Incident: Security Vulnerability in RFID-Based Apartment Lock System in Vienna.

Published Date: 2013-12-29

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident mentioned in the article happened in Vienna, as the security researcher Adrian Dabrowski conducted a reverse-engineering project on the RFID-based key cards used in apartment buildings in his home city of Vienna. 2. The article was published on 2013-12-29. 3. Estimation: Since the article was published in December 2013 and does not provide a specific date for the incident, we can estimate that the software failure incident occurred around late 2013 or early 2013 in Vienna.
System 1. Begeh Schließsystem electronic lock system [55763]
Responsible Organization 1. Begeh Schließsysteme [55763]
Impacted Organization 1. Residents of apartment buildings in Vienna [55763]
Software Causes 1. Lack of robust encryption or authentication mechanisms in the RFID-based key card system [55763] 2. Vulnerabilities in the hardware standards of the key card system, allowing for reverse engineering and simulation of master cards [55763] 3. Inability to update the lock systems once security had been compromised, indicating a lack of a proper update path for security measures [55763]
Non-software Causes 1. Lack of sufficient physical security measures in the design of the RFID-based key card system, allowing for reverse engineering and unauthorized access [55763].
Impacts 1. The software failure incident led to a significant compromise in the security of electronically locked apartment doors in Vienna, with the ability to open 93 percent of the Begeh-locked doors tested using a card emulator device [55763]. 2. The incident highlighted the vulnerability of the new RFID-based key card system, indicating that it was not significantly more secure than the old mechanical key system [55763]. 3. The failure also raised concerns about the lack of update paths for the compromised lock systems, as once the security had been breached, there was no way to update the new lock systems [55763].
Preventions 1. Implementing regular security audits and penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities in the system [55763]. 2. Ensuring that the software and hardware components of the lock system have mechanisms for regular updates and patches to address security flaws [55763]. 3. Conducting thorough background checks on individuals purchasing sensitive security equipment to prevent unauthorized access or misuse [55763].
Fixes 1. Implement regular security audits and penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities in the system [55763]. 2. Provide a mechanism for regular updates and patches to address security flaws and enhance the security of the system [55763]. 3. Enhance communication and collaboration between security researchers and the company responsible for the locks to address identified vulnerabilities promptly [55763].
References 1. Security researcher Adrian Dabrowski at the Chaos Communication Congress (CCC) [55763]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring unknown The article does not mention any specific incident of the software failure happening again at either the same organization or at multiple organizations. Therefore, the information related to the software failure incident happening again at one organization or multiple organizations is unknown.
Phase (Design/Operation) design (a) The software failure incident in the article is related to the design phase. The security researcher, Adrian Dabrowski, was able to open more than 90 percent of the electronically locked apartment doors in Vienna by reverse-engineering the RFID-based key card system. He found vulnerabilities in the system design that allowed him to create a simulation of a master card that worked with his test unit, highlighting flaws in the security system's design [55763]. (b) The software failure incident is not directly related to the operation phase or misuse of the system. Instead, it primarily focuses on the vulnerabilities in the design of the RFID-based key card system that allowed unauthorized access to electronically locked apartment doors [55763].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) within_system: The software failure incident described in the article is primarily within the system. The security researcher, Adrian Dabrowski, was able to reverse-engineer the RFID-based key card system used in apartment buildings in Vienna. He managed to open a significant percentage of electronically locked apartment doors by constructing a card emulator device from inexpensive materials and reprogramming existing cards [55763]. This failure originated from within the system itself, highlighting vulnerabilities in the design and implementation of the key card system. (b) outside_system: The software failure incident does not involve contributing factors originating from outside the system. The security researcher's ability to exploit the vulnerabilities in the RFID-based key card system was a result of weaknesses within the system itself, rather than external factors [55763].
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions, human_actions (a) The software failure incident in the article is primarily related to non-human actions. The security researcher, Adrian Dabrowski, was able to reverse-engineer the RFID-based key card system used in apartment buildings in Vienna without any direct human involvement in the system's failure [55763]. The vulnerability in the system allowed him to create a card emulator device that could open a significant percentage of electronically locked apartment doors, highlighting a flaw in the system's design and implementation. (b) While the software failure incident was not directly caused by human actions, there was an element of human interaction involved in the testing and analysis conducted by the security researcher. Adrian Dabrowski had to purchase the lock system, RFID reader, and other materials to conduct his experiments, showcasing how human actions can be involved in uncovering vulnerabilities in software systems [55763]. Additionally, the researcher's attempt to notify the company responsible for the locks indirectly led to accusations of working for a competitor, demonstrating potential human reactions to security breaches.
Dimension (Hardware/Software) hardware (a) The software failure incident described in the article is more related to hardware rather than software. The incident involved a security researcher successfully reverse-engineering an RFID-based key card system used in apartment buildings in Vienna. The researcher was able to create a card emulator device using hardware components like RFID readers and external memory, which allowed him to open electronically locked apartment doors. The vulnerability in the system was exploited through hardware manipulation and not due to software issues [55763].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) malicious (a) The software failure incident described in the article is related to a malicious objective. Security researcher Adrian Dabrowski conducted a reverse-engineering project to demonstrate the vulnerability of RFID-based key cards used in apartment buildings. He was able to open a significant percentage of electronically locked apartment doors using a card emulator device he constructed, highlighting the security flaws in the system. Additionally, he mentioned that there was no way to update the new lock systems once the security had been compromised, emphasizing the lack of resilience against malicious attacks [55763].
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) unknown The software failure incident described in the article does not directly relate to poor decisions or accidental decisions. Instead, it focuses on the security vulnerabilities of a specific RFID-based key card system used in apartment buildings, highlighting how the system could be exploited by a security researcher to gain unauthorized access to locked doors.
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) accidental (a) The article does not mention any software failure incident related to development incompetence. (b) The software failure incident described in the article is more related to accidental factors rather than development incompetence. The security researcher, Adrian Dabrowski, was able to exploit vulnerabilities in the RFID-based key card system by reverse-engineering it and creating a card emulator device using inexpensive materials. This incident highlights how the system's security was compromised due to accidental factors such as lack of robustness in the design and implementation of the system, rather than intentional incompetence [55763].
Duration unknown The software failure incident described in the article does not directly relate to a temporary or permanent software failure incident. Instead, it focuses on the security vulnerabilities of a physical key card system used in apartment buildings. Therefore, the duration of the software failure incident being temporary or permanent is unknown based on the information provided in the article.
Behaviour value, other (a) crash: The article does not mention any specific instance of a system crash where the system loses state and stops performing its intended functions. (b) omission: The software failure incident described in the article does not involve the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). (c) timing: The incident does not relate to the system performing its intended functions correctly but at the wrong time. (d) value: The failure described in the article is related to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. Security researcher Adrian Dabrowski was able to open more than 90 percent of electronically locked apartment doors using a card emulator device he constructed, indicating a failure in the security system's intended function of restricting unauthorized access [55763]. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not involve the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. (f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident in this case is related to a security flaw in the system that allowed unauthorized access to electronically locked apartment doors, highlighting a failure in the system's security mechanisms [55763].

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception None None
Communication None None
Application None None

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence property, theoretical_consequence, other (a) death: The articles do not mention any deaths resulting from the software failure incident. [55763] (b) harm: The articles do not mention any physical harm to individuals resulting from the software failure incident. [55763] (c) basic: The articles do not mention any impact on people's access to food or shelter due to the software failure incident. [55763] (d) property: The software failure incident resulted in a potential impact on people's property as the security of electronically locked apartment doors was compromised, indicating a risk to residents' property security. [55763] (e) delay: The articles do not mention any delays caused by the software failure incident. [55763] (f) non-human: The software failure incident primarily focused on the vulnerability of the electronic lock system used in apartment buildings, impacting the security of the system rather than non-human entities. [55763] (g) no_consequence: The articles do not mention any real observed consequences of the software failure incident. [55763] (h) theoretical_consequence: The articles discuss potential consequences of the software failure incident, such as the lack of an update path for the compromised lock systems, emphasizing the importance of considering long-term security implications and the need for support lifetime and upgrade options. [55763] (i) other: The software failure incident led to a breach in the security of the electronically locked apartment doors, highlighting the potential risk to residents' safety and privacy. Additionally, the incident raised concerns about the effectiveness and reliability of the new RFID-based key card system in providing enhanced security compared to traditional mechanical keys. [55763]
Domain information (a) The failed system in the article was related to the production and distribution of information. The incident involved a security researcher demonstrating vulnerabilities in an RFID-based key card system used in apartment buildings, highlighting concerns about the security of such systems [Article 55763].

Sources

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