| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization:
The incident involving the leak of powerful hacking tools used by the National Security Agency (NSA) in Article 47038 is a significant software failure incident that happened within the NSA. The leaked tools, including exploits and implant tools, were allegedly used by the Equation Group, a hacking group linked to the NSA. This incident raises questions about the NSA's offensive hacking abilities and the potential risks it poses to everyday users [47038].
(b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization:
The incident involving the NSA's hacking tool called EternalBlue being stolen and repackaged into the WannaCry virus in Article 59119 is another example of a software failure incident that affected multiple organizations globally. The WannaCry cyberattack caused widespread disruption by encrypting data on hundreds of thousands of computers and demanding ransom for decryption. This incident highlighted the consequences of powerful hacking tools falling into the wrong hands and being used maliciously by cybercriminals [59119]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) In the software failure incident related to the NSA hacking tools leak [47038], the failure can be attributed to the design phase. The incident involved the leak of powerful hacking tools used by the NSA, which were part of a sophisticated cyber arsenal containing exploits and implant tools that targeted zero-day bugs in software. The tools were allegedly leaked by a group called the Shadow Brokers, and experts believed the tools were legitimate and linked to the NSA. The failure in this case was due to the development and design of these hacking tools, which were intended for offensive hacking purposes but ended up being exposed to the public, leaving everyday users vulnerable to cyber threats.
(b) In the software failure incident related to the NSA's EternalBlue hacking tool [59119], the failure can be attributed to the operation phase. The EternalBlue tool, developed by the NSA, was intended for penetrating systems and gathering foreign intelligence. However, the tool was stolen and repackaged by cybercriminals to create the WannaCry virus, leading to a massive cyberattack. The failure in this case was due to the misuse and operation of the hacking tool, as it fell into the wrong hands and caused widespread havoc by encrypting data on computers globally. The incident highlighted the consequences of not securely operating and protecting such potent hacking tools. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
The software failure incident related to the leaking of powerful hacking tools used by the National Security Agency (NSA) involves contributing factors from both within and outside the system.
1. Within_system:
- The incident involved the NSA's internal handling of hacking tools, such as the decision to keep the EternalBlue tool secret despite its potential risks [Article 59119].
- The NSA's use of volatile tools like EternalBlue for intelligence gathering purposes contributed to the incident [Article 59119].
- The failure to secure the hacking tools within the NSA's environment led to the breach and subsequent leak of the tools [Article 59119].
2. Outside_system:
- The leak of the hacking tools was caused by external actors, specifically a group known as the Shadow Brokers, who posted the trove of malware online [Article 47038].
- There are suspicions that Russia may be behind the leak of the NSA tools, potentially as a response to deflect blame for other cyberattacks [Article 47038].
- The external release of the hacking tools online made them available to criminal hackers and raised concerns about user security [Article 47038].
Therefore, the software failure incident involving the NSA hacking tools encompasses contributing factors both within and outside the system. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
- The software failure incidents reported in the articles were primarily due to non-human actions. In Article 47038, the incident involved a cache of powerful hacking tools used by the National Security Agency leaking online, which was not directly caused by human actions but rather by the tools being exposed online by a group called the Shadow Brokers [47038].
- In Article 59119, the failure was attributed to the NSA's hacking tool called EternalBlue being stolen and repackaged by cybercriminals to create the WannaCry virus, leading to a massive cyberattack. This incident was a result of the hacking tool being accessed and misused by unauthorized parties, rather than being directly caused by human actions [59119].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
- While the incidents discussed in the articles were primarily driven by non-human actions such as leaks and theft of hacking tools, there were elements of human actions contributing to the failures. For example, in Article 59119, there were discussions within the NSA about whether to reveal the dangerous flaw in the EternalBlue tool to Microsoft, indicating human decision-making processes that could have potentially prevented the subsequent misuse of the tool [59119]. |
| 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 primarily due to contributing factors originating in software.
In Article 47038, it is reported that a cache of powerful hacking tools used by the National Security Agency leaked online, raising questions about the NSA's offensive hacking ability and the vulnerabilities in software that were exploited by the leaked tools. The leaked tools contained exploits and implant tools that targeted vulnerabilities in software like firewalls made by companies such as Cisco and Fortinet, as well as zero-day bugs in software that remained vulnerable [47038].
In Article 59119, it is mentioned that the malicious code at the heart of the WannaCry virus, which caused a global cyberattack, was stolen from the NSA and repackaged by cybercriminals. The failure to keep the hacking tool EternalBlue secure led to the code being used in the cyberattack, highlighting the software failure incident originating from the NSA's inability to protect potent hacking tools [59119]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in the articles is malicious in nature. The failure was caused by the leaking of powerful hacking tools used by the National Security Agency (NSA) [47038]. These tools were stolen, repackaged by cybercriminals, and unleashed as part of a cyberattack known as WannaCry, which encrypted data on hundreds of thousands of computers and demanded a ransom to decrypt it [59119]. The malicious code at the heart of the WannaCry virus was apparently stolen from the NSA and used to cause widespread havoc globally.
(b) The failure was not non-malicious as it involved intentional actions by cybercriminals to exploit the stolen NSA hacking tools for their own malicious purposes. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
The intent of the software failure incident:
(a) poor_decisions: Failure due to contributing factors introduced by poor decisions
- The software failure incident involving the leak of NSA hacking tools, such as EternalBlue, can be attributed to poor decisions made by the NSA in keeping and using such potent hacking tools without adequate security measures [Article 59119].
- The NSA kept using the EternalBlue tool for more than five years despite discussions about its potential danger and whether it should be disclosed to Microsoft [Article 59119].
- The failure to keep the EternalBlue tool secure and the decision to not disclose the flaw to software makers led to the malicious code being stolen and repackaged by cybercriminals for the WannaCry cyberattack [Article 59119].
(b) accidental_decisions: Failure due to contributing factors introduced by mistakes or unintended decisions
- The accidental aspect of the software failure incident can be seen in how the NSA's decisions to use and retain the EternalBlue tool ultimately led to unintended consequences, such as the tool being stolen and misused by cybercriminals [Article 59119].
- The NSA's failure to anticipate the potential misuse of the hacking tools, as well as the unintended consequences of the tools being leaked and causing widespread havoc, can be considered as accidental decisions that contributed to the failure incident [Article 59119]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to development incompetence:
- The incident involving the leak of powerful hacking tools used by the National Security Agency (NSA) was attributed to a mistake made by an NSA operator who mistakenly uploaded a full tool set to a proxy server, leading to the breach [47038].
- The failure to keep the hacking tool EternalBlue out of the hands of criminals and adversaries was a result of the NSA's decision to keep using it despite discussions about its potential dangers, which ultimately led to the tool being stolen and repackaged for the WannaCry cyberattack [59119].
(b) The software failure incident occurring accidentally:
- The accidental aspect of the failure is evident in the NSA operator's mistake of uploading the full tool set to a proxy server, which was not intentional but led to the leak of the hacking tools [47038].
- The accidental nature of the failure is also seen in the NSA's decision to keep using the hacking tool EternalBlue without anticipating that it could be stolen and repurposed for a global cyberattack, highlighting a lack of foresight regarding the potential consequences [59119]. |
| Duration |
permanent, temporary |
The software failure incident related to the leaking of powerful hacking tools used by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the subsequent use of the EternalBlue hacking tool in the WannaCry virus attack can be categorized as both temporary and permanent.
Temporary: The temporary aspect of the failure is evident in the NSA's decision to keep using the EternalBlue hacking tool despite discussions about the potential dangers and whether the flaw should be revealed to Microsoft [Article 59119]. This decision to continue using the tool led to the tool being stolen and repackaged by cybercriminals for the WannaCry attack, causing widespread havoc [Article 59119].
Permanent: The permanent aspect of the failure is seen in the long-lasting consequences of the leaked hacking tools. The leaked tools, including EternalBlue, remain available online and pose ongoing security risks to users as criminal hackers can access and use them [Article 47038]. Additionally, the failure to keep the hacking tools secure and the subsequent global cyberattack demonstrate a lasting impact on cybersecurity practices and trust in agencies like the NSA [Article 59119]. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, timing, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident related to the leak of NSA hacking tools [47038] can be categorized as a crash. The incident involved the leak of powerful hacking tools used by the NSA, leading to a situation where the tools were made available online, potentially causing widespread havoc and disruption to computer systems globally.
(b) omission: The software failure incident related to the NSA's handling of the EternalBlue hacking tool [59119] can be categorized as an omission. The NSA kept using the tool despite discussions about its potential danger and whether it should be disclosed to Microsoft. This failure to disclose the flaw and keep the tool secure ultimately led to the malicious code being stolen and repackaged by cybercriminals, resulting in the WannaCry cyberattack.
(c) timing: The software failure incident related to the leak of NSA hacking tools [47038] can be categorized as a timing issue. The incident involved the release of sophisticated cyber weapons and exploits that relied on previously unknown vulnerabilities in software, which remained vulnerable at the time of the leak. This timing aspect highlights the risk posed to everyday users due to the delayed disclosure of vulnerabilities.
(d) value: The software failure incident related to the NSA's handling of the EternalBlue hacking tool [59119] can be categorized as a value issue. Despite the tool's exceptional power for intelligence gathering, its value was overshadowed by the failure to keep it secure and prevent it from falling into the hands of cybercriminals. This failure to protect the tool's value led to significant consequences, including the WannaCry cyberattack.
(e) byzantine: The software failure incidents described in the articles do not align with a byzantine behavior.
(f) other: The software failure incidents described in the articles also involve elements of security vulnerabilities, data breaches, and the potential misuse of hacking tools, which could be categorized as a broader failure related to cybersecurity practices and risk management. |