| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization:
The article mentions that the YoVille game, developed by Zynga, was hacked by "The Best YoVille Hackers," resulting in disruptions for about 1,000 players. Zynga's chief security officer mentioned that they detected unusual activity and found vulnerabilities that contributed to the hack. However, they patched these vulnerabilities immediately to resolve the security issue. This incident indicates a software failure within Zynga's YoVille game [12037].
(b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization:
There is no information in the provided article suggesting that a similar software failure incident has happened at other organizations or with their products and services. Therefore, it is unknown if this incident has occurred elsewhere. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design |
(a) The software failure incident in YoVille was due to design factors introduced during system development. Hackers disrupted the gameplay by exploiting vulnerabilities in the game. Zynga's chief security officer mentioned that they detected unusual activity in YoVille, which was caused by a small number of vulnerabilities that contributed to the unusual activity. The game team patched these vulnerabilities immediately to address the issue [12037].
(b) The software failure incident in YoVille was not due to operation factors such as misuse of the system. The hackers disrupted the game's gameplay and stole virtual items, but they did not breach customers' private and sensitive information. The security issue was resolved without any mention of user operation or misuse contributing to the failure [12037]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system, outside_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident in YoVille was due to vulnerabilities within the system that were exploited by hackers. Zynga's chief security officer mentioned that they detected unusual activity in YoVille, which coincided with reports from users, and upon analysis, they found a small number of vulnerabilities within the game that contributed to the unusual activity. The game team then patched these vulnerabilities immediately to address the issue [12037].
(b) outside_system: The software failure incident in YoVille was caused by hackers who disrupted the gameplay by exploiting vulnerabilities within the system. The hackers, known as "The Best YoVille Hackers," claimed responsibility for the hack that affected about 1,000 players. This external factor of malicious hacking from outside the system led to the disruption of the game for users [12037]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in YoVille was due to non-human actions, specifically a hack carried out by hackers who disrupted the gameplay for about 1,000 players. The hackers exploited vulnerabilities in the game, leading to virtual items being stolen and players' property supply being depleted. Zynga's chief security officer mentioned that they detected unusual activity and found vulnerabilities that contributed to the issue, which were promptly patched to resolve the security breach [12037].
(b) Human actions were also involved in the software failure incident as the hackers responsible for the hack were individuals who claimed responsibility for the disruption in YoVille's gameplay. Zynga took actions such as returning stolen virtual property and banning some players in response to the incident [12037]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident in the YoVille game was not attributed to hardware issues but rather to a hack by external hackers. The hackers exploited vulnerabilities in the game's software, leading to the disruption of gameplay and theft of virtual items from players [12037]. The Chief Security Officer of Zynga mentioned that they detected unusual activity in YoVille, which was caused by vulnerabilities in the software that were exploited by the hackers [12037].
(b) The software failure incident in YoVille was primarily due to vulnerabilities in the software that were exploited by hackers. The hackers disrupted gameplay and stole virtual items from players, prompting Zynga to patch these software vulnerabilities to address the issue [12037]. The breach did not involve any compromise of customer's private or sensitive information but rather focused on disrupting the gaming experience for players [12037]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident in YoVille was malicious in nature as it was a result of hackers disrupting the gameplay by stealing virtual items and depleting players' property supply. The hackers claimed responsibility for the hack, and Zynga's chief security officer mentioned that they detected unusual activity and found vulnerabilities that contributed to the hack [12037]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident in YoVille was due to poor decisions made regarding the game's security. The hackers were able to disrupt gameplay and steal virtual items due to vulnerabilities in the game that were exploited. Zynga's chief security officer mentioned that they detected unusual activity and found a small number of vulnerabilities that contributed to the hack. The game team patched these vulnerabilities immediately after the incident [12037]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident in YoVille was attributed to development incompetence as hackers disrupted the gameplay by exploiting vulnerabilities in the game. Zynga's chief security officer mentioned that they detected unusual activity in YoVille, which was caused by a small number of vulnerabilities that contributed to the hack [Article 12037].
(b) The incident was not described as accidental in the articles. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident in YoVille, where players' virtual items were stolen and property supply depleted due to a hack by "The Best YoVille Hackers," was temporary. The disruption caused by the hackers lasted for a couple of weeks in April, affecting about 1,000 players [Article 12037]. The security vulnerabilities that led to the unusual activity were promptly patched by the game team, resolving the issue and restoring the stolen virtual property to the affected players. |
| Behaviour |
crash, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the article can be categorized as a crash. Players reported strange happenings in the game, such as virtual items being stolen, property supply being depleted, and gameplay being disrupted for about 1,000 players. This indicates a failure of the system to maintain its state and perform its intended functions properly, leading to a crash in the game's normal operation [12037].
(b) omission: There is no specific mention of the software failure incident being caused by the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s) in the article.
(c) timing: The incident does not seem to be related to the system performing its intended functions correctly but too late or too early.
(d) value: The software failure incident does not involve the system performing its intended functions incorrectly.
(e) byzantine: The behavior of the software failure incident does not align with the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The software failure incident in the article can be categorized as a hack, where hackers disrupted the gameplay, stole virtual items, and caused disruptions for players. This behavior falls under the "other" category of software failure incidents, where external malicious actors compromise the system's security and disrupt its normal operation [12037]. |