| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to security attacks on iCloud users in China is not the first time such incidents have occurred with Apple's products and services. In a previous incident in September, hackers stole nude photos from iCloud accounts of several US celebrities. Apple mentioned that in that case, the hackers obtained users' passwords through phishing attacks or by guessing security questions, and their servers were not breached [30954].
(b) The software failure incident of security attacks on iCloud users in China is not isolated to Apple. The article mentions that some Chinese internet users have been seeing warnings indicating they were diverted to unauthorized websites when trying to sign into their iCloud accounts, suggesting a broader issue beyond just Apple's services. Additionally, the attacks were blamed on the Chinese government by Chinese activists, indicating a larger-scale security concern [30954]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be seen in the article where Apple posted a security warning for iCloud users in China due to organised network attacks using insecure certificates to obtain user information. This indicates a failure due to contributing factors introduced by system development or updates [30954].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is evident in the article where Chinese internet users were warned about being diverted to an unauthorized website when trying to sign into their iCloud accounts. This diversion, known as a "man in the middle" attack, could lead to the theft of passwords and other data, showcasing a failure due to contributing factors introduced by the operation or misuse of the system [30954]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident reported in the article is related to a "man in the middle" attack on Apple's iCloud service, where hackers were able to divert users to unauthorized websites to steal passwords and other data [30954]. This type of attack is a result of vulnerabilities within the system that allow for unauthorized access and data theft.
(b) outside_system: The article suggests that the attacks on iCloud were blamed on the Chinese government by Chinese activists, indicating that the contributing factors for the failure originated from outside the system [30954]. The motive behind the attacks was speculated to be related to Apple's release of new iPhone models in China with enhanced encryption features, leading to suspicions of government involvement in the cyber attacks. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
The software failure incident in this case was not due to Apple's own servers being compromised but rather due to intermittent organized network attacks using insecure certificates to obtain user information. This type of attack, known as a "man in the middle" attack, could allow a third party to copy and steal passwords entered by users when they think they are signing into Apple's service [30954].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
The article suggests that Chinese activists blamed the attacks on the Chinese government, indicating that the human actions of the government may have been involved in orchestrating the attacks on iCloud users in China [30954]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The article mentions that there were intermittent organized network attacks using insecure certificates to obtain user information, which is a security vulnerability originating from the hardware side [30954].
- The article also discusses a "man in the middle" attack, which is a type of attack that can occur due to vulnerabilities in the network hardware or infrastructure [30954].
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- The article highlights that the attacks were aimed at stealing passwords and other data from iCloud users, indicating a software vulnerability in the iCloud service [30954].
- It is mentioned that the hackers could copy and steal passwords entered by users, suggesting a software flaw in the authentication or security mechanisms of the iCloud service [30954]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the article is malicious in nature. The incident involved a concerted effort to steal passwords and other data from iCloud users in China through organised network attacks using insecure certificates. Chinese activists blamed the attacks on the country's government, suggesting that the campaign was related to Apple's release of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models with enhanced encryption features. The attack method, known as a "man in the middle" attack, aimed to divert users to unauthorized websites to steal their passwords and potentially collect other data from their accounts [30954]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the article is related to poor decisions made by hackers attempting to steal passwords and data from iCloud users in China. The hackers used insecure certificates in a "man in the middle" attack to divert users to unauthorized websites and steal their passwords [30954]. This deliberate and organized effort to compromise user information reflects poor decisions made by the attackers. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
accidental |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the article is not attributed to development incompetence. The incident involved a security warning issued by Apple for its iCloud online storage service due to organised network attacks using insecure certificates to obtain user information [30954].
(b) The software failure incident reported in the article is more aligned with an accidental failure. The incident involved a "man in the middle" attack on iCloud accounts of Chinese users, where users were diverted to an unauthorized website, potentially allowing hackers to steal passwords and other data. This diversion was not caused by development incompetence but rather by external malicious actors exploiting vulnerabilities in the system [30954]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article is temporary. It was a result of organised network attacks using insecure certificates to obtain user information, specifically targeting users of Apple's iCloud service in China. The attacks were identified as "man in the middle" attacks, where a third party could intercept and steal passwords entered by users, potentially leading to the theft of other data from the users' accounts. Apple advised users to be cautious and verify they were connecting to a legitimate iCloud server by checking for digital certificates in their browsers [30954].
(b) The software failure incident was not permanent as Apple's own servers were not compromised, and the attacks did not affect users signing into iCloud from their iPhones or iPads, or on Mac computers using the latest operating system and Safari browser. The company provided guidance on how users could protect themselves from such attacks, indicating that the issue was temporary and could be mitigated by taking appropriate security measures [30954]. |
| Behaviour |
omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The article does not mention any system crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions.
(b) omission: The incident reported in the article is related to a security warning issued by Apple for its iCloud online storage service due to organised network attacks using insecure certificates to obtain user information. This can be considered an omission failure as the system omitted to provide secure access to user data [30954].
(c) timing: The article does not mention any timing failure where the system performs its intended functions correctly but too late or too early.
(d) value: The incident can be related to a value failure as the system performed its intended functions incorrectly by allowing hackers to steal passwords and other data from iCloud users in China [30954].
(e) byzantine: The article does not mention any byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The other behavior observed in this incident is a "man in the middle" attack, where a third party can intercept and steal user passwords by diverting them to an unauthorized website when attempting to sign into iCloud accounts. This behavior is a form of security breach that is not explicitly covered in the options provided [30954]. |