| Recurring |
multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to vulnerabilities in common file formats, including .zip, has been discovered by security researchers. These vulnerabilities could be used to sneak malware onto computers by evading antivirus detection. The researchers, including Mario Vuksan, president of ReversingLabs Corp, found eight vulnerabilities in .zip and seven others in formats like .7zip, .rar, .cab, and .gzip. They notified antivirus firms and security vendors about these flaws to update their products to prevent attacks [1632].
(b) The vulnerabilities in common file formats discovered by the researchers could potentially affect multiple organizations using these file formats. The flaws could be exploited by attackers to hide malware and compromise computers by slipping past antivirus software. The researchers planned to release a tool called NyxEngine that companies can use to scan files in their network for suspicious attributes that might indicate hidden malware [1632]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase is evident in the discovery of vulnerabilities in common file formats like .zip, .7zip, .rar, .cab, and .gzip. These vulnerabilities allowed attackers to hide malware within these files, evading antivirus detection and compromising computers when the files were opened. The flaws in these file formats were identified by security researchers, indicating a failure in the design aspect of these formats [1632].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is highlighted by the fact that the hidden malware within the compromised files could bypass antivirus software when sent as email attachments. This indicates a failure in the operation aspect, as the malware was able to infiltrate systems through normal operations like opening email attachments. The incident underscores the importance of operational security measures to prevent such attacks [1632]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident described in the article is related to vulnerabilities found in common file formats such as .zip, .7zip, .rar, .cab, and .gzip. These vulnerabilities allowed attackers to hide malware within these files, evading antivirus detection and compromising computers when the files were opened. The flaws in these file formats were the contributing factors originating from within the system that led to the software failure incident [1632].
(b) outside_system: The article does not mention any contributing factors originating from outside the system that led to the software failure incident. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in the article is related to non-human actions. Security researchers discovered vulnerabilities in common file formats like .zip, .7zip, .rar, .cab, and .gzip that could be exploited by attackers to hide malware and evade antivirus detection. These vulnerabilities allowed malware to be slipped past antivirus software via email attachments, without human intervention in the attack vector [1632]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident reported in Article 1632 is related to hardware. The vulnerabilities discovered in common file formats like .zip, .7zip, .rar, .cab, and .gzip could be used to sneak malware onto computers by evading antivirus detection. This indicates that the failure originated from weaknesses in the hardware systems that allowed the malware to bypass antivirus software and compromise the computers [1632].
(b) The software failure incident reported in Article 1632 is also related to software. The vulnerabilities found in the file formats were exploited by attackers to hide malware and slip it past antivirus software. This highlights a software-related failure where the flaws in the file formats allowed for the successful execution of malware on systems, showcasing a software-originated contributing factor to the incident [1632]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in Article 1632 is malicious in nature. Security researchers discovered vulnerabilities in common file formats like .zip, .7zip, .rar, .cab, and .gzip that could be exploited by attackers to hide malware and compromise computers. The intent behind exploiting these vulnerabilities is to sneak malware onto computers by evading antivirus detection, ultimately harming the system and compromising user data [1632]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
unknown |
The intent of the software failure incident reported in Article 1632 was not related to poor decisions or accidental decisions. Instead, it focused on security researchers discovering vulnerabilities in common file formats that could be exploited by attackers to hide malware and compromise computers by evading antivirus detection. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident in the article is related to development incompetence. Security researchers discovered vulnerabilities in common file formats like .zip, .7zip, .rar, .cab, and .gzip that could be exploited by attackers to hide malware and evade antivirus detection. The flaws in these file formats allowed attackers to slip malware past antivirus software via email attachments, compromising computers. The researchers notified antivirus firms and security vendors about these vulnerabilities to update their products and presented their findings at the Black Hat Europe conference [1632].
(b) The software failure incident is not related to accidental factors but rather to intentional exploitation of vulnerabilities in file formats to sneak malware onto computers. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident described in the article [1632] seems to fall under the category of a temporary failure. The vulnerabilities discovered in common file formats such as .zip, .7zip, .rar, .cab, and .gzip allowed attackers to hide malware and evade antivirus detection. This incident was temporary in nature as it was caused by specific vulnerabilities in the file formats that could be exploited by attackers to compromise a computer system. The researchers notified antivirus firms and security vendors about these vulnerabilities so they could update their products to address the issue, indicating that the failure was not permanent but rather a result of specific circumstances related to the identified flaws in the file formats. |
| Behaviour |
omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The article does not mention a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions.
(b) omission: The software failure incident described in the article is related to the omission of antivirus software to detect hidden malware in certain file formats, allowing attackers to slip past antivirus detection and compromise computers [1632].
(c) timing: The article does not mention a timing failure where the system performs its intended functions too late or too early.
(d) value: The software failure incident is related to a value failure where the system performs its intended functions incorrectly by failing to detect hidden malware in specific file formats [1632].
(e) byzantine: The article does not mention a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The other behavior described in the article is the exploitation of vulnerabilities in common file formats to hide malware and evade antivirus detection, leading to potential security breaches and compromises [1632]. |