NEUMANN@SRI-AI.ARPA (06/21/83)
From: Peter G. Neumann <NEUMANN@SRI-AI.ARPA> Review of Computer Problems -- Catastrophes and Otherwise As a warmup for an appearance on a SOFTFAIR panel on computers and human safety (28 July 1983, Crystal City, VA), and for a new editorial on the need for high-quality systems, I decided to look back over previous issues of the ACM SIGSOFT SOFTWARE ENGINEERING NOTES [SEN] and itemize some of the most interesting computer problems recorded. The list of what I found, plus a few others from the top of the head, may be of interest to many of you. Except for the Garman and Rosen articles, most of the references to SEN [given in the form (SEN Vol No)] are to my editorials. SYSTEM -- SF Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) disaster [Oct 72] Three Mile Island (SEN 4 2) SAC: 50 false alerts in 1979 (SEN 5 3); simulated attack triggered a live scramble [9 Nov 79] (SEN 5 3); WWMCCS false alarms triggered scrambles [3-6 Jun 80] (SEN 5 3) Microwave therapy killed arthritic patient by racing pacemaker (SEN 5 1) Credit/debit card copying despite encryption (Metro, BART, etc.) Remote (portable) phones (lots of free calls) SOFTWARE -- First Space Shuttle launch: backup computer synchronization (SEN 6 5 [Garman]) Second Space Shuttle operational simulation: tight loop on cancellation of early abort required manual intervention (SEN 7 1) F16 simulation: plane flipped over crossing equator (SEN 5 2) Mariner 18: abort due to missing NOT (SEN 5 2) F18: crash due to missing exception condition (SEN 6 2) El Dorado: brake computer bug causing recall (SEN 4 4) Nuclear reactor design: bug in Shock II model/program (SEN 4 2) Various system intrusions ... HARDWARE/SOFTWARE -- ARPAnet: collapse [27 Oct 1980] (SEN 6 5 [Rosen], 6 1) FAA Air Traffic Control: many outages (e.g., SEN 5 3) SF Muni Metro: Ghost Train (SEN 8 3) COMPUTER AS CATALYST -- Air New Zealand: crash; pilots not told of new course data (SEN 6 3 & 6 5) Human frailties: Embezzlements, e.g., Muhammed Ali swindle [$23.2 Million], Security Pacific [$10.2 Million], City National, Beverly Hills CA [$1.1 Million, 23 Mar 1979] Wizards altering software or critical data (various cases) SEE ALSO A COLLECTION OF COMPUTER ANECDOTES SUBMITTED FOR the 7th SOSP (SEN 5 1 and SEN 7 1) for some of your favorite operating system and other problems... As you may by now know, I am always very interested in hearing about problems involving computers (not just software) and human well being, both for SOFTWARE ENGINEERING NOTES and generally. John Shore (Shore@NRL-CSS) is also compiling a list (and has circulated a prior BBOARD notice to some of your BBOARDS), and I will forward anything you send me to him. If you wish, we will try to keep you informed as well... Peter G. Neumann, NEUMANN@SRI-CSL or NEUMANN@SRI-AI.