| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to NuCaptcha's security being compromised by a team of Stanford University researchers has happened again within the same organization. After the initial discovery by the Stanford team, NuCaptcha made changes to their algorithm in response to the specific attack identified by the researchers [10347].
(b) The incident also highlights the broader issue of Captcha security and the need for improvements in the field. Google's image-based Captchas were found to be more secure compared to NuCaptcha, as the Stanford researchers had a zero percent success rate in decoding Google's Captchas [10347]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase is evident in the case of NuCaptcha's security being compromised by a team of Stanford University researchers. The researchers discovered a way to break the security of NuCaptcha's video Captcha by utilizing concepts from the field of machine vision, which involved techniques to control robots by removing noise from images and detecting shapes. This indicates a failure in the design of NuCaptcha's security algorithm, allowing for vulnerabilities to be exploited [10347].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is highlighted by the fact that Captchas, including NuCaptcha, are used to defend against malicious bots and automated activities on the internet. The need for Captchas arises from the operation of malicious 'bots, such as those attempting to automatically create accounts on web email services to send spam or engage in other fraudulent activities. The failure in this case is due to the operation of these bots, which the Captchas are designed to prevent [10347]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident related to the NuCaptcha security breach can be categorized as within_system. The failure was due to vulnerabilities within NuCaptcha's video Captcha algorithm that allowed the Stanford University researchers to break the security with over 90% success rate [10347]. The issue originated from within the system's design and implementation, highlighting weaknesses in the algorithm's ability to effectively differentiate between human users and automated bots. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident related to non-human actions is evident in the case of the NuCaptcha security breach reported by Stanford University researchers. The researchers were able to break NuCaptcha's video Captcha with over 90 percent success by utilizing concepts from the field of machine vision, which involves techniques to control robots by removing noise from images and detecting shapes [10347].
(b) On the other hand, the software failure incident related to human actions is highlighted in the response of NuCaptcha to the security breach. NuCaptcha acknowledged the research findings and took steps to address the specific attack by enabling "inter-frame warping" of characters in their Captcha system. This action was a direct human response to the identified vulnerability in the software [10347]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The article does not mention any hardware-related issues contributing to the software failure incident. Therefore, it is unknown if the failure was due to factors originating in hardware.
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- The software failure incident in this case is related to software, specifically the security vulnerability in NuCaptcha's video Captcha technology. The Stanford University researchers were able to break NuCaptcha's security algorithm by utilizing concepts from machine vision, indicating a flaw in the software's design [10347]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious, non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident related to the NuCaptcha security breach can be categorized as malicious. The incident involved a team of Stanford University researchers discovering a way to break the security of NuCaptcha's video Captcha, with a decoding success rate of over 90 percent. This breach was significant as Captchas are used to defend against malicious bots, including operators of botnets trying to create accounts for spamming purposes. The researchers highlighted the importance of improving Captcha security to prevent such malicious attacks [10347].
(b) The incident also sheds light on non-malicious factors contributing to software failure. NuCaptcha acknowledged the need for continuous improvement in their Captcha system to address vulnerabilities and enhance security. They mentioned strategies such as varying the length of the code string, changing its appearance in the video stream, and altering letter appearances to strengthen the defense against potential attacks. This indicates a proactive approach to addressing non-malicious weaknesses in the software system [10347]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
unknown |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident was not due to poor decisions but rather due to the discovery by a team of Stanford University researchers who found a way to break the security of NuCaptcha's video Captcha by borrowing concepts from the field of machine vision [Article 10347]. The failure was not a result of poor decisions made by the company but rather a breakthrough in security analysis by the researchers. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, unknown |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the case of NuCaptcha. The incident occurred because a team of Stanford University researchers discovered a way to break the security of NuCaptcha's video Captcha by borrowing concepts from the field of machine vision [10347]. This indicates that there were vulnerabilities in the development of NuCaptcha's algorithm that allowed for the security breach to occur.
(b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors is not explicitly mentioned in the provided article. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident discussed in the article is related to a temporary failure. The failure was due to specific contributing factors introduced by certain circumstances, such as the discovery by the Stanford University researchers of a way to break the security of NuCaptcha's video Captcha [10347]. The company responded to the specific attack by taking steps to address it, such as enabling "inter-frame warping" of characters in response to the research findings. This indicates that the failure was not permanent but rather temporary, as the company was able to develop fixes and deploy them to address the identified weaknesses in the system. |
| Behaviour |
omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The articles do not mention any instances of the software crashing.
(b) omission: The software failure incident related to the NuCaptcha security breach can be categorized as an omission failure. The failure occurred because the system omitted to perform its intended function of providing secure Captchas that could effectively differentiate between humans and bots. The security of the Captchas was compromised, leading to a high success rate in breaking the security measures [10347].
(c) timing: The articles do not mention any instances of the software performing its intended functions too late or too early.
(d) value: The software failure incident can be categorized as a value failure. The system performed its intended function of generating Captchas, but it did so incorrectly by not providing the expected level of security. The value of the Captchas was diminished due to the security vulnerability that allowed for successful attacks [10347].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not align with a byzantine failure, which involves inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident can be described as a security vulnerability leading to a breach in the system's intended function of providing secure Captchas. The incident highlights a flaw in the system's security measures, which allowed for successful attacks by exploiting weaknesses in the Captcha algorithm [10347]. |