| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization:
- Yahoo experienced a massive data breach in 2013, exposing the personal data of 1 billion users [Article 57824].
- Prior to this incident, Yahoo had already suffered a data breach in 2014, affecting 500 million user accounts [Article 57824].
- The use of outdated security techniques, such as storing user passwords using the vulnerable MD5 hashing algorithm, contributed to the breach [Article 57824].
- Yahoo's failure to upgrade its security measures in a timely manner despite the known weaknesses of MD5 encryption was a significant factor in the breach [Article 57975].
(b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization:
- The article mentions that other internet companies, such as LinkedIn and AOL, have also experienced security breaches, although not on the same scale as Yahoo's breaches [Article 57975].
- The vulnerability of MD5 encryption had been known for over a decade, indicating that other organizations may have also been using outdated security measures [Article 57975].
- The article highlights that no system is completely hack-proof, and hackers can infiltrate even advanced security technologies, suggesting that similar incidents could happen to any large corporation [Article 57975]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be attributed to Yahoo's use of outdated security techniques, specifically storing user passwords using the MD5 hashing algorithm. This algorithm was known to have inherent weaknesses and was considered ineffective for securing data from the mid-2000s onwards. The failure to update to more secure hashing algorithms in a timely manner left Yahoo vulnerable to the massive data breaches in 2013 and 2014 [57824, 57975].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase can be seen in how Yahoo's security team was at times turned down when requesting new tools and features to strengthen cryptography protections. This was due to concerns about costs, complexity, or low priority, reflecting the company's financial struggles and competing priorities. The former Yahoo security staffers mentioned that security sometimes took a back seat as the company focused on system performance and growth, and even when growth stalled, senior security staff left for other companies, further impacting security operations [57975]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident at Yahoo was primarily due to contributing factors that originated from within the system. Yahoo's failure to prevent and detect the data breaches, as well as their use of outdated security techniques such as the vulnerable MD5 hashing algorithm, were internal issues that led to the breach of over a billion user accounts [57824, 57975].
(b) outside_system: The software failure incident at Yahoo also had contributing factors that originated from outside the system. Hackers exploited the weaknesses in Yahoo's security measures, such as the continued use of the outdated MD5 hashing algorithm, to gain unauthorized access to user accounts and steal sensitive information. The external threat actors took advantage of Yahoo's security vulnerabilities to carry out the massive data breaches [57824, 57975]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
- The software failure incident at Yahoo was primarily due to weak security measures and outdated security techniques such as using the MD5 hashing algorithm, which had inherent weaknesses making it vulnerable to attacks like collision attacks [57824, 57975].
- Hackers were able to exploit the poorly encrypted passwords and other information due to the use of MD5, a discredited technology for encrypting data, which had been known to be weak for more than a decade [57975].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
- Yahoo's failure to move away from the MD5 hashing algorithm in a timely manner despite its vulnerabilities was attributed to problems in Yahoo's security operations, where requests for new tools and features like strengthened cryptography protections were turned down due to cost concerns, complexity, or low priority [57975].
- The former Yahoo security staffers mentioned that the security team was at times denied requests for enhanced security measures due to financial struggles and competing priorities within the company, indicating human decisions played a role in the failure to adopt stronger security measures [57975]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware:
- The articles do not provide information about the software failure incident occurring due to contributing factors originating in hardware. Hence, it is unknown.
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to software:
- The software failure incident in the articles is primarily attributed to software-related factors. Specifically, the failure is linked to Yahoo's use of outdated security techniques such as storing user passwords using the vulnerable MD5 hashing algorithm [57824, 57975]. This software-related vulnerability allowed hackers to easily crack passwords and gain unauthorized access to over a billion Yahoo accounts, leading to the massive data breaches. Additionally, the delay in transitioning to more secure hashing algorithms despite prior warnings about the weaknesses of MD5 reflects a software-related failure in Yahoo's security operations [57975]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious, non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident related to the Yahoo data breaches can be categorized as malicious. The breaches were a result of hackers gaining unauthorized access to Yahoo's systems and stealing personal data of millions of users [57824, 57975]. The hackers exploited weaknesses in Yahoo's security measures, such as the continued use of the outdated MD5 hashing algorithm, which had been known to be vulnerable for years [57975]. The breaches were not accidental but were deliberate actions by malicious actors to compromise user data and potentially engage in identity theft and other criminal activities [57824].
(b) The software failure incident can also be considered non-malicious to some extent. Yahoo's failure to timely update its security measures, such as moving away from the insecure MD5 algorithm, could be seen as a non-malicious oversight or negligence rather than a deliberate attempt to harm the system [57975]. Additionally, the challenges faced by Yahoo's security team in implementing stronger security measures, such as facing budget constraints and competing priorities within the company, may indicate that the failures were not driven by malicious intent but rather by organizational and operational shortcomings [57975]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions, accidental_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to Yahoo's data breaches can be attributed to poor decisions made by the company. Yahoo continued to use the outdated and insecure MD5 hashing algorithm for encrypting user passwords even though it was known to be vulnerable for more than a decade [57975]. This poor decision to stick with MD5 despite its weaknesses contributed to the massive data breaches that exposed the personal data of billions of users [57824, 57975]. Additionally, the former Yahoo security staffers mentioned that the security team was sometimes turned down when requesting new tools and features for strengthened cryptography protections due to cost concerns or low priority, reflecting poor decision-making in prioritizing security measures [57975].
(b) The software failure incident can also be linked to accidental decisions or unintended consequences. For example, the former Yahoo employees highlighted that security sometimes took a back seat as the company focused on system performance to keep up with growth, and when growth stalled, senior security staff left for other companies, leading to further challenges in implementing security upgrades [57975]. This unintended consequence of prioritizing system performance over security may have inadvertently contributed to the vulnerabilities that hackers exploited in the data breaches. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to development incompetence:
- The incident involving Yahoo's data breaches in 2013 and 2014 was attributed to Yahoo's weak security practices and failure to take security seriously [Article 57824].
- Yahoo's continued use of the outdated MD5 hashing algorithm, despite its known vulnerabilities and being considered cryptographically broken, points to troubling software development security practices within Yahoo or its suppliers [Article 57824].
- Former Yahoo security staffers mentioned that the security team was at times turned down when requesting new tools and features for strengthened cryptography protections, indicating a lack of prioritization for security measures within the organization [Article 57975].
(b) The software failure incident occurring accidentally:
- The article does not provide specific information indicating that the software failure incident was accidental. |
| Duration |
permanent, temporary |
(a) The software failure incident in the case of Yahoo's data breaches can be considered permanent. The breaches occurred due to a combination of factors introduced by all circumstances, such as weak security practices, outdated encryption techniques, and a lack of timely response to known vulnerabilities. These failures were not isolated incidents but rather a result of systemic issues within Yahoo's security operations over an extended period of time.
1. The breaches exposed the personal data of a massive number of users, with one breach affecting 500 million accounts in 2014 and another affecting 1 billion accounts in 2013 [57824, 57975].
2. Yahoo failed to prevent or detect the breaches in a timely manner, leaving user accounts compromised for years without their knowledge [57824, 57975].
3. The use of outdated security techniques like MD5 hashing, which was known to be vulnerable to attacks, contributed to the breaches [57824, 57975].
4. The security team at Yahoo faced challenges in implementing stronger security measures due to competing priorities, financial struggles, and a lack of support for security initiatives [57975].
5. The breaches had significant consequences, including impacting the Verizon acquisition deal and raising concerns about the security of sensitive user data [57824, 57975].
(b) The software failure incident can also be considered temporary to some extent. While the breaches themselves were permanent due to the systemic issues within Yahoo's security practices, the specific incidents of data theft and unauthorized access were temporary in nature, occurring at specific points in time.
1. The breaches occurred in 2013 and 2014, indicating specific timeframes for the unauthorized access and data theft incidents [57824, 57975].
2. Yahoo only recently uncovered and disclosed the 2013 breach in 2016, suggesting that the specific incidents of unauthorized access were not ongoing but had occurred in the past [57975].
3. The breaches were eventually detected and disclosed, leading to investigations, scrutiny by federal authorities, and efforts to renegotiate the Verizon acquisition deal [57824, 57975]. |
| Behaviour |
omission, value, other |
(a) crash:
- The articles do not specifically mention a software crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions.
(b) omission:
- Yahoo failed to prevent the breach in 2013 and also failed to detect the breach when it happened, leaving users unknowingly compromised for at least three years [Article 57824].
- Yahoo's failure to move away from the discredited MD5 hashing algorithm in a timely fashion allowed hackers to steal poorly encrypted passwords and other information in the biggest data breach on record [Article 57975].
(c) timing:
- The timing of the attack on Yahoo in 2013 might seem like bad luck, but the weakness of the MD5 hashing algorithm had been known by hackers and security experts for more than a decade [Article 57975].
(d) value:
- Yahoo stored user passwords using the MD5 hashing algorithm, which had inherent weaknesses and was discounted as an effective method for securing data from the mid-2000s [Article 57824].
- The failure to use stronger hashing technology made it easier for hackers to access customer accounts after breaching Yahoo's network, leading to a more damaging attack [Article 57975].
(e) byzantine:
- The articles do not mention the software failure incident exhibiting a byzantine behavior with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other:
- The other behavior exhibited by the software failure incident is the failure of Yahoo to take security seriously, leading to breaches and compromises of user data over several years [Article 57824, Article 57975]. |