| Recurring |
one_organization, multiple_organization |
(a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization:
- The article mentions that for the second time in two weeks, a virus outbreak has been reported at an energy company in the Middle East. Qatari liquified natural gas producer RasGas reported that its corporate network and website were down after being hit by a virus [14080].
(b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization:
- The article highlights that earlier in the same week, the Saudi Aramco oil company confirmed that its network was hit by a virus two weeks prior, resulting in the shutdown of 30,000 workstations. This indicates that similar incidents have occurred at multiple organizations in the region [14080]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be seen in the development of malware such as Stuxnet, Duqu, Flame, Gauss, Mahdi, and Wiper. These malware were specifically designed to target critical infrastructure systems, steal data, conduct espionage, and sabotage operations. For example, Stuxnet was aimed at shutting down centrifuges at Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment plant [14080]. Duqu was designed for stealing data for surveillance or intelligence efforts [14080]. Flame was created for intelligence gathering and had been in the wild since 2010 [14080]. Gauss was capable of stealing sensitive information like browser passwords and online banking accounts [14080]. Mahdi was used for espionage and targeted critical infrastructure companies, government embassies, and financial services firms [14080]. Wiper wiped data from hard drives, including files used by Stuxnet and Duqu, and deleted all traces of itself [14080].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase can be observed in the impact of these malware attacks on operational systems. For instance, the Shamoon virus targeted oil companies like Saudi Aramco, leading to network shutdowns and disruptions in operations [14080]. Additionally, the malware attacks on energy companies like RasGas and Saudi Aramco resulted in network outages and the shutdown of workstations, impacting the day-to-day operations of these organizations [14080]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system:
- The software failure incidents mentioned in the articles, such as the malware attacks on energy companies like RasGas and Saudi Aramco, were caused by malware specifically designed to target critical infrastructure systems and industrial processes [14080].
- The malware like Stuxnet, Duqu, Flame, Gauss, Mahdi, and Shamoon were all created with the intention of espionage, surveillance, data theft, and sabotage, indicating that the failures originated from within the systems affected by the malware [14080]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
- The malware incidents targeting organizations in the Middle East, such as Stuxnet, Duqu, Gauss, Mahdi, Flame, Wiper, and Shamoon, were all designed to carry out specific actions without direct human involvement. These malware were created to steal data, wipe data, shut down corporate computers, sabotage critical infrastructure systems, and conduct espionage activities [14080].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
- The article does not specifically mention any software failure incidents in the Middle East caused by contributing factors introduced by human actions. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware, software |
(a) The software failure incident related to hardware:
- The article mentions a virus outbreak at an energy company in the Middle East, specifically at Qatari liquified natural gas producer RasGas and Saudi Aramco oil company, where their corporate networks were hit by a virus, leading to network shutdowns [14080].
- The malware incidents discussed in the article, such as Stuxnet, Duqu, Gauss, Flame, Wiper, and Shamoon, targeted critical infrastructure systems, industrial control systems, and computers in various countries, indicating hardware-related impacts due to the malware attacks [14080].
(b) The software failure incident related to software:
- The malware incidents discussed in the article, including Stuxnet, Duqu, Gauss, Flame, Wiper, and Shamoon, were all designed as software programs to carry out specific malicious activities such as data theft, espionage, sabotage, and system shutdowns [14080].
- These malware programs exploited software vulnerabilities, used stolen digital certificates, installed backdoors, captured keystrokes, and targeted specific software systems like SCADA systems, indicating software-related factors contributing to the failures [14080]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
malicious |
(a) The objective of the software failure incident was malicious:
- The software failure incidents mentioned in the articles were primarily malicious in nature, involving malware designed to steal secrets, wipe data, shut down corporate computers, and even sabotage nuclear power plants [14080].
- Examples of malicious software mentioned in the articles include Stuxnet, Duqu, Gauss, Mahdi, Flame, Wiper, and Shamoon, all of which were created with the intent to harm systems and conduct espionage or surveillance activities [14080]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident related to poor decisions can be seen in the creation of the malware known as Shamoon. The article mentions that Shamoon was believed to be a Wiper copycat targeting oil companies and that a logical error in the code of Shamoon pointed to the work of amateurs rather than a nation-state operation [14080]. This indicates that the individuals behind Shamoon made poor decisions in their coding, leading to the software failure incident. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence can be seen in the case of the Shamoon virus attack targeting oil companies. The article mentions that Shamoon was initially confused with Wiper but is now believed to be a Wiper copycat targeting oil companies. It is noted that a logical error in the code of Shamoon points to the work of amateurs rather than a nation-state operation, indicating a lack of professional competence in the development of the malware [14080].
(b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors can be observed in the case of the Wiper malware attack. The article mentions that Wiper malware wipes data from hard drives, with a high priority on files used by Stuxnet and Duqu, and has other behavioral similarities. It also deletes all traces of itself, making it difficult for researchers to obtain a sample. The accidental nature of this incident is highlighted by the fact that the discovery of Wiper led to the discovery of Flame and Gauss, raising questions about the potential unintended consequences of releasing such malware [14080]. |
| Duration |
permanent, temporary |
(a) The software failure incident related to the malware attacks targeting organizations in the Middle East, such as the Shamoon virus attack on Saudi Aramco and the Wiper malware attack on companies in Iran, can be considered as a permanent failure. These incidents resulted in significant damage to the affected organizations, including data wiping, network shutdowns, and disruption of operations. The impact of these malware attacks was severe and long-lasting, indicating a permanent failure caused by deliberate actions aimed at sabotage and espionage [14080].
(b) On the other hand, some software failure incidents, such as the Duqu worm and the Gauss malware, were designed for temporary data theft and surveillance purposes rather than causing permanent damage to critical infrastructure systems. These incidents involved stealing data, capturing keystrokes, and gathering information for intelligence efforts, suggesting a temporary failure aimed at specific objectives without causing permanent harm to the targeted systems [14080]. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, timing, value, byzantine, other |
(a) crash:
- The Shamoon virus attack on Windows computers is described as causing a crash as it overwrites files with an image of a burning U.S. flag and steals data [14080].
- The Wiper malware attack in Iran is mentioned to shut down computer systems at companies, including the Oil Ministry, and behaves similarly to Stuxnet and Duqu, wiping data from hard drives [14080].
(b) omission:
- The Stuxnet malware is designed to shut down centrifuges at Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment plant, indicating an omission of performing intended functions [14080].
- The Duqu worm is designed for stealing data for surveillance or intelligence efforts, suggesting an omission of intended functions [14080].
(c) timing:
- The Flame malware, designed for intelligence gathering, had been in the wild since February 2010, but could have been around as far back as December 2007, indicating a timing issue in terms of detection and response [14080].
(d) value:
- The Mahdi Trojan is described as a data-stealing malware used for espionage, recording keystrokes, screenshots, audio, and stealing text and image files, indicating a failure in performing intended functions correctly [14080].
(e) byzantine:
- The Gauss malware is described as an espionage or surveillance toolkit capable of stealing browser passwords, online banking accounts, cookies, and system configurations, suggesting inconsistent responses and interactions [14080].
(f) other:
- The malware incidents in the Middle East involve a variety of behaviors not explicitly categorized in the options provided, such as espionage, sabotage, surveillance, and data theft, which could fall under the "other" category of software failure behaviors [14080]. |