caused by the faulty antivirus update. McAfee admitted that the problem was a result of poor testing, indicating a failure in the human-driven quality assurance process that led to the release of the buggy update [1598]. Additionally, McAfee apologized to customers for the problem caused by the update that turned the software's defenses against a vital component of Microsoft Windows, impacting tens of thousands of computers [1406]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles was primarily due to contributing factors originating in software. McAfee pushed out a buggy antivirus update that misidentified a key Windows file as a virus, causing computers to crash or keep rebooting [1598]. The update redirected the PC's immune system to attack a legitimate operating system component, SVCHOST.EXE, due to a mistake in McAfee's application [1406]. The incident was a result of poor testing and a faulty DAT file getting past the test environment [1598].
(b) There is no specific information in the articles pointing to the software failure incident being caused by contributing factors originating in hardware. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in the articles was non-malicious. McAfee's buggy antivirus update that caused computers to crash or repeatedly reboot was a result of poor testing and a faulty DAT file misidentifying a key Windows file as a virus. There is no indication in the articles that the failure was due to any malicious intent to harm the system [1598, 1406]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions, accidental_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident involving McAfee's buggy antivirus update was primarily due to poor decisions made by the company. McAfee acknowledged that the problem occurred due to poor testing processes that allowed the faulty DAT file to pass through the quality assurance process and onto customers' PCs [1598]. The company had recently changed its quality assurance process, which contributed to the buggy update being released and causing chaos for many customers [1598]. Additionally, McAfee mentioned that they would be adding new QA steps to address updates that directly affect crucial Windows system files to prevent such incidents in the future [1598].
(b) The software failure incident was also a result of accidental decisions or mistakes made by McAfee. The update released by McAfee early in the day inadvertently turned the antivirus software's defenses against a vital component of Microsoft Windows, causing computers to crash or repeatedly reboot [1406]. McAfee apologized for the problem and downplayed its impact, stating that they were not aware of significant impact on consumers [1406]. The company faced criticism for its initial recommendation to users to download a file from a support site, which led to further issues as the site went offline and returned an error message due to the influx of irate users [1406]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident with McAfee's antivirus update was primarily attributed to development incompetence. McAfee acknowledged that the buggy update was a result of poor testing due to recent changes in their quality assurance process, which allowed the faulty DAT file to pass testing and reach customers' PCs [1598]. The update misidentified a key Windows file as a virus, causing widespread computer crashes and reboots, impacting various organizations and individuals globally [1598].
(b) Additionally, the incident can also be categorized as accidental, as McAfee released the faulty update early in the day, causing the software's defenses to attack a vital component of Microsoft Windows unintentionally. McAfee apologized for the problem, stating they were not aware of significant impact on consumers, downplaying the severity of the issue [1406]. The update effectively redirected the PC's immune system to attack a legitimate operating system component, SVCHOST.EXE, due to a misidentification with malware, leading to a day of disruptions and complaints from affected users [1406]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
From the provided articles [1598, 1406], the software failure incident involving McAfee's buggy antivirus update causing computers to crash or repeatedly reboot was a temporary failure. The incident was temporary because it was caused by a specific buggy update that was released at 6 a.m. PT on a particular day, affecting a significant number of Windows XP computers running Service Pack 3. McAfee acknowledged the issue, halted distribution of the update, and provided a fix by midday. The company also worked on a patch to address the false positive identification of a legitimate Windows file as a virus. Additionally, McAfee continued to work on an automated solution to resolve the issue, indicating that the failure was not permanent but rather a result of specific circumstances related to the faulty update. |
| Behaviour |
crash, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident described in the articles resulted in crashes of computers running Windows XP with Service Pack 3. The faulty update misidentified a key Windows file called svchost.exe as a virus, causing PCs to crash or keep rebooting [1598]. The update released by McAfee redirected the PC's immune system, causing it to attack a legitimate operating system component known as SVCHOST.EXE, similar to how some diseases can cause the human immune system to turn inward [1406].
(b) omission: The software failure incident did not specifically mention any instances of the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s).
(c) timing: The software failure incident did not involve the system performing its intended functions correctly, but too late or too early.
(d) value: The software failure incident involved the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The faulty update misidentified a key Windows file as a virus, leading to crashes and reboots of PCs [1598]. The update caused the software's defenses to attack a vital component of Microsoft Windows, SVCHOST.EXE, incorrectly confusing it with malware [1406].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident did not exhibit the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The software failure incident involved a failure due to poor testing, which allowed the buggy DAT file to get past the test environment and onto the PCs of customers [1598]. Additionally, the incident led to widespread impacts, such as crashing computers, disrupted operations in various organizations, and the need for manual repairs by system administrators [1406]. |