| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to SimpliSafe's wireless home security systems has happened before within the same organization. In January of the previous year, contributors to Forbes claimed that SimpliSafe setups were vulnerable to jamming attacks [40785]. Additionally, the IOActive report highlighted vulnerabilities in SimpliSafe's data security measures, indicating that this is not the first time researchers have found issues with SimpliSafe's systems [40785].
(b) The software failure incident related to vulnerabilities in SimpliSafe's systems has also been reported at other organizations or with their products and services. The article mentions that researchers have claimed to find vulnerabilities with SimpliSafe in the past, indicating that similar incidents may have occurred with other organizations or products [40785]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase is evident in the article. IOActive researchers identified a vulnerability in SimpliSafe's wireless home security systems where the system doesn't adequately protect its transmissions from being recorded and reused. They developed a device that could observe and record wireless transmissions between SimpliSafe's system components, allowing potential intruders to disarm the system by replaying encrypted transmissions [40785].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is also highlighted in the article. SimpliSafe's VP of Marketing mentioned that each system includes a log entry each time a passcode is entered, and SimpliSafe has no record of customers reporting break-ins with logs showing an unexplained disarm event prior to a burglary. This indicates that the operation of the system, including the logging of events, plays a role in detecting and preventing security breaches [40785]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) The software failure incident related to the SimpliSafe wireless home security systems can be categorized as within_system. The failure was due to vulnerabilities within SimpliSafe's data security measures, specifically related to the system's transmissions not being adequately protected from being recorded and replayed [40785]. The researchers at IOActive developed a device that could observe and record wireless transmissions between SimpliSafe's system components, allowing potential intruders to disarm the system by replaying the captured data packets. SimpliSafe's microcontrollers were found to be one-time programmable, making it difficult to push a fix through firmware updates, and the suggested countermeasures included implementing rolling codes or two-way handshake authentication for the system's transmissions. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
The software failure incident reported in the articles is related to a vulnerability in SimpliSafe's wireless home security systems discovered by researchers at IOActive. The vulnerability allows for a record-and-replay attack where an external device can observe and record wireless transmissions between SimpliSafe system components, including PIN entries from the system's keypad. This vulnerability was not introduced by human actions but rather by a flaw in the system's design that allows for unauthorized access without human participation [40785].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
The articles do not mention any software failure incident occurring due to contributing factors introduced by human actions. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The article discusses a vulnerability in SimpliSafe's wireless home security systems where researchers from IOActive developed a device that can observe and record wireless transmissions between SimpliSafe's system components by wiring two components to external microcontrollers [40785].
- The device created by IOActive costs about $250 to assemble and can log data packets that disarm the system, potentially allowing intruders to replay the packet to disarm the system [40785].
- SimpliSafe's microcontrollers appear to be one-time programmable, meaning that a firmware update cannot be pushed through to fix the vulnerability, and the devices may need to be replaced with updated versions to protect against replay attacks [40785].
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- The vulnerability reported by IOActive pertains specifically to SimpliSafe's data security measures and not just wireless transmissions in general, indicating a software-related issue [40785].
- SimpliSafe's spokesperson mentioned that record-and-replay attacks are theoretically possible but highly unlikely, suggesting a potential software flaw in the system's security measures [40785].
- SimpliSafe is updating its hardware to include remotely upgradeable firmware, indicating a software-related solution to address the reported vulnerability [40785]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles is related to a malicious objective. Researchers from the security consulting firm IOActive discovered vulnerabilities in SimpliSafe's wireless home security systems that could allow potential intruders to observe and record wireless transmissions, including PIN entries, and replay them to disarm the system [40785]. The researchers developed a device that could log the encrypted transmissions and resend them to disarm the system, highlighting a significant security flaw that could be exploited by malicious actors. Additionally, the report mentioned that SimpliSafe's microcontrollers appear to be one-time programmable, making it challenging to push fixes through firmware updates, indicating a deliberate attempt to bypass security measures [40785]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to the SimpliSafe wireless home security systems can be attributed to poor decisions made in the design and implementation of the system's security measures. IOActive researchers discovered that SimpliSafe's system components did not adequately protect wireless transmissions, making it vulnerable to a record-and-replay attack. Despite attempts by IOActive to share their findings with SimpliSafe and suggest countermeasures such as implementing rolling codes or two-way handshake authentication, SimpliSafe did not respond effectively. Additionally, SimpliSafe's microcontrollers were found to be one-time programmable, making it difficult to push fixes through firmware updates, and suggesting that devices would need to be replaced with updated versions to address the vulnerability [40785]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is evident in the article. IOActive researchers discovered vulnerabilities in SimpliSafe's wireless home security systems, specifically related to data security measures. They found that SimpliSafe's microcontrollers were one-time programmable, making it impossible to push a fix through firmware updates. This lack of proper security measures and the inability to update the devices to protect against replay attacks showcases a level of development incompetence on SimpliSafe's part [40785].
(b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors is not explicitly mentioned in the articles provided. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident reported in the articles regarding SimpliSafe's wireless home security systems can be categorized as a temporary failure. This is because the vulnerability identified by IOActive researchers in SimpliSafe's system components allowed for a specific type of attack known as a record-and-replay attack, which could potentially disarm the system by replaying captured encrypted transmissions [40785].
Furthermore, SimpliSafe acknowledged the theoretical possibility of such attacks but stated that they were highly unlikely and that they were not aware of any instances where this attack had been used on their customers [40785]. Additionally, SimpliSafe mentioned that disarming the system using the web or app interface would not be exploitable by the IOActive method [40785].
In response to the identified vulnerability, SimpliSafe mentioned that they are actively working to address such concerns and are updating their hardware to include remotely upgradeable firmware [40785]. |
| Behaviour |
other |
(a) crash: The article does not mention a crash of the SimpliSafe system. It primarily discusses a vulnerability related to the wireless transmissions and potential replay attacks but does not indicate a system crash [40785].
(b) omission: The vulnerability reported by IOActive does not involve the system omitting to perform its intended functions. Instead, it highlights a flaw in the security of the system related to wireless transmissions and potential interception of data packets [40785].
(c) timing: There is no indication in the article that the SimpliSafe system suffered from a timing failure where it performed its intended functions but at incorrect times [40785].
(d) value: The software failure incident described in the article does not involve the system performing its intended functions incorrectly in terms of the value provided to users. Instead, it focuses on a security vulnerability that could potentially allow unauthorized access to the system [40785].
(e) byzantine: The behavior of the SimpliSafe system as described in the article does not exhibit characteristics of a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The vulnerability reported by IOActive pertains to potential replay attacks on wireless transmissions rather than erratic behavior [40785].
(f) other: The software failure incident reported in the article can be categorized as a security vulnerability related to the encryption and transmission of data packets in the SimpliSafe system. The flaw identified by IOActive could potentially allow an attacker to intercept and replay wireless transmissions to disarm the system, highlighting a critical security issue rather than a traditional software failure in terms of system functionality [40785]. |