| Recurring |
unknown |
(a) The software failure incident related to the malware Backdoor.MAC.Eleanor targeting Macs is a unique incident reported by Bitdefender on July 13, 2016. There is no mention in the article of a similar incident happening again within the same organization or with its products and services.
(b) The article does not provide information about a similar incident happening again at other organizations or with their products and services. Therefore, it is unknown if this specific malware or a similar type of incident has occurred elsewhere. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in the article is related to the design phase. The failure occurred due to the malware being packaged inside a seemingly legitimate file converter application called EasyDoc Converter. This application, which was designed to appear genuine, actually contained malicious scripts that allowed attackers to remotely access and control the infected Macs. The malware exploited the trust of users who downloaded and installed the application, highlighting a failure in the design of the application itself [46032].
(b) The software failure incident in the article is also related to the operation phase. Users who downloaded and ran the EasyDoc Converter application without verifying its authenticity or bypassing the security settings of Gatekeeper on Mac systems contributed to the operation-related failure. By not following proper security protocols and running unsigned applications from unidentified developers, users inadvertently allowed the malware to infect their systems. This highlights a failure in the operation or misuse of the system by users [46032]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident related to the Backdoor.MAC.Eleanor malware affecting Macs can be categorized as within_system. The malware was able to compromise the system by being packaged inside a seemingly legitimate application called EasyDoc Converter, which when installed, ran a malicious script allowing attackers to remotely access and control the infected machine [46032]. This indicates that the failure originated from within the system itself, as the malware was able to infiltrate and manipulate the system once the user installed the infected application. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
The software failure incident in this case was due to the presence of malware named Backdoor.MAC.Eleanor targeting Macs. The malware was packaged inside a fake file converter application called EasyDoc Converter, which users unknowingly downloaded and installed. Once installed, the malicious script within the application set up a Tor hidden service, allowing attackers to remotely access and control the infected machine. This non-human action of malware infecting the system led to the compromise of user data and control over the webcam [46032].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
The software failure incident related to human actions involves the users downloading and installing the fake file converter application, EasyDoc Converter, which was actually carrying the malware. Users had to deliberately download, install, and run the application for their Macs to be affected by the Backdoor.MAC.Eleanor malware. Additionally, users who bypassed the Gatekeeper security settings on their Macs to run the unsigned application were more likely to have their systems infected. Therefore, human actions of downloading and running the malicious application contributed to the software failure incident [46032]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident in the article is not related to hardware issues. It is primarily focused on malware targeting Mac computers, compromising systems, and allowing attackers to gain unauthorized access and control over the infected machines [46032].
(b) The software failure incident in the article is directly related to software issues. The incident involves the discovery of new malware, Backdoor.MAC.Eleanor, which infects Macs through a malicious script disguised as a legitimate file converter application. The malware allows attackers to remotely access and control the infected machines, steal files, control webcams, execute code, and more [46032]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident in this case is malicious. The malware named Backdoor.MAC.Eleanor was designed by attackers to fully compromise Mac systems, allowing them to steal files, control webcams, execute code, and more. The malware was packaged inside a fake application called EasyDoc Converter, which, once installed, ran a malicious script to set up a Tor hidden service for remote access and control of the infected machine. The attackers could manipulate files, execute commands, access running processes, and even capture videos and images using the webcam. The malware's capabilities included locking users out of their laptops, threatening blackmail, or turning the laptop into a botnet to attack other devices [46032]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
accidental_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident was accidental_decisions. The malware incident involving Backdoor.MAC.Eleanor was caused by hackers disguising the malicious software as a legitimate file converter application called EasyDoc Converter. Users unknowingly downloaded and installed this application, which then ran a malicious script to compromise their Mac systems [46032]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in the article is not related to development incompetence. The malware targeting Macs, known as Backdoor.MAC.Eleanor, was designed by hackers to exploit unsuspecting users by disguising itself as a legitimate file converter application called EasyDoc Converter. The malware was carefully crafted to compromise Mac systems by allowing attackers to remotely access and control the infected machines, steal files, control webcams, execute code, and more. This indicates a deliberate and sophisticated attack rather than a failure due to development incompetence [46032].
(b) The software failure incident in the article is accidental in nature. Users who downloaded and installed the EasyDoc Converter application unknowingly introduced the malware onto their Mac systems. The application appeared to be legitimate but was actually a vehicle for the malicious script to take control of the machines. The infection occurred due to users being tricked into running the application, bypassing the Mac's Gatekeeper security feature. This accidental introduction of the malware highlights the deceptive tactics employed by the attackers rather than any intentional incompetence in the development process [46032]. |
| Duration |
permanent |
(a) The software failure incident in the article is considered permanent. The malware, Backdoor.MAC.Eleanor, once installed on a Mac, can fully compromise the system, allowing attackers to steal files, control the webcam, execute code, and more. The malware sets up a web service that gives attackers remote access and control over the infected machine, providing them with various capabilities to manipulate files, execute commands, access running processes, and send emails with attachments. Additionally, the malware can capture videos and images using the built-in webcam, giving attackers significant control over the compromised system [46032]. |
| Behaviour |
value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident described in the article is not related to a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. Instead, the malware described in the article is designed to fully compromise the system, allowing attackers to steal files, control the webcam, execute code, and more. The malware runs a malicious script that installs a Tor hidden service, enabling remote access and control of the infected machine [46032].
(b) omission: The software failure incident is not related to omission where the system omits to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). The malware discussed in the article is intentionally designed to perform malicious actions once installed on the system, such as setting up a web service for attackers to manipulate files, execute commands, access running processes, and more [46032].
(c) timing: The software failure incident is not related to timing issues where the system performs its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. The malware described in the article does not exhibit issues related to timing in its malicious activities on the compromised system [46032].
(d) value: The software failure incident is related to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The malware, known as Backdoor.MAC.Eleanor, is designed to compromise Mac systems, allowing attackers to gain full access and control, steal files, control the webcam, execute code, and more. This behavior is clearly incorrect and harmful to the user [46032].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident is not related to a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The malware described in the article operates in a consistent manner to achieve its malicious objectives, such as setting up a web service for remote access and control of the infected machine [46032].
(f) other: The software failure incident involves the behavior of the malware known as Backdoor.MAC.Eleanor, which is designed to fully compromise Mac systems. The malware can perform various malicious actions, including stealing files, controlling the webcam, executing code, accessing running processes, and more. This behavior can be categorized as a security breach or intrusion rather than a specific type of failure behavior mentioned in options (a) to (e) [46032]. |