| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to the malicious widget serving up malware from parked domains happened again at Network Solutions. The incident involved a malicious code added to a widget on Network Solutions' small business blog, growsmartbusiness.com, which was used to provide small business tips on under construction pages. The widget was later removed from those pages, and Network Solutions' security team continues to monitor and ensure security [2754].
(b) There is no specific information in the provided article about a similar incident happening at other organizations or with their products and services. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in this case can be attributed to the design phase. The incident involved a malicious widget embedded in a "Small Business Success Index" widget from Network Solutions' GrowSmartBusiness.com site. This widget, initially used to provide small business tips on under construction pages, was found to contain malware that performed a "drive-by-download" attack, monitoring visited web pages and serving up ads based on search queries [2754].
(b) The software failure incident can also be linked to the operation phase. The malware in the widget targeted Internet Explorer 6 on Windows XP but could have affected other software as well. The malicious script within the widget served up a fake chat message and redirected users to other websites, indicating a failure related to the operation or misuse of the system [2754]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article is primarily within_system. The incident involved a malicious widget embedded in a widget from Network Solutions' GrowSmartBusiness.com site, which was used to provide small business tips on Network Solutions' under construction pages. The widget was found to be serving up malware, including a fake chat message and redirects to other websites, targeting IP addresses from Taiwan and Hong Kong. The malware performed actions like monitoring visited web pages and serving ads based on search queries. The code in the widget targeted Internet Explorer 6 on Windows XP but could have affected other software as well [2754].
(b) The incident also involved outside_system factors as the malware was served from parked domains displaying "page under construction" messages. These parked domains were found to be serving up malware from the malicious widget, which was later disabled. The malware was embedded in the widget and did a "drive-by-download," monitoring web pages visited and serving ads based on search queries. The exact impact on computers when redirected by the malware was unclear, and the company was still analyzing the malware to understand its full implications [2754]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was primarily due to non-human actions. The incident involved a malicious widget embedded in a "Small Business Success Index" widget from Network Solutions' GrowSmartBusiness.com site. This widget, when activated, performed a "drive-by-download" action, monitoring visited web pages and serving up ads based on search queries. The malware targeted Internet Explorer 6 on Windows XP but could have affected other software as well. The malicious script served up a fake chat message and redirected users to other websites without direct human involvement [2754].
(b) Human actions were also involved in this software failure incident. The malicious code was added to a widget housed on Network Solutions' small business blog, growsmartbusiness.com, which was used to provide small business tips on under construction pages. This indicates that the introduction of the malicious code into the widget was a result of human actions. Network Solutions' security team was alerted to the issue and took steps to remove the widget from affected pages and continue monitoring for security [2754]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident did not occur due to contributing factors originating in hardware. The incident was primarily related to software issues, specifically malware embedded in a widget on Network Solutions' GrowSmartBusiness.com site. The malicious script targeted IP addresses from Taiwan and Hong Kong, serving up a fake chat message and redirecting to other websites. The malware performed actions like monitoring visited web pages and serving ads based on search queries [2754].
(b) The software failure incident was primarily caused by contributing factors originating in software. The malware was embedded in the "Small Business Success Index" widget, leading to a "drive-by-download" attack that affected Internet Explorer 6 on Windows XP and potentially other software. The incident involved the serving of malicious content and unauthorized redirection of users to harmful websites [2754]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was malicious. The incident involved a malicious widget embedded in a "Small Business Success Index" widget from Network Solutions' GrowSmartBusiness.com site. The malware in the widget performed actions such as monitoring visited web pages, serving up ads based on search queries, and targeting Internet Explorer 6 on Windows XP. The malicious script targeted IP addresses from Taiwan and Hong Kong, serving up a fake chat message and redirecting to other websites [2754]. The incident was described as a drive-by-download attack, indicating a deliberate attempt to infect users' systems with malware without their consent. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
accidental_decisions |
The software failure incident described in Article 2754 was primarily due to accidental decisions. The incident involved a malicious widget embedded in a "Small Business Success Index" widget from Network Solutions' GrowSmartBusiness.com site. This widget was intended to provide small business tips on Network Solutions' under construction pages but was compromised with malicious code, leading to the distribution of malware targeting specific IP addresses and performing actions like monitoring visited web pages and serving ads based on search queries. The incident was not a result of poor decisions but rather an accidental introduction of malicious code into the widget, as indicated by the Network Solutions spokeswoman's statement acknowledging the presence of malicious code and the ongoing investigation to determine the extent of the impact [2754]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in this case was not explicitly attributed to development incompetence. The incident involved a malicious widget embedded in a Network Solutions' GrowSmartBusiness.com site, which served up malware targeting specific IP addresses and performing actions like monitoring visited web pages and serving ads based on search queries. The malware was embedded in the widget and did a "drive-by-download," affecting Internet Explorer 6 on Windows XP and potentially other software as well. The incident was analyzed by security firm Armorize, and the exact impact and actions of the malware were still being investigated [2754].
(b) The software failure incident in this case was accidental in nature. The incident involved parked domains from Network Solutions that were found to be serving up malware from a widget that was later disabled over the weekend. The malware in the form of a malicious script targeted IP addresses from Taiwan and Hong Kong, serving up a fake chat message and redirecting to other websites. The incident was discovered by a security researcher from Armorize, and Network Solutions' security team was alerted to the malicious code added to the widget on their small business blog. Network Solutions removed the widget from the affected pages and continued to monitor the situation to ensure security [2754]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article seems to be temporary. The incident involved a malicious widget on Network Solutions' GrowSmartBusiness.com site that was serving up malware from parked domains. The malicious script targeted IP addresses from Taiwan and Hong Kong, serving up a fake chat message and redirecting to other websites. The widget was later disabled over the weekend, indicating that the failure was not permanent [2754]. |
| Behaviour |
crash, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the article can be categorized as a crash. The malicious widget embedded in the "Small Business Success Index" widget from Network Solutions' GrowSmartBusiness.com site caused a "drive-by-download" attack, leading to the system losing its state and not performing its intended functions [2754].
(b) omission: The incident does not specifically mention a failure due to the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s).
(c) timing: The incident does not specifically mention a failure due to the system performing its intended functions correctly, but too late or too early.
(d) value: The software failure incident can be associated with a failure due to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The malware served up fake chat messages, redirected to other websites, monitored visited web pages, and served ads based on search queries, all actions that were not intended functions of the system [2754].
(e) byzantine: The incident does not specifically mention a failure due to the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The software failure incident can be further described as a security breach leading to the distribution of malware through a widget on parked domains, impacting potentially a large number of websites. The incident involved the exploitation of the widget to serve up malicious content and perform unauthorized actions on users' computers, which is a behavior not covered by the options (a) to (e) [2754]. |