| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization:
- The incident involving the DarkHotel hackers targeting hotel guests with malware delivered over public Wi-Fi networks has been reported to have happened at luxury hotels in Asia, with specific targets being infected when they tried to download fake software updates over the hotel Wi-Fi [31594].
- The attackers managed to infect machines belonging to specific targets, such as CEOs, senior vice presidents, sales and marketing directors, and top research and development staff, by tricking them into downloading malicious software disguised as legitimate updates [31594].
- The attackers used sophisticated methods, including zero-day vulnerabilities and signed code with seemingly legitimate certificates, to carry out the attack, indicating a high level of skill among the DarkHotel hackers [31594].
(b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization:
- The DarkHotel hackers have been active for at least seven years, conducting surgical strikes against targeted guests at luxury hotels in Asia, as well as infecting victims via spear-phishing attacks and P2P networks [31766].
- The attackers have targeted high-profile executives, government agencies, NGOs, and U.S. executives, with primary targets in North Korea, Japan, and India, indicating a wide range of targets across different organizations [31766].
- The attackers have also targeted the defense industry base in the U.S. and important executives from around the world in various sectors related to economic development and investments, showing a diverse set of targets across multiple organizations [31766]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be seen in the articles. The incident involved the attackers targeting hotel guests by posing as legitimate software updates, such as Adobe Flash player updates, to infect their devices with malware. The attackers used sophisticated methods, including creating malicious executables disguised as software updates, using zero-day exploits, and signing their malware with stolen or weak digital certificates to make them appear legitimate [31766, 31594].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase occurred when hotel guests, particularly high-profile executives and business travelers, unknowingly downloaded malware onto their devices while connecting to the hotel's WiFi network. The attackers strategically targeted specific individuals by luring them with fake software update alerts, leading to the theft of sensitive data from their devices. This operation phase failure was a result of the attackers' ability to manipulate the hotel WiFi networks and deceive guests into downloading malicious software [31766, 31594]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system:
- The software failure incident in the articles is primarily due to contributing factors that originate from within the system. The attackers managed to upload their malware to the hotel's server, infecting guests who tried to download what they thought was a legitimate software update [31766].
- The attackers used sophisticated methods such as zero-day exploits, kernel-mode keystroke loggers, and weak digital signing keys to target and infect victims within the system [31766].
- The malware sat quietly for six months before waking up and calling home to a command-and-control server, indicating a planned and internal aspect of the attack [31766].
- The attackers were able to manipulate the hotel's WiFi network to deliver malware to specific targets, showing an internal manipulation of the system [31594].
(b) outside_system:
- The software failure incident also involved contributing factors that originated from outside the system. The attackers had been lurking on the hotel's network for days, waiting for specific guests to check in, indicating an external presence and planning [31766].
- The attackers had advance knowledge of their victims' whereabouts and which hotels they would be visiting, suggesting external information gathering and planning [31594].
- The attackers targeted high-profile executives and individuals visiting luxury hotels in Asia, indicating a focus on external targets [31594].
- The attackers used public WiFi networks in hotels as a means to deliver malware, which is an external entry point into the system [31594]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
- The software failure incident in the articles was not directly caused by non-human actions. Instead, it was a result of a targeted and sophisticated cyber attack orchestrated by a group known as DarkHotel. The attackers used various methods such as spear-phishing attacks, P2P networks, zero-day exploits, and a kernel-mode keystroke logger to infect high-value targets, particularly executives staying in luxury hotels in Asia [31766, 31594].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
- The software failure incident in the articles was primarily caused by human actions, specifically the actions of the DarkHotel attackers who deliberately targeted and infected hotel guests' devices with malware. The attackers manipulated the hotel WiFi networks to deliver malicious software disguised as legitimate updates, leading to the infection of targeted individuals' devices [31766, 31594]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The articles do not mention any software failure incident occurring due to contributing factors that originate in hardware.
(b) The software failure incident reported in the articles is related to a sophisticated cyber attack by a group known as DarkHotel. The attackers managed to infect targeted guests' devices with malware by disguising it as legitimate software updates when the guests connected to the hotel's WiFi network. This incident involved the use of malicious software, such as Trojans and keyloggers, to steal data from victims' devices [31766, 31594]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious, non-malicious |
(a) The objective of the software failure incident was malicious, as it involved attackers targeting high-profile individuals, including business executives, through sophisticated methods such as spear-phishing attacks and malware delivery disguised as software updates [31766, 31594].
(b) The software failure incident was non-malicious in the sense that the victims were not intentionally seeking to harm their systems; rather, they were unknowingly lured into downloading malicious software through fake software update prompts while connecting to public Wi-Fi networks in luxury hotels [31766, 31594]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
unknown |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident:
- The software failure incident described in the articles was not due to poor decisions but rather a deliberate and sophisticated attack by hackers targeting high-profile individuals staying in luxury hotels in Asia. The attackers, known as DarkHotel, specifically targeted CEOs, senior executives, and top research and development staff by infecting their devices through fake software updates delivered over public Wi-Fi networks in hotels. The attackers used advanced techniques, including zero-day exploits, kernel-mode keyloggers, and the manipulation of digital certificates to sign their malware, indicating a high level of skill and intentionality in their actions [31766, 31594]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
unknown |
(a) The articles do not provide information about the software failure incident occurring due to development incompetence.
(b) The software failure incident reported in the articles was not accidental. It was a deliberate and sophisticated attack by hackers targeting high-profile individuals staying in luxury hotels in Asia. The attackers manipulated the hotel WiFi networks to deliver malware to specific targets through fake software update pop-ups, aiming to steal sensitive data from their devices [31766, 31594]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident described in the articles is temporary. The incident involved malware being delivered to specific targets through public Wi-Fi networks in luxury hotels in Asia. The malware was disguised as software updates for popular applications like GoogleToolbar, Adobe Flash, and Windows Messenger. Victims were infected upon accepting the download, leading to data theft from their devices [31594].
The attackers were able to infect only machines belonging to specific targets, indicating a targeted approach rather than a widespread infection [31594]. The malware remained dormant for six months before activating and calling home to a command-and-control server, likely to avoid immediate detection by IT departments upon the victims' return from their trips [31766]. |
| 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. Instead, the incident involves the deliberate delivery of malware to targeted individuals through a sophisticated attack method [31766, 31594].
(b) omission: The software failure incident does not involve the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). Instead, the incident revolves around the system successfully delivering malicious software under the guise of legitimate software updates [31766, 31594].
(c) timing: The software failure incident does not involve the system performing its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. The incident focuses on the precise timing of the delivery of malware to targeted individuals when they attempt to connect to the hotel WiFi network [31766, 31594].
(d) value: The software failure incident does not involve the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The incident centers around the successful delivery of malware to specific targets through deceptive software update prompts [31766, 31594].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not involve the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The incident describes a well-orchestrated and targeted attack by sophisticated hackers to infect high-profile individuals with malware [31766, 31594].
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident can be categorized as a deliberate and targeted attack by cybercriminals to infect specific individuals with malware through deceptive software update prompts, indicating a form of social engineering and advanced cyber espionage tactics [31766, 31594]. |