This can be due to input parameters that exceed a specified input, or environmental conditions that exceed specified operating boundaries.
This is the opposite of a gracefully degrading system.
Brittle system analysis develops an analogy with materials science in order to analyze system brittleness.
[1] A system that is brittle (but initially robust enough to gain at least some foothold in the marketplace) will tend to operate with acceptable performance until it reaches a limit and then degrade suddenly and catastrophically.
The table below illustrates the concept behind the analysis using an example of a communication system.