| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident of a hack in World of Warcraft resulting in mass player destruction is not the first time such an exploit has occurred within the same organization. In 2005, a similar incident occurred when the Zul-Gurub dungeon was introduced, leading to the Corrupted Blood Incident where a communicable debuff caused a plague that killed players en masse across the entire game world [15149].
(b) The software failure incident of a hack in World of Warcraft resulting in mass player destruction is not unique to this organization. Similar incidents have happened before in other organizations or with their products and services. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in the World of Warcraft game, where hackers used an exploit to commit large-scale massacres in major cities, can be attributed to a failure in the design phase. The hackers were able to exploit a kill hack that allowed low-level characters to cause widespread death without taking any action. This exploit was possible due to a vulnerability in the game system that was not fixed promptly by Blizzard, as mentioned by one of the hackers who stated, "The people who didn't should be blaming Blizzard for not fixing it faster." This indicates that the exploit was a result of contributing factors introduced during system development or updates [15149].
(b) The software failure incident can also be linked to a failure in the operation phase. The hackers were able to cause chaos and disrupt the game environment by exploiting the vulnerability for their own amusement, leading to mass player destruction. This disruption in the operation of the game was significant enough for Blizzard to take immediate action to patch the exploit and ban the accounts that employed the hack. The quick response from Blizzard to address the issue and prevent its recurrence highlights the impact of the operation or misuse of the system in causing the failure incident [15149]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident in World of Warcraft, where hackers used an exploit to commit large-scale massacres in major cities, was primarily due to a kill hack that allowed level 1 characters to spread death without any action required [Article 15149]. This exploit was a result of a vulnerability or flaw within the game's system that the hackers were able to manipulate for their malicious purposes. Additionally, the quick response from Blizzard to patch the exploit and ban the accounts that employed the hack shows that the resolution and mitigation efforts were focused on addressing the internal system issue. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in World of Warcraft was primarily due to non-human actions. Hackers exploited a kill hack that allowed level 1 characters to cause large-scale massacres across major cities in the game. The hackers mentioned that they did it for "Lulz" and to highlight the slow response of Blizzard in fixing the exploit. Blizzard quickly applied a fix to patch the exploit and banned the accounts that employed the hack [15149].
(b) Human actions also played a role in the software failure incident. The hackers intentionally exploited the vulnerability in the game to cause chaos and disrupt the gameplay experience of other players. They justified their actions by criticizing gold sellers and pointing out the slow response of Blizzard in addressing the exploit. Additionally, Blizzard took the incident seriously and conducted a thorough investigation, ultimately banning the accounts that used the hack [15149]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident in World of Warcraft, where hackers were able to commit large-scale massacres across major cities, was not attributed to hardware failure. The incident was caused by a hack that allowed level 1 characters to spread death without any action, leading to player characters and NPCs being massacred [15149].
(b) The software failure incident in World of Warcraft was clearly due to contributing factors originating in software. The hackers exploited a kill hack within the game, allowing them to cause widespread destruction and chaos in major cities. This exploit was a software vulnerability that was used to carry out the attack, prompting Blizzard to quickly patch the exploit to prevent its recurrence [15149]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The software failure incident in World of Warcraft was malicious in nature. Hackers exploited a kill hack to commit large-scale massacres across the game's major cities, causing sudden and inexplicable deaths to player characters and NPCs. The hackers admitted to using the exploit for "lulz" and blamed Blizzard for not fixing it faster. They also mentioned that their actions did not cause permanent damage but aimed to disrupt the game. Blizzard took the incident seriously, banned the accounts that employed the hack, and quickly applied a fix to prevent the exploit from being repeated [15149]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident:
The software failure incident in World of Warcraft, where hackers used an exploit to commit large-scale massacres, was driven by the intent of causing disruption and chaos for amusement. The hackers mentioned that they did it for "Lulz" and to create a new topic of conversation. They also tried to justify their actions by blaming Blizzard for not fixing the exploit faster and pointing out the activities of gold sellers in the game. This indicates that the failure was not accidental but rather a deliberate act aimed at causing havoc within the game [15149]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in World of Warcraft, where hackers exploited a kill hack to commit large-scale massacres in major cities, can be attributed to development incompetence. The hackers mentioned that the exploit was used because Blizzard did not fix it fast enough, indicating a lack of professional competence in addressing vulnerabilities promptly. The hackers justified their actions by comparing them to the activities of gold sellers, implying a criticism of Blizzard's handling of the game's economy and security [15149].
(b) The incident can also be considered accidental to some extent. The hackers mentioned that they did not cause any permanent damage and that some players found it entertaining, while others did not. The exploit was used for amusement and as a conversation starter, rather than with malicious intent to harm the game or its players. Additionally, Blizzard quickly patched the exploit once it was discovered, indicating that the failure was not intentional but rather a result of unforeseen vulnerabilities in the game's code [15149]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
(a) The software failure incident in World of Warcraft, where hackers used an exploit to commit large-scale massacres across major cities, was temporary. The hackers employed a kill hack that allowed level 1 characters to cause widespread death in the game, affecting both player characters and NPCs. Blizzard acted quickly to apply a fix, patching the exploit and banning the accounts that used it. The incident lasted for a relatively short duration, as indicated by the quick response from Blizzard to address the issue [15149]. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in World of Warcraft involved a crash where the system lost its state and did not perform its intended functions. The hackers used a kill hack that caused sudden, inexplicable deaths of player characters and NPCs in major cities, spreading death like a plague without any action from the level 1 characters [15149].
(b) omission: The incident also involved omission, as the system omitted to perform its intended functions at the instance when the kill hack was exploited. The hackers were able to cause mass destruction in the game, leading to a situation where player characters and NPCs were massacred due to the exploit [15149].
(c) timing: There is no specific mention of timing-related failures in the described incident.
(d) value: The software failure incident did not involve the system performing its intended functions incorrectly.
(e) byzantine: The incident did not exhibit behaviors of a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The other behavior observed in this software failure incident was the intentional disruption caused by the hackers for entertainment ("Lulz") and to highlight perceived issues with the game, such as blaming Blizzard for not fixing the exploit faster and vilifying gold sellers [15149]. |