Published Date: 2015-01-30
| Postmortem Analysis | |
|---|---|
| Timeline | 1. The software failure incident involving the vulnerability in Cayla's software happened when security researcher Ken Munro discovered the hack, as reported in Article 32714. 2. Published on 2015-01-30 08:00:00+00:00. 3. The software failure incident likely occurred around January 2015. |
| System | The software failure incident in Article 32714 involved a vulnerability in the software of the Cayla child's doll, allowing it to be hacked. The specific system that failed in this incident was: 1. Cayla child's doll software [32714] |
| Responsible Organization | 1. Security researcher Ken Munro from Pen Test Partners [32714] |
| Impacted Organization | 1. Vivid Toy group - The software failure incident involving the vulnerability in Cayla's software impacted the Vivid Toy group, the distributor of the doll [32714]. |
| Software Causes | 1. The software vulnerability in Cayla's software that allowed for it to be hacked [32714]. |
| Non-software Causes | 1. The vulnerability in Cayla's software that allowed for hacking (Article 32714) |
| Impacts | 1. The software vulnerability in Cayla's doll allowed it to be hacked, enabling it to say any number of things [32714]. |
| Preventions | To prevent the software failure incident of Cayla's vulnerability to hacking, the following measures could have been taken: 1. Regular Security Audits and Testing: Conducting regular security audits and testing of the software could have helped identify and address vulnerabilities before they could be exploited by hackers [32714]. 2. Implementing Secure Coding Practices: Following secure coding practices during the development of the software could have reduced the likelihood of introducing vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers [32714]. 3. Prompt Software Updates: Ensuring prompt software updates and patches to address known vulnerabilities could have prevented the exploitation of the vulnerability in Cayla's software [32714]. |
| Fixes | 1. Upgrading the app used with the Cayla doll to address the vulnerability discovered by the security researcher Ken Munro [32714]. | References | 1. Security researcher Ken Munro from Pen Test Partners [32714] 2. BBC's Rory Cellan-Jones [32714] 3. Vivid Toy group [32714] |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Recurring | unknown | (a) The software failure incident related to the Cayla doll being hacked does not indicate that a similar incident had happened before within the same organization (Vivid Toy group) [32714]. (b) The software failure incident related to the Cayla doll being hacked does not mention any similar incident happening at other organizations or with their products and services [32714]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) | design | (a) The software failure incident in Article 32714 occurred due to a design flaw in the Cayla doll's software. Security researcher Ken Munro discovered a vulnerability in Cayla's software that allowed it to be hacked, enabling the doll to say any number of things. This vulnerability was a result of a design issue in the software, which could have been introduced during the system development phase [32714]. (b) The article does not provide specific information about the software failure incident being caused by factors related to operation or misuse of the system. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) | within_system | (a) within_system: The software failure incident involving the Cayla doll being hacked was due to a vulnerability in Cayla's software itself, allowing it to be hacked and say any number of things [32714]. This vulnerability was discovered by security researcher Ken Munro, indicating that the failure originated from within the system. The company distributing Cayla, Vivid Toy group, acknowledged the issue and mentioned upgrading the app used with the doll in response to the hack. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) | non-human_actions | (a) The software failure incident in this case occurred due to non-human actions, specifically a vulnerability in Cayla's software that allowed it to be hacked without human participation. Security researcher Ken Munro discovered this vulnerability, demonstrating the hack to the BBC's Rory Cellan-Jones. The Vivid Toy group mentioned that the hacking was an isolated example carried out by a specialist team, indicating that the vulnerability was not intentionally introduced by humans [32714]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) | software | (a) The software failure incident in Article 32714 occurred due to a vulnerability in Cayla's software, allowing it to be hacked. This vulnerability was discovered by security researcher Ken Munro, indicating that the contributing factor originated in the software itself [32714]. (b) The same incident also highlights a failure originating in the software, as the vulnerability in Cayla's software allowed for the hack to take place, enabling the doll to say any number of things not intended by the manufacturer [32714]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) | malicious | (a) The software failure incident related to the Cayla doll was malicious in nature. Security researcher Ken Munro discovered a vulnerability in Cayla's software that allowed it to be hacked, enabling the doll to say any number of things. This hack was demonstrated to the BBC, indicating that the failure was due to contributing factors introduced by humans with the intent to harm the system [32714]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) | poor_decisions | (a) The intent of the software failure incident related to poor_decisions: - The software failure incident involving the Cayla doll was due to a vulnerability discovered by security researcher Ken Munro, indicating a poor decision in the software development process that allowed for the doll to be hacked [32714]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) | development_incompetence, unknown | (a) The software failure incident in Article 32714 was related to a vulnerability discovered by security researcher Ken Munro in Cayla's software, allowing it to be hacked and say any number of things. This vulnerability indicates a failure due to development incompetence, as it was a result of a lack of professional competence in ensuring the security of the software [32714]. (b) The accidental aspect of the failure is not explicitly mentioned in the article. |
| Duration | temporary | (a) The software failure incident related to the Cayla doll being vulnerable to hacking was not permanent as the company, Vivid Toy group, mentioned that the hacking was an isolated example and they were able to upgrade the app used with the doll to address the vulnerability [32714]. (b) The software failure incident was temporary as it was caused by a specific vulnerability in the software that allowed for hacking, and the company took action to upgrade the app to mitigate the issue [32714]. |
| Behaviour | omission, value, other | (a) crash: The software failure incident in Article 32714 does not specifically mention a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. (b) omission: The vulnerability in Cayla's software allowed it to be hacked, enabling the doll to essentially say any number of things. This could be considered an omission as the system was omitting its intended function of providing appropriate responses based on its programming [32714]. (c) timing: The incident does not indicate a timing failure where the system performs its intended functions but at incorrect times. (d) value: The vulnerability in Cayla's software allowed the doll to say any number of things, indicating a failure in performing its intended functions correctly [32714]. (e) byzantine: The incident does not describe a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. (f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident in Article 32714 could be categorized as a security vulnerability leading to unauthorized access and manipulation of the system's functions, which is not explicitly covered in the provided options. |
| Layer | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Perception | processing_unit, embedded_software | (a) The software failure incident related to the Cayla doll being hacked does not specifically mention a sensor error as a contributing factor [32714]. (b) The incident does not mention an actuator error as a contributing factor [32714]. (c) The vulnerability in Cayla's software that allowed for it to be hacked indicates a processing error as a contributing factor [32714]. (d) The incident does not directly point to a network communication error as a contributing factor [32714]. (e) The vulnerability in Cayla's software, which allowed for hacking, points to an embedded software error as a contributing factor [32714]. |
| Communication | unknown | The software failure incident related to the Cayla doll being hacked does not specifically mention whether the failure was related to the communication layer of the cyber physical system that failed. The article focuses on the vulnerability in Cayla's software that allowed for hacking, but it does not delve into the specific technical details regarding the communication layer of the cyber physical system. Therefore, it is unknown whether the failure was at the link_level or connectivity_level based on the provided articles. |
| Application | TRUE | The software failure incident related to the Cayla doll being hacked, as reported in Article 32714, was indeed related to the application layer of the cyber physical system. The vulnerability discovered by security researcher Ken Munro allowed for the doll to be hacked, essentially enabling it to say any number of things. This vulnerability in the Cayla doll's software indicates that the failure was due to contributing factors introduced by bugs and potentially incorrect usage, falling under the definition of an application layer failure in a cyber physical system [32714]. |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Consequence | non-human, theoretical_consequence, other | (a) death: There is no mention of any deaths resulting from the software failure incident in the provided article [32714]. (b) harm: There is no mention of physical harm to individuals resulting from the software failure incident in the provided article [32714]. (c) basic: There is no mention of people's access to food or shelter being impacted due to the software failure incident in the provided article [32714]. (d) property: There is no mention of people's material goods, money, or data being impacted due to the software failure incident in the provided article [32714]. (e) delay: There is no mention of people having to postpone an activity due to the software failure incident in the provided article [32714]. (f) non-human: The software failure incident impacted the Cayla doll, a non-human entity, as it was vulnerable to being hacked [32714]. (g) no_consequence: The article does not mention any real observed consequences of the software failure incident [32714]. (h) theoretical_consequence: The article mentions that the Vivid Toy group, which distributes Cayla, stated that the hacking was an isolated example carried out by a specialist team, indicating a potential consequence that did not occur widely [32714]. (i) other: The software failure incident led to a vulnerability in the Cayla doll's software, allowing it to be hacked and say any number of things, as demonstrated by the security researcher Ken Munro [32714]. |
| Domain | entertainment | (a) The software failure incident involving the Cayla doll was related to the entertainment industry. The vulnerability discovered in Cayla's software allowed for the doll to be hacked, impacting its ability to respond to questions and engage in conversations, which are key features of an interactive toy meant for entertainment purposes [32714]. |
Article ID: 32714