| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
a) The software failure incident related to fake Minecraft apps that hijacked phones and tricked users into subscribing to a bogus antivirus service occurred multiple times within the same organization, Microsoft. Security expert Lukas Stefanko identified more than 30 fake apps in the Google Play Store related to Minecraft, collectively downloaded between 600,000 and 2.8 million times [36250].
b) The incident of fake apps scamming users into paying for bogus services has also happened at multiple organizations or with their products and services. A total of 33 fake 'cheat' apps were found since the first was generated in August 2014, indicating a broader trend of such malicious apps targeting users beyond just the Microsoft-owned Minecraft game [36250]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in the articles can be attributed to the design phase. The incident involved fake apps masquerading as add-ons for the Android version of Minecraft, which were downloaded by millions of users. These apps hijacked phones, displayed fake virus messages, and tricked users into subscribing to a premium-rate text message service under the guise of antivirus software. The apps were designed to deceive users by displaying convincing banners and messages, ultimately leading them to pay for bogus services [36250].
(b) The software failure incident can also be linked to the operation phase. Users were misled by the fake apps during the operation of their devices. The apps took control of the phones, sent fake virus messages that appeared genuine, and coerced users into signing up for a premium text message subscription service. This operation phase failure resulted in users being scammed into paying for services they did not need, highlighting the impact of the deceptive operation of the malicious apps [36250]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident described in the articles is primarily due to factors originating from within the system. The fake Minecraft apps that were downloaded by millions of users from the Google Play Store appeared to offer ways to cheat in the game but instead hijacked phones and threatened users into subscribing to a bogus antivirus service [36250]. These apps displayed banners suggesting that the user's device was infected with a virus, leading them to sign up and pay for a fix, which was actually a premium-rate text message subscription service. The apps took control of the phones, sent convincing-looking text messages, and tapped into the phone's text message system to deceive users into paying for the fake service. This behavior indicates that the failure was caused by malicious actions within the software itself, designed to deceive and exploit users. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in Article 36250 occurred due to non-human actions. Specifically, fake apps that appeared to be add-ons for the Android version of Minecraft were downloaded by millions of people. These apps hijacked phones, displayed fake virus messages, and tricked users into subscribing to a premium-rate text message service masquerading as antivirus software. The apps were designed to deceive users through automated processes and did not require human interaction to carry out the scam [36250].
(b) The software failure incident in Article 36250 did involve human actions in the sense that the fake apps were created and uploaded to the Google Play Store by individuals. However, the failure itself, which involved the apps misleading users and scamming them into paying for bogus services, was primarily driven by the deceptive design and functionality of the apps rather than direct human actions during the scam process [36250]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles is primarily related to software issues rather than hardware. The incident involved fake apps masquerading as add-ons for the Android version of Minecraft, which hijacked phones and tricked users into subscribing to a bogus antivirus service [36250]. The fake apps displayed banners suggesting a device was infected with a virus, leading users to sign up for a premium-rate text message subscription service. This indicates a failure in the software design and functionality rather than a hardware-related issue.
(b) The software failure incident in question is attributed to software issues. The incident involved the distribution of fake apps on the Google Play Store that misled users into paying for bogus services under the guise of antivirus solutions [36250]. These apps exploited users by displaying fake virus messages and encouraging them to subscribe to premium text message services. The incident highlights a failure in the software development and security measures rather than hardware-related problems. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in the articles is malicious in nature. Fake apps that appeared to be add-ons for the Android version of Minecraft were downloaded by millions of people, hijacking phones and threatening users into subscribing to a weekly service masquerading as antivirus software [36250]. The fake apps displayed banners suggesting a handset had been infected with a virus to scare users into signing up and paying for a fix. The apps sent convincing-looking text messages that appeared to be from Android, encouraging people to sign up for a premium-rate text message subscription service. This malicious behavior was intentional and aimed at deceiving users for financial gain. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident was due to poor_decisions. The incident involved fake apps masquerading as add-ons for the Android version of Minecraft, which were downloaded by millions of users. These apps hijacked phones, displayed fake virus messages, and tricked users into subscribing to a premium-rate text message service under the guise of antivirus software. The apps were designed to scare users into paying for a fix they did not need, indicating a deliberate and malicious intent behind the creation and distribution of these fake apps [36250].
(b) The software failure incident was not due to accidental_decisions but rather a deliberate and deceptive scheme orchestrated by the creators of the fake Minecraft apps to scam users into paying for bogus services under false pretenses. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, unknown |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the case of the fake Minecraft apps that were downloaded by millions of users. These fake apps, disguised as add-ons for the Android version of Minecraft, were designed to deceive users into subscribing to a premium-rate text message service under the guise of antivirus software. The apps displayed fake virus messages and scareware banners to trick users into paying for a fix, exploiting their fear of malware infections. The apps were uploaded to the Google Play Store by different developer accounts but were likely created by one person, indicating a deliberate attempt to deceive users [36250].
(b) The accidental software failure aspect is not explicitly mentioned in the articles provided. |
| Duration |
permanent |
(a) The software failure incident described in the articles is more of a permanent nature. The incident involved fake apps masquerading as add-ons for the Android version of Minecraft, which were downloaded by millions of users. These apps hijacked phones, displayed fake virus messages, and tricked users into subscribing to a premium-rate text message service. The incident was not a one-time occurrence but rather a series of 33 fake apps found since August 2014, indicating a persistent issue [36250]. The incident highlights a significant security threat that persisted over time, affecting a large number of users and potentially leading to financial harm. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, value, byzantine, other |
(a) crash: The fake Minecraft apps mentioned in the article caused phones to be hijacked and displayed banners suggesting a handset had been infected with a virus, leading users to believe their devices were compromised. This behavior can be considered a form of a crash as the system lost control and did not perform its intended functions but instead displayed false information to scare users [36250].
(b) omission: The fake Minecraft apps omitted to perform their intended functions of providing cheat codes or add-ons for the game. Instead, they misled users into subscribing to a premium-rate text message service under the guise of antivirus software, which was not the actual functionality users were seeking [36250].
(c) timing: There is no specific mention of a timing-related failure in the articles provided.
(d) value: The fake Minecraft apps misrepresented themselves by displaying false virus messages and encouraging users to sign up for a premium-rate text message subscription service, which was not the correct or intended function of the apps. This behavior can be categorized as a value-related failure where the system performed its functions incorrectly by deceiving users [36250].
(e) byzantine: The fake Minecraft apps exhibited a form of deceptive behavior by taking control of users' phones, sending convincing-looking text messages, and displaying banners suggesting virus infections. This inconsistent and misleading behavior can be considered a form of a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions [36250].
(f) other: The fake Minecraft apps also engaged in scareware tactics by covering the screen with flashing adverts, displaying fake alerts about device infections, and tapping into the phone's text message system to deceive users into signing up for a bogus premium text message service. This manipulative and deceptive behavior can be considered as another form of failure where the system behaves in a way not described in the options (a to e) [36250]. |