Software Test Attacks to Break Mobile and Embedded Devices

Appendix A: Mobile and Embedded Error Taxonomy: A Software Error Taxonomy (for Testers)*

Introduction

“To defeat an enemy, one must know that enemy” (The Art of War Sun Tzu). But how does one know a software bug? As a tester, errors or bugs are your enemy. As part of the development team, testers are obliged to bring to the team as much detailed information about those enemies as possible.

Papers published on errors, case studies of errors, error classification systems, and error taxonomies exist, but there are few. Performing error analysis in the mobile and embedded systems domain is still related to debugging software. The public sees Mars rovers stopping, hears of problems at automobile manufacturers, may experience problems with pacemakers, ...