Published Date: 2015-06-15
| Postmortem Analysis | |
|---|---|
| Timeline | 1. The software failure incident involving LastPass happened in August 2022 as mentioned in <Article 136157>. 2. The breach was identified in a cloud storage service shared by LastPass affiliate GoTo, which acknowledged the same breach on Wednesday, as reported in <Article 136157>. |
| System | 1. LastPass system [37159, 136157] 2. LastPass master password encryption system [37159] 3. LastPass clues or reminders system [37159] |
| Responsible Organization | 1. Hackers breached LastPass's system, compromising email addresses, password reminders, and other information [37159, 37160]. 2. An unauthorized party gained access to certain elements of LastPass customers' information, stemming directly from a security breach that occurred in August [136157]. |
| Impacted Organization | 1. LastPass users were impacted by the software failure incident reported in articles [37159, 37160, 136157]. |
| Software Causes | 1. Weak master passwords and password reminders being compromised due to a hack attack on LastPass [37159, 37160] 2. Unauthorized access to unencrypted user data and customer vaults due to a security breach in LastPass [131937, 136157] |
| Non-software Causes | 1. Weak master passwords and password reuse by users contributed to the failure incident [37159, 37160]. 2. Unauthorized access to unencrypted user data and customer vaults due to a security breach in August led to a subsequent breach in December [136157]. |
| Impacts | 1. The LastPass breach in August 2022 led to unauthorized access to unencrypted user data and customer vaults, significantly undermining LastPass's effectiveness as a privacy tool and consumer trust in the product [Article 131937]. 2. LastPass users were advised to change their master passwords, especially if they were weak or easily guessable, to prevent potential unauthorized access to their accounts [Article 37159, Article 37160]. 3. The breach exposed vulnerabilities in LastPass's security measures, such as the compromise of email addresses, password reminders, and other information, potentially allowing hackers to guess master passwords and access user accounts [Article 37159, Article 37160]. 4. LastPass faced criticism and scrutiny over its handling of the security incidents, leading to a loss of trust among users and the removal of LastPass from the list of recommended password managers by some sources [Article 131937, Article 123412]. 5. The security incidents highlighted the importance of using strong, unique master passwords, enabling multifactor authentication, and regularly monitoring and updating passwords to enhance security measures [Article 37159, Article 131937, Article 123412]. |
| Preventions | 1. Stronger Master Passwords: Users could have prevented the software failure incident by using stronger, more complex master passwords that are not easily guessable [37159, 37160]. 2. Avoiding Password Reuse: Users should avoid reusing their master password on other websites to prevent potential unauthorized access to multiple accounts in case of a breach [37159]. 3. Multifactor Authentication: Implementing multifactor authentication could have added an extra layer of security to prevent unauthorized access even if the master password is compromised [37159]. 4. Regular Security Audits: Conducting regular security audits and assessments could have helped identify vulnerabilities and potential breaches earlier, allowing for timely mitigation measures to be implemented [136157]. 5. Transparency and Open Source: Choosing a password manager that is transparent about its security measures and open-source, like Bitwarden, could provide users with more confidence in the security of their data [131937]. |
| Fixes | 1. LastPass users with weak master passwords should change them immediately to stronger, more secure passwords to mitigate the risk of potential hacking attempts [37159, 37160]. 2. LastPass users should update their master passwords if they have reused them on other websites to prevent unauthorized access to their accounts [37159]. 3. LastPass users should consider setting up multifactor authentication for added security, such as using Google Authenticator to send one-time verification codes to their smartphones [37159]. 4. LastPass users should monitor their accounts for any suspicious activity and be vigilant about any unusual login attempts or changes to their stored information [136157]. | References | 1. LastPass CEO Joe Siegrist's blog post [37159] 2. LastPass CEO Karim Toubba's blog post [136157] |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Recurring | one_organization, multiple_organization | (a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization: - LastPass experienced another security breach in December 2022, stemming directly from a previous incident that occurred in August 2022. An unauthorized party gained access to certain elements of customers' information, although passwords remained safely encrypted due to LastPass's Zero Knowledge architecture [Article 136157]. (b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization: - LastPass had previously experienced a security breach in 2015 where hackers breached the system and obtained user email addresses and other information. While they couldn't access the accounts where users stored their passwords, LastPass urged users to change potentially weak master passwords and other passwords [Article 37160]. - LastPass faced another breach in August 2022, where hackers accessed unencrypted user data and customer vaults containing more data. This breach significantly undermined LastPass's effectiveness as a privacy tool and consumer trust in the product [Article 131937]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) | design, operation | (a) The software failure incident occurring due to the development phases: - LastPass experienced a hack attack that compromised email addresses, password reminders, and other information, leading to a breach in their system [37159]. - LastPass disclosed that hackers gained access to clues or reminders used to remember master passwords, potentially allowing them to guess weak master passwords [37159]. - LastPass notified customers of a security incident where cybercriminals breached its systems and stole part of its source code and other proprietary technical information [131937]. - An unauthorized party gained access to certain elements of LastPass customers' information due to a security breach stemming from a previous incident in August 2022 [136157]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to the operation: - LastPass urged users to change potentially weak master passwords and banking passwords after discovering traces of security breaches in the past [37160]. - LastPass advised users to update their master passwords immediately if they had weak master passwords or reused them on other websites to prevent potential unauthorized access to their accounts [37160]. - LastPass CEO mentioned that the company's encryption measures were sufficient to protect the majority of users, indicating a focus on operational security measures [37160]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) | within_system, outside_system | (a) within_system: - The software failure incident related to LastPass was primarily due to a hack attack on the system itself, compromising user email addresses, password reminders, and other information stored within the LastPass system [37159]. - LastPass uses encryption to secure passwords within the system, but the hackers were able to access clues or reminders used to remember master passwords, potentially leading to unauthorized access to user accounts [37159]. - LastPass discovered and blocked suspicious activity on its network, indicating that the breach occurred within the system itself [37160]. - LastPass experienced another security breach stemming directly from a previous incident, indicating vulnerabilities within the system that allowed unauthorized access to customer information [136157]. (b) outside_system: - The software failure incident was also influenced by factors originating from outside the system, such as hackers gaining access to user data and exploiting vulnerabilities in the LastPass system [37159]. - The breach in LastPass's system was a result of an unauthorized party gaining access to certain elements of customer information, indicating external factors contributing to the failure [136157]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) | non-human_actions, human_actions | (a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions: - LastPass disclosed a hack attack that compromised email addresses, password reminders, and other information, but the hackers were not able to access the actual accounts where users store their website passwords. LastPass uses encryption to secure passwords so they can only be read on individual web browsers [37159]. - LastPass announced that hackers breached its system and got their hands on user email addresses and other information, but they weren't able to access accounts where users store all their passwords. LastPass uses encryption that disguises passwords and only allows them to be read on individual users' web browsers [37160]. - LastPass had another security breach stemming from one that occurred in August, where an unauthorized party gained access to certain elements of customers' information. LastPass's zero knowledge model is meant to give only the customer, and not LastPass, access to an account's master password [136157]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions: - LastPass CEO Joe Siegrist advised users to change their master password if it was weak or easily guessable, especially if they had reused their master password on other websites. The hackers gained access to clues for master passwords, potentially allowing them to guess weak master passwords and access accounts [37159]. - LastPass urged users to change potentially weak master passwords and banking passwords in the past. The company discovered and blocked suspicious activity on its network and is investigating when the breach occurred [37160]. - LastPass CEO Karim Toubba mentioned that an unauthorized party, using information obtained in a previous incident, was able to gain access to certain elements of customers' information. LastPass's zero knowledge model is designed to give only the customer, and not LastPass, access to an account's master password [136157]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) | software | (a) The articles do not provide information about a software failure incident occurring due to contributing factors originating in hardware. (b) The software failure incidents reported in the articles are related to LastPass, a password manager software, being breached by hackers. The incidents involved unauthorized access to user data, including email addresses, password reminders, and other information [37159], [136157]. The breaches led to concerns about the security of user accounts and the potential vulnerability of master passwords. LastPass assured users that their passwords remained safely encrypted due to the software's encryption measures [136157]. The incidents highlighted the importance of strong master passwords and prompted LastPass to advise users to update their passwords and take additional security measures such as setting up multifactor authentication [37159]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) | malicious, non-malicious | (a) malicious: The software failure incident related to LastPass was due to a hack attack by unauthorized parties who gained access to user information, including email addresses, password reminders, and other data [37159]. The hackers were able to breach LastPass's systems and steal part of its source code and other proprietary technical information [131937]. These incidents were considered malicious as they involved unauthorized access and potential compromise of user data. (b) non-malicious: LastPass also faced a security incident where suspicious activity was detected on its network, prompting the company to investigate and take measures to protect user data [37160]. Additionally, LastPass experienced a security breach where hackers accessed certain elements of customer information, stemming from a previous incident in August [136157]. These incidents, while concerning, were not intentional actions by the company to harm the system but rather breaches that required investigation and response. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) | poor_decisions, accidental_decisions | (a) poor_decisions: LastPass faced a software failure incident due to poor decisions made by the company. In the incident reported in Article 131937, LastPass revealed that a breach in August 2022 eventually led to an unauthorized party gaining access to unencrypted user data and customer vaults containing even more data. This breach significantly undermined LastPass's effectiveness as a privacy tool and consumer trust in the product. The decision to limit the free offering, yank email support from free users, and a series of security missteps, including the use of web trackers in its Android app, contributed to LastPass losing its position as a recommended password manager [131937]. Additionally, LastPass faced another security breach in December 2022, stemming directly from the one that occurred in August. The breach was due to an unauthorized party gaining access to certain elements of customers' information using information obtained in the August 2022 incident. LastPass CEO Karim Toubba mentioned that the breach was identified in a cloud storage service shared by LastPass affiliate GoTo [136157]. (b) accidental_decisions: LastPass also faced a software failure incident due to accidental decisions or mistakes. In the incident reported in Article 37160, LastPass announced that hackers had breached its system, compromising user email addresses and other information. The hackers were not able to access the actual accounts where users store their passwords due to encryption measures. However, the hackers were able to steal clues for master passwords, potentially allowing them to guess weak master passwords and access accounts. LastPass urged users to update their master passwords and passwords on other websites if they had reused the master password [37160]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) | development_incompetence, accidental | (a) The software failure incident occurring due to development incompetence: - LastPass suffered a hack attack that compromised email addresses, password reminders, and other information, leading to a breach in their system [37159]. - LastPass faced another security breach, stemming directly from a previous incident in August, where an unauthorized party gained access to certain elements of customers' information [136157]. - LastPass has had a history of security issues, including breaches and vulnerabilities, which have raised concerns about the company's ability to maintain security and protect user data [131937, 123412]. (b) The software failure incident occurring accidentally: - LastPass uses encryption to secure passwords, but hackers were able to breach the system and access user information, indicating a breach that occurred accidentally [37159]. - LastPass discovered and blocked suspicious activity on its network, indicating that the breach was not intentional but rather a result of unauthorized access [37160]. - LastPass CEO mentioned that the breach was due to an unauthorized party gaining access to information obtained in a previous incident, suggesting that the breach was not planned but rather a consequence of a previous security lapse [136157]. |
| Duration | temporary | The software failure incident related to LastPass can be considered as a temporary failure. This is evident from the fact that LastPass experienced a breach where hackers gained access to certain elements of customer information due to a security incident that occurred in August 2022 [Article 136157]. The breach was identified in a cloud storage service shared by LastPass affiliate GoTo, which also acknowledged the same breach [Article 136157]. Additionally, LastPass had previously experienced security breaches in the past, such as in 2011, where users were urged to change potentially weak master passwords and banking passwords [Article 37160]. These incidents indicate that the software failure was temporary and caused by specific circumstances rather than being a permanent failure. |
| Behaviour | omission, value, other | (a) crash: The articles do not mention any instances of the software crashing. (b) omission: LastPass suffered a breach where hackers were able to access user email addresses and other information, but they were not able to access the actual accounts where users store their passwords, indicating an omission in performing the intended function of protecting user data [37159]. (c) timing: There is no mention of the software performing its intended functions too late or too early. (d) value: LastPass experienced a breach where hackers were able to access certain elements of customer information, stemming directly from a previous security incident in August 2022. However, the passwords remained safely encrypted due to LastPass's Zero Knowledge architecture, indicating a failure in performing the intended function of protecting customer information [136157]. (e) byzantine: The articles do not mention any instances of the software behaving with inconsistent responses and interactions. (f) other: LastPass advised users to change their master passwords following a hack attack that compromised email addresses and password reminders, indicating a failure in maintaining the security of user data [37159]. Additionally, LastPass faced a security incident where cybercriminals were able to breach its systems and steal part of its source code and other proprietary technical information, highlighting a failure in protecting sensitive company data [131937]. |
| Layer | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Perception | None | None |
| Communication | None | None |
| Application | None | None |
| Category | Option | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Consequence | property, theoretical_consequence | (d) property In the LastPass software failure incidents reported in the articles, the consequence of the breach was related to property. LastPass users' information, such as email addresses, password reminders, and other data, were compromised in the breach. However, the company assured that the actual accounts where users store their website passwords remained secure due to encryption measures. The breach led to concerns about the security of users' master passwords and the potential risk of unauthorized access to their accounts [37159, 136157]. |
| Domain | information, finance, government | (a) The failed system in the articles is related to the information industry, specifically in the context of password management and data security. LastPass, the password manager system, was breached by hackers, compromising user information such as email addresses, password reminders, and other data related to password management [37159, 37160, 136157]. (b) The transportation industry is not directly related to the software failure incident discussed in the articles. (c) The natural resources industry is not directly related to the software failure incident discussed in the articles. (d) The sales industry is not directly related to the software failure incident discussed in the articles. (e) The construction industry is not directly related to the software failure incident discussed in the articles. (f) The manufacturing industry is not directly related to the software failure incident discussed in the articles. (g) The utilities industry is not directly related to the software failure incident discussed in the articles. (h) The finance industry is indirectly related to the software failure incident as LastPass is a password manager used for securing financial information and other sensitive data [131937, 123412]. (i) The knowledge industry is not directly related to the software failure incident discussed in the articles. (j) The health industry is not directly related to the software failure incident discussed in the articles. (k) The entertainment industry is not directly related to the software failure incident discussed in the articles. (l) The government industry is indirectly related to the software failure incident as LastPass is used by individuals and organizations, including government entities, to secure sensitive information [123412]. (m) The software failure incident is specifically related to the technology and cybersecurity industry, as it involves a breach in a password manager system, LastPass, which is a software tool designed to enhance data security and privacy [37159, 136157]. |
Article ID: 37159
Article ID: 131937
Article ID: 123412
Article ID: 37160
Article ID: 136157