Month: May 2020

Hey Siri, are you still recording people’s conversations despite promising not to do so nine months ago?

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Apple may still be recording and transcribing conversations captured by Siri on its phones, despite promising to put an end to the practice nine months ago, claims a former Apple contractor who was hired to listen into customer conversations. In a letter [PDF] sent to data protection authorities in Europe, Thomas Le Bonniec expresses his Read more about Hey Siri, are you still recording people’s conversations despite promising not to do so nine months ago?[…]

DNS this week stands for Drowning Needed Services: Design flaw in name server system can be exploited to flood machines offline

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Dubbed NXNSAttack, the flaw [PDF] can be abused to pull off a classic amplification attack: you send a small amount of specially crafted data to a DNS server, which responds by sending a lot of data to a victim’s server. If you have an army of hacked PCs or devices – a botnet – at Read more about DNS this week stands for Drowning Needed Services: Design flaw in name server system can be exploited to flood machines offline[…]

Command and Conquer Tiberium Dawn and Red Alert Source code Released by EA

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Today we are proud to announce that alongside the launch of the Remastered Collection, Electronic Arts will be releasing the TiberianDawn.dll and RedAlert.dll and their corresponding source code under the GPL version 3.0 license. This is a key moment for Electronic Arts, the C&C community, and the gaming industry, as we believe this will be Read more about Command and Conquer Tiberium Dawn and Red Alert Source code Released by EA[…]

Rogue ADT tech spied on hundreds of customers in their homes via CCTV – teen girls, young mums repeatedly watched

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A technician at ADT remotely accessed hundreds of customers’ CCTV cameras to spy on people in their own homes, the burglar-alarm biz has admitted. At least one of the victims was a teenage girl, and another a young mother, according to court filings. Last month, an ADT customer in Dallas, Texas, spotted and reported an Read more about Rogue ADT tech spied on hundreds of customers in their homes via CCTV – teen girls, young mums repeatedly watched[…]

EasyJet admits data of nine million hacked

Posted on by Robin Edgar

EasyJet has admitted that a “highly sophisticated cyber-attack” has affected approximately nine million customers. It said email addresses and travel details had been stolen and that 2,208 customers had also had their credit and debit card details “accessed”. The firm has informed the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office while it investigates the breach. EasyJet first became Read more about EasyJet admits data of nine million hacked[…]

Wink smart home users have one week to subscribe or be shut off – yay cloud devices

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Many smart home device makers rely on subscriptions to keep a steady stream of money coming in, but Wink is learning how that strategy can easily go wrong. The company has announced plans to move to a $5 per month subscription on May 13th (yes, just one week from now), and it’s mandatory. Decline to Read more about Wink smart home users have one week to subscribe or be shut off – yay cloud devices[…]

Unified Geologic Map of the Moon, 1:5M, 2020

Posted on by Robin Edgar

This new work represents a seamless, globally consistent, 1:5,000,000-scale geologic map derived from the six digitally renovated geologic maps (see Source Online Linkage below). The goal of this project was to create a digital resource for science research and analysis, future geologic mapping efforts, be it local-, regional-, or global-scale products, and as a resource Read more about Unified Geologic Map of the Moon, 1:5M, 2020[…]

The Unattributable “db8151dd” Data Breach with 22M people in it turns out to be Covve hack

Posted on by Robin Edgar

I was reticent to write this blog post because it leaves a lot of questions unanswered, questions that we should be able to answer. It’s about a data breach with almost 90GB of personal information in it across tens of millions of records – including mine. Here’s what I know: Back in Feb, Dehashed reached Read more about The Unattributable “db8151dd” Data Breach with 22M people in it turns out to be Covve hack[…]

California officials reject subsidies for Musk’s SpaceX over Tesla spat – might have something to do with opening in defiance of Covid orders

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A California state panel on Friday rejected a request from Elon Musk’s SpaceX for $655,500 in state job and training funds, citing the chief executive’s recent threats to move Tesla, the electric carmaker that he also runs, out of the state. The snub comes as Musk has sparred with officials in Alameda County over his Read more about California officials reject subsidies for Musk’s SpaceX over Tesla spat – might have something to do with opening in defiance of Covid orders[…]

Social Security numbers, banking information left unprotected on Arkansas Unemployement Assistance website

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A computer programmer applying for unemployment on Arkansas’s Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program discovered a vulnerability in the system that exposed the Social Security numbers, bank account and routing numbers and other sensitive information of some 30,000 applicants. Anyone with basic computer knowledge could have accessed personal information for malicious purposes. Alarmed, the computer programmer called Read more about Social Security numbers, banking information left unprotected on Arkansas Unemployement Assistance website[…]

Supercomputers hacked across Europe to mine cryptocurrency

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Multiple supercomputers across Europe have been infected this week with cryptocurrency mining malware and have shut down to investigate the intrusions. Security incidents have been reported in the UK, Germany, and Switzerland, while a similar intrusion is rumored to have also happened at a high-performance computing center located in Spain. The first report of an Read more about Supercomputers hacked across Europe to mine cryptocurrency[…]

Copyright Making Sure That MTV Remains An Irrelevant Relic, Rather Than A Cultural Icon

Posted on by Robin Edgar

For those of us of a certain age, MTV defined culture. It was where we learned about not just music, but wider pop culture. Of course, MTV lost its cultural place atop the mountaintop with the rise of the internet, but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t a key source of culture in the 1980s. Read more about Copyright Making Sure That MTV Remains An Irrelevant Relic, Rather Than A Cultural Icon[…]

China’s next-generation crew spacecraft nails its test mission landing

Posted on by Robin Edgar

After it launched on Tuesday and nailed a series of maneuvers, China’s future crewed spacecraft has made a successful desert touchdown. Built by China’s main space contractor, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. (CASC), the uncrewed prototype will ferry astronauts to China’s future space station and, eventually, the moon. The crewed capsule (which doesn’t Read more about China’s next-generation crew spacecraft nails its test mission landing[…]

Scientists break the link between a quantum material’s spin and orbital states

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In designing electronic devices, scientists look for ways to manipulate and control three basic properties of electrons: their charge; their spin states, which give rise to magnetism; and the shapes of the fuzzy clouds they form around the nuclei of atoms, which are known as orbitals. Until now, electron spins and orbitals were thought to Read more about Scientists break the link between a quantum material’s spin and orbital states[…]

The Internet Furry Drama Raising Big Questions About Artificial Intelligence and Copyright

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Much of the fun of internet drama comes from its frivolousness, but sometimes an online shitfest points to something bigger. Last week, the AI-powered furry art site thisfursonadoesnotexist did just that, igniting a fandom firestorm while also highlighting an important debate about digital art. Trained on more than 55,000 images pulled (without permission) from a Read more about The Internet Furry Drama Raising Big Questions About Artificial Intelligence and Copyright[…]

Samsung Surprise As World’s First Smartphone With Quantum Hardware Technology Launches May 22

Posted on by Robin Edgar

an announcement from Samsung and Korean provider SK Telecom that the world’s first 5G smartphone complete with a quantum random number generator (QRNG) is due to launch next week. The current Samsung Galaxy flagship S20 series all come with a new secure element security solution including a dedicated security chip that can prevent hackers from Read more about Samsung Surprise As World’s First Smartphone With Quantum Hardware Technology Launches May 22[…]

Papa don’t breach: Contracts, personal info on Madonna, Lady Gaga, Elton John, others swiped in celeb law firm ‘hack’

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Hackers are threatening to release 756GB of A-list celebs’ contracts, recording deals, and other personal info allegedly stolen from a New York law firm. The miscreants have seemingly got their hands on confidential agreements, private correspondence, contact details, and other information belonging to superstars, including Madonna, Christina Aguilera, Sir Elton John, Run DMC, Bruce Springsteen, Read more about Papa don’t breach: Contracts, personal info on Madonna, Lady Gaga, Elton John, others swiped in celeb law firm ‘hack’[…]

Russia admits, yup, the Americans are right: One of our rocket’s tanks just disintegrated in Earth’s orbit

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Russian rocket tanks used to launch a radio telescope have broken up into 65 chunks, littering Earth’s orbit with debris. The tanks, dumped from the Fregat-SB upper stage of the Zenit-3SLBF rocket that took the Spektr-R radio telescope into orbit in 2011, disintegrated on Friday, Roscosmos said on Sunday. “According to reports, the destruction occurred Read more about Russia admits, yup, the Americans are right: One of our rocket’s tanks just disintegrated in Earth’s orbit[…]

Amazon builds UV-light robot to kill coronavirus on surfaces

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Amazon built robot that is designed to kill the novel coronavirus with ultraviolet light. The robot looks a little like a hotel luggage cart, with a tall metal frame attached to a rectangular wheeled bottom. One side of the frame is outfitted with at least 10 ultraviolet tube lights. In a video shared with CBS Read more about Amazon builds UV-light robot to kill coronavirus on surfaces[…]

Brit defense contractor Interserve hacked, up to 100,000 past and present employees’ details siphoned off

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Britain’s Ministry of Defence contractor Interserve has been hacked, reportedly leaking the details of up to 100,000 of past and current employees, including payment information and details of their next of kin. The Daily Telegraph reports that up to 100,000 employee details were stolen, dating back across a number of years. Interserve currently employs around Read more about Brit defense contractor Interserve hacked, up to 100,000 past and present employees’ details siphoned off[…]

Researchers spot thousands of Android apps leaking user data through misconfigured Firebase databases

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Security researchers at Comparitech have reported that an estimated 24,000 Android apps are leaking user data because of misconfigured Firebase databases. Firebase is a popular backend service with SDKs for multiple platforms, including Android, iOS, web, C++ and Unity (for games). Features include two NoSQL database managers, Cloud Firestore and the older Realtime Database. Data Read more about Researchers spot thousands of Android apps leaking user data through misconfigured Firebase databases[…]

PrintDemon vulnerability impacts all Windows versions | ZDNet

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Two security researchers have published today details about a vulnerability in the Windows printing service that they say impacts all Windows versions going back to Windows NT 4, released in 1996. The vulnerability, which they codenamed PrintDemon, is located in Windows Print Spooler, the primary Windows component responsible for managing print operations. The service can Read more about PrintDemon vulnerability impacts all Windows versions | ZDNet[…]

SPACEX – ISS Docking Simulator

Posted on by Robin Edgar

This simulator will familiarize you with the controls of the actual interface used by NASA Astronauts to manually pilot the SpaceX Dragon 2 vehicle to the International Space Station. Source: SPACEX – ISS Docking Simulator Turns out it’s quite easy in a sim 😀

Senate Votes to Allow FBI to Look at US citizen Web Browsing History Without a Warrant

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The US Senate has voted to give law enforcement agencies access to web browsing data without a warrant, dramatically expanding the government’s surveillance powers in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The power grab was led by Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell as part of a reauthorization of the Patriot Act, which gives federal agencies Read more about Senate Votes to Allow FBI to Look at US citizen Web Browsing History Without a Warrant[…]