The Linkielist

Linking ideas with the world

Font sharing site DaFont has been hacked, exposing 699,464 accounts

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A popular font sharing site DaFont.com has been hacked, exposing the site’s entire database of user accounts.Usernames, email addresses, and hashed passwords of 699,464 user accounts were stolen in the breach, carried out earlier this month, by a hacker who would not divulge his nameA popular font sharing site DaFont.com has been hacked, exposing the Read more about Font sharing site DaFont has been hacked, exposing 699,464 accounts[…]

Ubuntu: Guest session processes are not confined in 16.10

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Processes launched under a lightdm guest session are not confined by the /usr/lib/lightdm/lightdm-guest-session AppArmor profile in Ubuntu 16.10, Ubuntu 17.04, and Ubuntu Artful (current dev release). The processes are unconfined. The simple test case is to log into a guest session, launch a terminal with ctrl-alt-t, and run the following command: $ cat /proc/self/attr/current Expected Read more about Ubuntu: Guest session processes are not confined in 16.10[…]

World’s thinnest hologram paves path to new 3D world – RMIT University

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Now a pioneering team led by RMIT University’s Distinguished Professor Min Gu has designed a nano-hologram that is simple to make, can be seen without 3D goggles and is 1000 times thinner than a human hair. “Conventional computer-generated holograms are too big for electronic devices but our ultrathin hologram overcomes those size barriers,” Gu said. Read more about World’s thinnest hologram paves path to new 3D world – RMIT University[…]

Wells Fargo fake accounts scandal appears far bigger than previously thought, attorneys say, may have opened 3.5 million accounts without customer consent

Posted on by Robin Edgar

AN FRANCISCO — Wells Fargo may have opened as many as 3.5 million bogus bank accounts without its customers’ permission, attorneys for customers suing the bank have alleged in a court filing, suggesting the bank may have created far more fake accounts than previously indicated. The plaintiffs’ new estimate of bogus bank accounts is about Read more about Wells Fargo fake accounts scandal appears far bigger than previously thought, attorneys say, may have opened 3.5 million accounts without customer consent[…]

Huge Trove of Confidential Medical Records Discovered on Unsecured Server Accessible to Anyone

Posted on by Robin Edgar

At least tens of thousands, if not millions of medical records of New York patients were until recently readily accessible online to just about anyone who knew how to look. Patient demographic information, social security numbers, records of medical diagnoses and treatments, along with a plethora of other highly-sensitive records were left completely undefended by Read more about Huge Trove of Confidential Medical Records Discovered on Unsecured Server Accessible to Anyone[…]

For now, GNU GPL is an enforceable contract, says US federal judge • The Register

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A question mark over whether the GNU GPL – the widely used free-software license – is enforceable as a contract may have been resolved by a US federal judge. In a California district court, Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley refused [PDF] to accept what has been an uncomfortable legal precedent for the past decade. She ruled Read more about For now, GNU GPL is an enforceable contract, says US federal judge • The Register[…]

‘Accidental Hero’ Finds Kill Switch To Stop Wana Decrypt0r Ransomware

Posted on by Robin Edgar

“An ‘accidental hero’ has halted the global spread of the WannaCry ransomware that has wreaked havoc on organizations…” writes The Guardian. An anonymous reader quotes their report: A cybersecurity researcher tweeting as @malwaretechblog, with the help of Darien Huss from security firm Proofpoint, found and implemented a “kill switch” in the malicious software that was Read more about ‘Accidental Hero’ Finds Kill Switch To Stop Wana Decrypt0r Ransomware[…]

Keylogger Found in Audio Driver of HP Laptops

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The audio driver installed on some HP laptops includes a feature that could best be described as a keylogger, which records all the user’s keystrokes and saves the information to a local file, accessible to anyone or any third-party software or malware that knows where to look. Swiss cyber-security firm modzero discovered the keylogger on Read more about Keylogger Found in Audio Driver of HP Laptops[…]

Cloudflare goes berserk on next-gen patent troll Blackbird, vows to utterly destroy it using prior-art bounties

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Rather than a corporation that hires outside lawyers to pursue infringement claims, Blackbird is a small law firm strapped to a war chest of patents. It is an all-in-one form-filling, claim-filing robot. It has no extra baggage and no expensive legal bills to pay, making it a rather lean and mean machine. “In the past, Read more about Cloudflare goes berserk on next-gen patent troll Blackbird, vows to utterly destroy it using prior-art bounties[…]

Avast blocks the entire internet – again

Posted on by Robin Edgar

“Non tech savvy users will have issues reporting or getting the problem fixed,” he explained. “To regain web access you have to disable Web Shield or disable Avast or uninstall Avast. To fix the issue you have to do a clean install of the latest version of software.” It’s unclear how widespread the problem is. Read more about Avast blocks the entire internet – again[…]

Another IoT botnet has been found feasting on 120k vulnerable IP cameras

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Persirai targets more than a thousand different internet protocol camera models. Researchers at Trend Micro warn that 120,000 web-connected cameras are vulnerable to the malware. Consumers would, in most cases, be unaware that their devices are even exposed to the internet much less at risk of compromise. Hackers are using a known but seldom patched Read more about Another IoT botnet has been found feasting on 120k vulnerable IP cameras[…]

Macron defeats Russian hackers and puts leakers at a disadvantage

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Emmanuel Macron’s digital team responded to cyberattacks with a “cyber-blurring” strategy that involved fake email accounts loaded with false documents. […] “We created false accounts, with false content, as traps. We did this massively, to create the obligation for them to verify, to determine whether it was a real account,” Mr. Mahjoubi said. “I don’t Read more about Macron defeats Russian hackers and puts leakers at a disadvantage[…]

Well this is awkward. As Microsoft was bragging about Office at Build, Office 365 went down

Posted on by Robin Edgar

TITSUP: Total Inability To Stand Up Products Loads of people reported that, at around 1245 PT, access to the service went out. Microsoft confirmed shortly after it was having problems, and said it was looking into the matter. Subscribers in New York, Denver, Texas, and Portland, in the US, were, for example, unable to access Read more about Well this is awkward. As Microsoft was bragging about Office at Build, Office 365 went down[…]

Debenhams Flowers shoppers stung by bank card-stealing tech pest

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Malware has infected backend systems used by Brit high street chain Debenhams – and swiped 26,000 people’s personal information in the process. The cyber-break-in targeted the online portal for the retailer’s florist arm, Debenhams Flowers. Miscreants had access to the internal systems at Ecomnova, the biz that runs the Debenhams Flowers business, for more than Read more about Debenhams Flowers shoppers stung by bank card-stealing tech pest[…]

Intel chip remote auth fail worse than thought – authentication doesn’t work at all!

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A remote hijacking flaw that lurked in Intel chips for seven years was more severe than many people imagined, because it allowed hackers to remotely gain administrative control over huge fleets of computers without entering a password. This is according to technical analyses published Friday… AMT makes it possible to log into a computer and Read more about Intel chip remote auth fail worse than thought – authentication doesn’t work at all![…]

WikiLeaks Reveals CIA Man-in-the-Middle LAN Hacking Tool Archimedes

Posted on by Robin Edgar

WikiLeaks isn’t done exposing the CIA’s arsenal of hacking tools used to infiltrate computer systems around the globe. Last month, we told you about Weeping Angel, which targeted select Samsung Smart TVs for surveillance purposes. Today, we’re learning about Archimedes, which attacks computers attached to a Local Area Network (LAN). Although we have no way Read more about WikiLeaks Reveals CIA Man-in-the-Middle LAN Hacking Tool Archimedes[…]

Jean-Claude Juncker: ‘English is losing importance’ – so only the French get to hear his views on the EU

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Juncker said he was opting for French because “slowly but surely English is losing importance in Europe and France has elections this Sunday and I want the French people to understand what I am saying about the importance of the EU.” The Commission president tackled the row that erupted over a private meeting he had Read more about Jean-Claude Juncker: ‘English is losing importance’ – so only the French get to hear his views on the EU[…]

Cop fakes body cam footage through re-enactment, prosecutors drop drug charges

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Prosecutors in Pueblo, Colorado are dropping felony drug and weapon-possession charges after an officer involved in the case said he staged body cam footage so he could walk “the courts through” the vehicle search that led to the arrest. The development means that defendant Joseph Cajar, 36, won’t be prosecuted on allegations of heroin possession Read more about Cop fakes body cam footage through re-enactment, prosecutors drop drug charges[…]

Leaked: The UK’s secret blueprint with telcos for mass spying on internet, phones – and backdoors

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The UK government has secretly drawn up more details of its new bulk surveillance powers – awarding itself the ability to monitor Brits’ live communications, and insert encryption backdoors by the backdoor. In its draft technical capability notices paper [PDF], all communications companies – including phone networks and ISPs – will be obliged to provide Read more about Leaked: The UK’s secret blueprint with telcos for mass spying on internet, phones – and backdoors[…]

First test flight of stratospheric solar plane

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A group of Swiss adventurers say they have completed the first test flight of a new solar-powered airplane they hope will eventually reach the edge of space. The team says pilot Damian Hirschier performed a seven-minute flight at low altitude with the SolarStratos plane in “ideal” conditions early Friday. The maiden flight took place at Read more about First test flight of stratospheric solar plane[…]

Congressmen taking huge wads of $$$ to vote for tracking US web history named and shamed on billboards

Posted on by Robin Edgar

When Congress voted in March to block FCC privacy rules and let internet service providers sell users’ personal data, it was a coup for the telecom industry. Now, the nonprofit, pro-privacy group Fight for the Future is publicizing just how much the industry paid in an attempt to sway those votes. The group unveiled four Read more about Congressmen taking huge wads of $$$ to vote for tracking US web history named and shamed on billboards[…]

Good vibrations no longer needed for speakers as research encourages graphene to talk

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A pioneering new technique that encourages the wonder material graphene to “talk” could revolutionise the global audio and telecommunications industries. Researchers from the University of Exeter have devised a ground-breaking method to use graphene to generate complex and controllable sound signals. In essence, it combines speaker, amplifier and graphic equaliser into a chip the size Read more about Good vibrations no longer needed for speakers as research encourages graphene to talk[…]

234 Android Applications Are Currently Using Ultrasonic Beacons to Track Users

Posted on by Robin Edgar

uXDT is the practice of advertisers hiding ultrasounds in their ads. When the ad plays on a TV or radio, or some ad code runs on a mobile or computer, it emits ultrasounds that are picked up by the microphone of nearby laptops, desktops, tablets or smartphones. SDKs embedded in apps installed on those devices Read more about 234 Android Applications Are Currently Using Ultrasonic Beacons to Track Users[…]

China makes much fastest quantum computer

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Researchers at the University of Science and Technology of China created a quantum device, called a boson sampling machine, that can now carry out calculations for five photons, but at a speed 24,000 times faster than previous experiments. Pan Jianwei, the lead scientist on the project, said that though their device was already (only) 10 Read more about China makes much fastest quantum computer[…]

MS Win10S locks you in to windows store, Edge browser and Bing searches

Posted on by Robin Edgar

If developers do start leveraging the Windows Store, the Windows 10 S experiment could take off, as users won’t find a need to install legacy programs. This will largely depend on web browsers being available there, as many users dislike Edge. Thankfully, Microsoft is allowing third-party browser installs from the Windows Store. Unfortunately, there is Read more about MS Win10S locks you in to windows store, Edge browser and Bing searches[…]