| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident of a malicious Android app holding people to ransom after taking their picture has happened again within the same organization. Zscaler discovered a second example of pornography-focused ransomware, with the app named Adult Player being the second instance found by the security firm [51316].
(b) The incident of ransomware disguised as a pornographic app has occurred at multiple organizations or with their products and services. Zscaler mentioned that Adult Player was not available from vetted storefronts like Google Play but could be installed directly from a webpage, indicating that similar incidents might have affected other organizations or users outside of official app stores [51316]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in Article 51316 can be attributed to the design phase. The malicious Android app, Adult Player, was designed to deceive users by offering pornography while secretly taking pictures of them with the phone's front-facing camera and then locking their devices to demand a ransom. This design flaw allowed the app to exploit users and hold them to ransom, showcasing a failure introduced during the development phase of the app [51316].
(b) Additionally, the software failure incident in Article 51316 can also be linked to the operation phase. The failure occurred due to the operation of the malicious app by users who unknowingly granted permission for the app to access and lock their devices. The operation of the app, including taking pictures of users and displaying ransom messages, was a key factor in the success of the ransomware attack, highlighting a failure introduced during the operation of the system [51316]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident of the malicious Android app holding people to ransom after taking their picture can be categorized as within_system. The app, named Adult Player, operates within the user's device by secretly taking pictures with the phone's front-facing camera and displaying a ransom message demanding $500 to unlock the phone [51316]. The ransomware functionality, including taking pictures and displaying the ransom message, is all contained within the app itself, indicating that the contributing factors leading to the failure originate from within the system. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in Article 51316 was caused by non-human actions. The failure was due to a malicious Android app named Adult Player that secretly took pictures of users with the phone's front-facing camera and then displayed a demand for a $500 ransom to unlock the device. The app operated as ransomware, locking the user's device and displaying the ransom message persistently, even after rebooting the phone. The ransomware screen was designed to stay active and did not allow the user to operate the device or uninstall the app easily [51316].
(b) The software failure incident in Article 51316 did involve human actions as well. Users were lured into installing the malicious app by the promise of free pornographic videos. However, the actual action of taking pictures, displaying the ransom message, and demanding payment was carried out by the malicious app itself without direct human involvement in those specific actions [51316]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The incident involves a malicious Android app named Adult Player that secretly takes pictures of users with the phone's front-facing camera and locks their device, displaying a demand for a ransom [51316].
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- The failure is caused by the malicious Android app Adult Player, which acts as ransomware, luring victims under the guise of a pornographic video player. The app demands a ransom of $500 from users to unlock their phones [51316]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The objective of the software failure incident was malicious. The incident involved a malicious Android app named Adult Player that secretly took pictures of users with the phone's front-facing camera and then locked their devices, displaying a demand for a $500 ransom to unlock the phone. The app lured users by offering free pornographic videos, but its true purpose was to hold users to ransom by incorporating their pictures into a digital ransom note [51316]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident was related to poor_decisions. The incident involved a malicious Android app named Adult Player that pretended to offer pornography but actually took pictures of users with the phone's front-facing camera and then locked their devices, demanding a $500 ransom to unlock the phone [51316]. The app was designed to deceive users by luring them with free pornographic videos and then holding them to ransom, showcasing a deliberate and malicious intent behind the software failure incident. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in Article 51316 can be attributed to development incompetence. The malicious Android app, Adult Player, was designed to deceive users by offering pornography but actually taking their picture and holding them to ransom. This deceptive behavior, along with the ransomware functionality, showcases a level of professional competence by the creators of the app to execute such a scheme [51316].
(b) Additionally, the incident can also be categorized as accidental. Users who downloaded the app were likely not aware of its true intentions and were inadvertently caught in the ransomware scheme. The app's ability to silently take pictures and demand a ransom was likely accidental from the users' perspective, as they may not have knowingly consented to such actions [51316]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident described in the article [51316] can be categorized as a temporary failure. The incident involved a malicious Android app named Adult Player that secretly took pictures of users and locked their devices, demanding a $500 ransom to unlock them. The ransom message displayed by the app persisted on the screen even after rebooting the device, making it difficult for users to uninstall the app. This indicates that the failure was temporary and caused by specific circumstances introduced by the malicious app rather than being a permanent failure affecting all circumstances. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident described in the article can be categorized as a crash. The malicious Android app, Adult Player, locks the user's device and displays a demand for a ransom of $500. The ransom message keeps the phone's screen switched on at all times and reappears if the handset is restarted, indicating a state where the system is not performing its intended functions properly [51316].
(b) omission: The software failure incident can also be categorized as an omission. The Adult Player app secretly takes pictures of users with the phone's front-facing camera and then displays a demand for a ransom, omitting to perform its intended functions of being a legitimate pornographic video player [51316].
(c) timing: The software failure incident does not align with a timing failure as the system is not described as performing its intended functions too late or too early [51316].
(d) value: The software failure incident can be categorized as a value failure. The app demands a ransom of $500 from the users, which is an incorrect and malicious behavior by the system [51316].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not align with a byzantine failure as there is no mention of inconsistent responses or interactions by the system [51316].
(f) other: The other behavior exhibited by the software failure incident is deceptive behavior. The Adult Player app deceives users by pretending to offer pornographic videos while actually taking pictures of them and demanding a ransom, which is not explicitly covered in the options provided [51316]. |