We want your views! Are you a polymer scientist or engineer? We would value your input on the future of polymer data capture and retrieval.
Please help us out by filling this survey: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=wE8mz7iun0SQVILORFQISyvDWfdJTrhBmNzEfSmjy1dUMzA1NFEzVTFXN09FSU0xWlFJNUdKTjQ3Vi4u&route=shorturl
Microsoft increases Zero Day Quest Prize Pool
Microsoft will offer up to $5 million in bounty awards at this year's Zero Day Quest hacking contest, which the company describes as the "largest hacking event in history". Between August 4 and October 4, 2025….
Sébastienne Guyot #French #aeronautical #engineer. 1921: 1 of 1st women to graduate @centralesupelec #pilot plane owner, 1928 #Olympic800m #athlete. Awarded French Resistance #WWII medal for trying to rescue POW brother. d. #OTD 21 Aug 1941 as result of her imprisonment for attempted rescue #WomenInSTEM https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A9bastienne_Guyot
@CarveHerName @histodons
In some sense Sting became the #Engineer his father would equip him to be. Nothing was lost in translation
#Sting on the ‘Worst Tune Ever’ and how he got his name via #Today show #Australia
https://youtu.be/9mdeMBiFxJU?si=tmMRwdJtX16URlsc
Spikes in Malicious Activity precede new Security Flaws.
Researchers have found that in roughly 80% of cases, spikes in malicious activity like network reconnaissance, targeted scanning and brute-forcing attempts are a precursor to the disclosure of new security vulnerabilities [CVE’s] within six weeks.
![This has been discovered by threat monitoring firm GreyNoise, which reports these occurrences are not random, but are rather characterized by repeatable and statistically significant patterns. GreyNoise bases this on data from its 'Global Observation Grid' [GOG] collected since September 2024, applying objective statistical thresholds to avoid results-skewing cherry-picking.
⁉️After removing noisy, ambiguous, and low-quality data, the firm ended up with 216 events that qualified as spike events, tied to eight enterprise edge vendors. "Across all 216 spike events we studied, 50 percent were followed by a new CVE within three weeks, and 80 percent within six weeks," explain the researchers.⁉️](https://nerdculture.de/system/media_attachments/files/115/054/898/258/274/619/original/e63cd911cae68624.jpeg "This has been discovered by threat monitoring firm GreyNoise, which reports these occurrences are not random, but are rather characterized by repeatable and statistically significant patterns. GreyNoise bases this on data from its 'Global Observation Grid' [GOG] collected since September 2024, applying objective statistical thresholds to avoid results-skewing cherry-picking.
⁉️After removing noisy, ambiguous, and low-quality data, the firm ended up with 216 events that qualified as spike events, tied to eight enterprise edge vendors. \"Across all 216 spike events we studied, 50 percent were followed by a new CVE within three weeks, and 80 percent within six weeks,\" explain the researchers.⁉️")
![[ImageSource: GreyNoise]
Spike activity and time of disclosure of new CVE‘s.
The correlation was notably stronger for Ivanti, SonicWall, Palo Alto Networks and Fortinet products, and weaker for MikroTik, Citrix and Cisco. State-sponsored actors have repeatedly targeted such systems for initial access and persistence.
GreyNoise notes that in the majority of the cases underlying these spikes, the attackers perform exploit attempts against older, known flaws. The researchers believe that this either facilitates the discovery of new weaknesses or the discovery of internet-exposed endpoints that can be targeted in the next phase of the attack, which leverages novel exploits.
👾A "Mine Canary"👾
Traditionally, defenders respond after a CVE is published, but GreyNoise's findings show that attacker behavior can be a leading indicator and a tool for organizing proactive defenses.
‼️These pre-disclosure spikes give defenders a window to prepare, enhance monitoring and harden systems against a potential attack, even if a security update does not protect them and they aren't aware of which system component or function is actually targeted. GreyNoise recommends that scanning activity be closely monitored and origin IPs promptly blocked, as this excludes them from reconnaissance that typically leads to actual attacks later on.‼️](https://nerdculture.de/system/media_attachments/files/115/054/899/150/736/753/original/f35e74002b0d1d7d.jpeg "[ImageSource: GreyNoise]
Spike activity and time of disclosure of new CVE‘s.
The correlation was notably stronger for Ivanti, SonicWall, Palo Alto Networks and Fortinet products, and weaker for MikroTik, Citrix and Cisco. State-sponsored actors have repeatedly targeted such systems for initial access and persistence.
GreyNoise notes that in the majority of the cases underlying these spikes, the attackers perform exploit attempts against older, known flaws. The researchers believe that this either facilitates the discovery of new weaknesses or the discovery of internet-exposed endpoints that can be targeted in the next phase of the attack, which leverages novel exploits.
👾A \"Mine Canary\"👾
Traditionally, defenders respond after a CVE is published, but GreyNoise's findings show that attacker behavior can be a leading indicator and a tool for organizing proactive defenses.
‼️These pre-disclosure spikes give defenders a window to prepare, enhance monitoring and harden systems against a potential attack, even if a security update does not protect them and they aren't aware of which system component or function is actually targeted. GreyNoise recommends that scanning activity be closely monitored and origin IPs promptly blocked, as this excludes them from reconnaissance that typically leads to actual attacks later on.‼️")
![[ImageSource: GreyNoise]
Activity spikes [white] and publication of new CVE’s [red].
The researchers underline that scans for older flaws are to be expected in these cases, as attackers aim to catalog exposed assets. Hence, those shouldn't be disregarded as failed attempts to breach fully-patched endpoints.
On a related development, Google's Project Zero announced that it will begin informing the public that a vulnerability has been discovered within a week, helping system admins bolster their defenses while vendors work on developing a patch.
<https://googleprojectzero.blogspot.com/2025/07/reporting-transparency.html>
👾Project Zero will now share the vendor/project and product impacted by the new flaw, the discovery time, and disclosure deadline [still at 90 days].👾
⁉️Leaking technical details, proof-of-concept exploits, or any other information that could tip attackers, Google expects this change to have no adverse effect on security while at the same time helping reduce the "patch gap."⁉️](https://nerdculture.de/system/media_attachments/files/115/054/899/962/430/240/original/2ffcf4beb67a091f.jpeg "[ImageSource: GreyNoise]
Activity spikes [white] and publication of new CVE’s [red].
The researchers underline that scans for older flaws are to be expected in these cases, as attackers aim to catalog exposed assets. Hence, those shouldn't be disregarded as failed attempts to breach fully-patched endpoints.
On a related development, Google's Project Zero announced that it will begin informing the public that a vulnerability has been discovered within a week, helping system admins bolster their defenses while vendors work on developing a patch.
<https://googleprojectzero.blogspot.com/2025/07/reporting-transparency.html>
👾Project Zero will now share the vendor/project and product impacted by the new flaw, the discovery time, and disclosure deadline [still at 90 days].👾
⁉️Leaking technical details, proof-of-concept exploits, or any other information that could tip attackers, Google expects this change to have no adverse effect on security while at the same time helping reduce the \"patch gap.\"⁉️")
Fake Minecraft Installer spreads NjRat Spyware to steal Data.
The malware is hidden inside an unofficial browser-based Minecraft clone called Eaglercraft 1.12 Offline, which is often used in schools and other restricted environments.
![👾As millions of gamers, including kids and casual players, download Minecraft-related content during a recent surge of excitement, they are unknowingly putting their computers at risk.👾
The research reveals that the fake game installer bundles a dangerous type of Remote Access Trojan [RAT] called NjRat, which has been used by threat actors for years to take full control of infected devices.
‼️This malware can perform several harmful activities without the user’s knowledge. It uses a keylogger to capture every keystroke, allowing it to steal usernames, passwords and other sensitive information. It can also spy on users by gaining unauthorized access to a computer’s webcam and microphone, enabling attackers to secretly watch and listen.‼️](https://nerdculture.de/system/media_attachments/files/115/049/286/644/602/019/original/0e1ff41dee14f223.jpeg "👾As millions of gamers, including kids and casual players, download Minecraft-related content during a recent surge of excitement, they are unknowingly putting their computers at risk.👾
The research reveals that the fake game installer bundles a dangerous type of Remote Access Trojan [RAT] called NjRat, which has been used by threat actors for years to take full control of infected devices.
‼️This malware can perform several harmful activities without the user’s knowledge. It uses a keylogger to capture every keystroke, allowing it to steal usernames, passwords and other sensitive information. It can also spy on users by gaining unauthorized access to a computer’s webcam and microphone, enabling attackers to secretly watch and listen.‼️")
![[ImageSource: pointwild.com]
Fake Minecraft game running on an infected device while spreading infection in the background without the user’s notice.
According to Point Wild’s research, the attack starts with a malicious file disguised as a Minecraft installer. When a user runs it, the computer silently drops several files, including the key malicious program, and distracts the user by opening a browser window to the fake Minecraft game. While the game plays, the hidden program runs in the background.
‼️Additionally, it creates a backdoor by adding a hidden program called WindowsServices.exe to the computer’s start-up files, ensuring it runs each time the system is turned on. To protect itself, the malware is programmed to crash the system with a Blue Screen of Death if it detects security tools like Wireshark, making it harder for you to analyse.‼️](https://nerdculture.de/system/media_attachments/files/115/049/287/334/099/608/original/80a98a3aa3cb75df.jpeg "[ImageSource: pointwild.com]
Fake Minecraft game running on an infected device while spreading infection in the background without the user’s notice.
According to Point Wild’s research, the attack starts with a malicious file disguised as a Minecraft installer. When a user runs it, the computer silently drops several files, including the key malicious program, and distracts the user by opening a browser window to the fake Minecraft game. While the game plays, the hidden program runs in the background.
‼️Additionally, it creates a backdoor by adding a hidden program called WindowsServices.exe to the computer’s start-up files, ensuring it runs each time the system is turned on. To protect itself, the malware is programmed to crash the system with a Blue Screen of Death if it detects security tools like Wireshark, making it harder for you to analyse.‼️")
![[ImageSource: pointwild.com]
Attack Flow Diagram
The diagram illustrates how the malware silently drops files, creates a new entry in the computer’s startup files to make sure it always runs, and then connects to a remote server. This server, hosted in India on Amazon’s cloud, is used by the attackers to control the infected computer and steal data.
Dr. Zulfikar Ramzan, CTO of Point Wild and leader of the Lat61 Threat Intelligence team, warns that “Threat actors are exploiting the popularity of Minecraft mods to spread powerful spyware. What looks like a harmless game is actually turned into a tool for spying and data theft.”
<https://www.linkedin.com/in/zulfikar-ramzan-aa581/>
👾Therefore, if you play Minecraft, make sure it is downloaded through the official store, and be cautious when buying skins and mods by ensuring every purchase is through the official store. Downloading third-party apps will only put your device at further risk.👾](https://nerdculture.de/system/media_attachments/files/115/049/288/039/531/454/original/430808740cf94af0.jpeg "[ImageSource: pointwild.com]
Attack Flow Diagram
The diagram illustrates how the malware silently drops files, creates a new entry in the computer’s startup files to make sure it always runs, and then connects to a remote server. This server, hosted in India on Amazon’s cloud, is used by the attackers to control the infected computer and steal data.
Dr. Zulfikar Ramzan, CTO of Point Wild and leader of the Lat61 Threat Intelligence team, warns that “Threat actors are exploiting the popularity of Minecraft mods to spread powerful spyware. What looks like a harmless game is actually turned into a tool for spying and data theft.”
<https://www.linkedin.com/in/zulfikar-ramzan-aa581/>
👾Therefore, if you play Minecraft, make sure it is downloaded through the official store, and be cautious when buying skins and mods by ensuring every purchase is through the official store. Downloading third-party apps will only put your device at further risk.👾")
A version of Snake only playable with a Microscope.
[
Meet Subpixel Snake
]
This Subpixel Snake makes a fine addition to the long legacy of the Snake game originally released in 1998 alongside the Nokia 6110 — if only as the ultimate proof that there really is almost no limit to what you can play this game on.
![[Patrick Gillespie] showcased a small JavaScript project in which he made a new Snake game based on an older Snake game he'd once made. Except now, with "small" as the emphasis, [Gillespie] boiled the game down to such an extent that one may literally need a microscope in order to play it as intended. Alternatively, the game [is already hosted on his personal site] can also be played with a web browser at maximum zoom…. and then use of the OS Magnifier function turned up to the maximum.
👾Even at max zoom, your movable space within those subpixels will still be pretty limited, and visibility not quite as clear as a proper microscope, but it still works.👾](https://nerdculture.de/system/media_attachments/files/115/038/460/382/975/830/original/94bf7cb7ef7cfbe7.jpeg "[Patrick Gillespie] showcased a small JavaScript project in which he made a new Snake game based on an older Snake game he'd once made. Except now, with \"small\" as the emphasis, [Gillespie] boiled the game down to such an extent that one may literally need a microscope in order to play it as intended. Alternatively, the game [is already hosted on his personal site] can also be played with a web browser at maximum zoom…. and then use of the OS Magnifier function turned up to the maximum.
👾Even at max zoom, your movable space within those subpixels will still be pretty limited, and visibility not quite as clear as a proper microscope, but it still works.👾")
![[ImageSource: Patrick Gillespie]
Gameplay of Subpixel Snake under the microscope.
<https://youtu.be/iDwganLjpW0>
⁉️For those unfamiliar with subpixels, they're explained pretty well in the video. If you don't already know, I can explain it even more quickly:⁉️
Your screen is made of tiny squares called pixels. Inside each of those pixels is an array of lights, usually Red, Green & Blue, and by controlling the brightness of these subpixels, the display can recreate most colors within the spectrum of human vision. How good the display is at doing this will vary massively depending on your choice of monitor, but these days OLEDs are considered a treat if you're willing to spend more than you necessarily need for a great gaming monitor in favor of yet deeper image fidelity.
<https://github.com/patorjk/subpixel-snake>](https://nerdculture.de/system/media_attachments/files/115/038/461/404/440/534/original/eac833f89b53f32a.png "[ImageSource: Patrick Gillespie]
Gameplay of Subpixel Snake under the microscope.
<https://youtu.be/iDwganLjpW0>
⁉️For those unfamiliar with subpixels, they're explained pretty well in the video. If you don't already know, I can explain it even more quickly:⁉️
Your screen is made of tiny squares called pixels. Inside each of those pixels is an array of lights, usually Red, Green & Blue, and by controlling the brightness of these subpixels, the display can recreate most colors within the spectrum of human vision. How good the display is at doing this will vary massively depending on your choice of monitor, but these days OLEDs are considered a treat if you're willing to spend more than you necessarily need for a great gaming monitor in favor of yet deeper image fidelity.
<https://github.com/patorjk/subpixel-snake>")
The International Obfuscated C Code Contest is back for 2024.
Last week, the results for the IOCCC 2024 were announced, with a record 23 winners. It's the first IOCCC in four years, but you shouldn't take that to imply it's as regular as the Olympics. In fact, almost nothing about the IOCCC is regular: this was the 28th edition of the event, and celebrated its 40th anniversary.
![[ImageSource: IOCCC]
I’m profoundly impressed by one of [Ilya Kurdyukov]'s entries, which won the "Prize in phased periodicity." Its code is barely longer but arguably more decorative.
Formatted to look like a quarter-illuminated moon, its 295 characters of code draw the Earth's moon in its current phase on your console. For extra amusement value, it doesn't use any floating point. Instructions are provided how to amend a few characters to get the view from the southern hemisphere, or for more pleasing results if your terminal isn't bright-on-dark.
<https://www.ioccc.org/2024/kurdyukov1/index.html>
<https://youtu.be/b2WfQdGJS8s>
👾It reminds me of probably the most famous code comment of all time, by [Dennis Ritchie] in Sixth Edition UNIX:👾
/* You are not expected to understand this */
<https://web.archive.org/web/20040206202840/http://cm.bell-labs.com/cm/cs/who/dmr/odd.html>](https://nerdculture.de/system/media_attachments/files/115/032/407/623/357/952/original/56097fd1635d0b1e.jpeg "[ImageSource: IOCCC]
I’m profoundly impressed by one of [Ilya Kurdyukov]'s entries, which won the \"Prize in phased periodicity.\" Its code is barely longer but arguably more decorative.
Formatted to look like a quarter-illuminated moon, its 295 characters of code draw the Earth's moon in its current phase on your console. For extra amusement value, it doesn't use any floating point. Instructions are provided how to amend a few characters to get the view from the southern hemisphere, or for more pleasing results if your terminal isn't bright-on-dark.
<https://www.ioccc.org/2024/kurdyukov1/index.html>
<https://youtu.be/b2WfQdGJS8s>
👾It reminds me of probably the most famous code comment of all time, by [Dennis Ritchie] in Sixth Edition UNIX:👾
/* You are not expected to understand this */
<https://web.archive.org/web/20040206202840/http://cm.bell-labs.com/cm/cs/who/dmr/odd.html>")
Japan sets new Internet Speed Record — It's 4 Million Times faster than average US Broadband Speeds.
Researchers in Japan say they have set a new world record for the fastest internet speed, transmitting over 125,000 gigabytes of data per second over 1,802 kilometers [1,120 miles].
Check my Image Description’s
Supported by @LPI @linuxmagazine and @adminmagazine #OSJH was built for #OpenSource professionals seeking technical and non-technical positions. Sign up for job alerts and find the job that's right for you
https://opensourcejobhub.com/jobs?utm_source=smm
#jobs #career #OpenSource #FOSS #engineer #SoftwareDeveloper #marketing #sales #tech #DevOps #sysadmin
Eco-friendly Plastic offers flexible Electronic Properties without 'Forever Chemicals'.
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have developed an environmentally safer type of plastic that can be used for wearable electronics, sensors and other electrical applications. The material, a so-called ferroelectric polymer….
![….is made without fluorine, considered a "forever" chemical that hurts the environment because compounds made with it don't break down quickly or at all.
Polymers are large molecules comprised of long chains of smaller molecular units that can be man-made such as plastics or natural like in a person's hair or DNA. By changing a polymer's molecular structure and length, it can vary its strength, flexibility, heat-resistance and ability to be recycled.
Ferroelectricity refers to certain materials with what is known as "spontaneous polarization" that can be reversed by applying an electric field [like an on-off switch]. Ferroelectric materials allow for the development of smaller, more efficient electronic devices, reducing our reliance on traditional energy sources.
The new material, is both flexible and has what is known as tunable electronic properties, which means they can be switched on and off. They have wide applications in infrared detectors and sensors in wearable electronics, for which the materials need to be soft, pliable and elastic to be compatible with the human body. Conventional ceramic ferroelectric materials are rigid and brittle.
👾Polymers have the advantage of being flexible and lightweight, but the dominant ferroelectric polymer [poly vinylidene fluoride or PVDF], doesn't naturally degrade in the environment, making it a "forever chemical." The new material is made without fluorine.👾](https://nerdculture.de/system/media_attachments/files/115/021/260/696/980/707/original/e0b922552db1ede1.jpeg "….is made without fluorine, considered a \"forever\" chemical that hurts the environment because compounds made with it don't break down quickly or at all.
Polymers are large molecules comprised of long chains of smaller molecular units that can be man-made such as plastics or natural like in a person's hair or DNA. By changing a polymer's molecular structure and length, it can vary its strength, flexibility, heat-resistance and ability to be recycled.
Ferroelectricity refers to certain materials with what is known as \"spontaneous polarization\" that can be reversed by applying an electric field [like an on-off switch]. Ferroelectric materials allow for the development of smaller, more efficient electronic devices, reducing our reliance on traditional energy sources.
The new material, is both flexible and has what is known as tunable electronic properties, which means they can be switched on and off. They have wide applications in infrared detectors and sensors in wearable electronics, for which the materials need to be soft, pliable and elastic to be compatible with the human body. Conventional ceramic ferroelectric materials are rigid and brittle.
👾Polymers have the advantage of being flexible and lightweight, but the dominant ferroelectric polymer [poly vinylidene fluoride or PVDF], doesn't naturally degrade in the environment, making it a \"forever chemical.\" The new material is made without fluorine.👾")
![[ImageSource: Science (2025) DOI: 10.1126/science.ads4702]
PLM images of the powder FE-2SO2P sample during a heating and cooling cycle.
Although the researchers are still working to improve the material's electric and elastic properties, the potential is vast for its flexibility of electronic uses and eco-friendly structure.
"How this material generates its electric properties is also fundamentally new," said lead researcher Lei Zhu, a professor of macromolecular science and engineering at the Case School of Engineering. "Unlike current ferroelectric materials, it doesn't have to crystallize to lock in the polarity that gives it electrical properties."
👾Ferroelectric polymers also have applications in sensors for ultrasound diagnostic tools because they are acoustically compatible with biological tissues. They are also potentially useful in augmented and virtual reality [AR and VR] goggles.👾
"We're still in the development stage of synthesizing small quantities and investigating the properties," Zhu said. "But we're excited about the potential to replace environmentally harmful plastics in sensors and detectors."](https://nerdculture.de/system/media_attachments/files/115/021/261/180/955/386/original/c5c4e34fe6c3129e.jpeg "[ImageSource: Science (2025) DOI: 10.1126/science.ads4702]
PLM images of the powder FE-2SO2P sample during a heating and cooling cycle.
Although the researchers are still working to improve the material's electric and elastic properties, the potential is vast for its flexibility of electronic uses and eco-friendly structure.
\"How this material generates its electric properties is also fundamentally new,\" said lead researcher Lei Zhu, a professor of macromolecular science and engineering at the Case School of Engineering. \"Unlike current ferroelectric materials, it doesn't have to crystallize to lock in the polarity that gives it electrical properties.\"
👾Ferroelectric polymers also have applications in sensors for ultrasound diagnostic tools because they are acoustically compatible with biological tissues. They are also potentially useful in augmented and virtual reality [AR and VR] goggles.👾
\"We're still in the development stage of synthesizing small quantities and investigating the properties,\" Zhu said. \"But we're excited about the potential to replace environmentally harmful plastics in sensors and detectors.\"")
#Fake #WhatsApp #Developer #Libraries hide destructive Data-Wiping Code.
Two malicious NPM packages currently available in the registry target WhatsApp developers with destructive data-wiping code. The packages, masquerade as WhatsApp socket libraries and were downloaded over 1,100 times since their publication last month.
https://socket.dev/blog/malicious-npm-packages-target-whatsapp-developers-with-remote-kill-switch
![[ImageSource: Socket]
[#1] The Data Wiping Code.
Both naya-flore and nvlore-hs contain a function called 'requestPairingCode,' that is supposed to handle WhatsApp pairing, but which retrieves a base64 JSON file from a GitHub address. The JSON file contains a list of Indonesian phone numbers that act as a kill switch, excluding owners of these numbers from the malicious functionality.
‼️For the rest [valid targets], the code executes the 'rm -rf *' command, which deletes all files recursively in the current directory, effectively wiping code from the developer's system.‼️
[#2] The currently disabled Data Exfiltration Function.
Socket also discovered a dormant data exfiltration function ['generateCreeds'], which could exfiltrate the victim's phone number, device ID, status and hardcoded key. This function is present but commented out in both packages, so it's disabled.](https://nerdculture.de/system/media_attachments/files/115/015/767/613/685/988/original/66fd31610fe683da.jpeg "[ImageSource: Socket]
[#1] The Data Wiping Code.
Both naya-flore and nvlore-hs contain a function called 'requestPairingCode,' that is supposed to handle WhatsApp pairing, but which retrieves a base64 JSON file from a GitHub address. The JSON file contains a list of Indonesian phone numbers that act as a kill switch, excluding owners of these numbers from the malicious functionality.
‼️For the rest [valid targets], the code executes the 'rm -rf *' command, which deletes all files recursively in the current directory, effectively wiping code from the developer's system.‼️
[#2] The currently disabled Data Exfiltration Function.
Socket also discovered a dormant data exfiltration function ['generateCreeds'], which could exfiltrate the victim's phone number, device ID, status and hardcoded key. This function is present but commented out in both packages, so it's disabled.")
![[ImageSource: Socket]
Search Results containing Links to a Malicious Package.
Go Ecosystem hit too.
In parallel news, Socket also discovered 11 malicious Go packages that use string-array obfuscation to silently execute remote payloads at runtime. These packages spawn a shell, fetch a second-stage script or executable from .icu or .tech domains, and run it in memory, targeting both Linux CI servers and Windows workstations.
<https://socket.dev/blog/11-malicious-go-packages-distribute-obfuscated-remote-payloads>
‼️The majority of the packages are typosquats, meaning they bet on developer mis-types and confusion to trick them into downloading them.‼️
The malicious packages and their locations are listed below:
• github.com/stripedconsu/linker
• github.com/agitatedleopa/stm
• github.com/expertsandba/opt
• github.com/wetteepee/hcloud-ip-floater
• github.com/weightycine/replika
• github.com/ordinarymea/tnsr_ids
• github.com/ordinarymea/TNSR_IDS
• github.com/cavernouskina/mcp-go
• github.com/lastnymph/gouid
• github.com/sinfulsky/gouid
• github.com/briefinitia/gouid
👾Most of them are still live, so Go developers are advised to be very cautious and double-check their building blocks before using them in their environments.👾](https://nerdculture.de/system/media_attachments/files/115/015/772/042/605/542/original/c6ae587c02141267.jpeg "[ImageSource: Socket]
Search Results containing Links to a Malicious Package.
Go Ecosystem hit too.
In parallel news, Socket also discovered 11 malicious Go packages that use string-array obfuscation to silently execute remote payloads at runtime. These packages spawn a shell, fetch a second-stage script or executable from .icu or .tech domains, and run it in memory, targeting both Linux CI servers and Windows workstations.
<https://socket.dev/blog/11-malicious-go-packages-distribute-obfuscated-remote-payloads>
‼️The majority of the packages are typosquats, meaning they bet on developer mis-types and confusion to trick them into downloading them.‼️
The malicious packages and their locations are listed below:
• github.com/stripedconsu/linker
• github.com/agitatedleopa/stm
• github.com/expertsandba/opt
• github.com/wetteepee/hcloud-ip-floater
• github.com/weightycine/replika
• github.com/ordinarymea/tnsr_ids
• github.com/ordinarymea/TNSR_IDS
• github.com/cavernouskina/mcp-go
• github.com/lastnymph/gouid
• github.com/sinfulsky/gouid
• github.com/briefinitia/gouid
👾Most of them are still live, so Go developers are advised to be very cautious and double-check their building blocks before using them in their environments.👾")
[#GarageMinder] #Automatic #Garage #Door
After getting a new car, [Solo Pilot] missed the automatic garage door opening & closing system their old car had. So they set about building their own, called GarageMinder. On the project page you will find a bill of materials, schematics and some notes about the approach taken in various versions of the software.
![[ImageSource: Solo Pilot]
The basic hardware centers around a Raspberry Pi Zero W, but there are plans to switch to an ESP32. From the car side of things there are built-in continuous Bluetooth Low Energy [BLE] advertisement broadcasts, which the Raspberry Pi can detect.
👾Building a reliable system on top of these unreliable signals is difficult and you can read about some of the challenges and approaches that were taken during development. This is a work in progress and additional techniques and approaches are going to be trialed in future.👾](https://nerdculture.de/system/media_attachments/files/115/004/671/253/335/974/original/73da47773af87c37.jpeg "[ImageSource: Solo Pilot]
The basic hardware centers around a Raspberry Pi Zero W, but there are plans to switch to an ESP32. From the car side of things there are built-in continuous Bluetooth Low Energy [BLE] advertisement broadcasts, which the Raspberry Pi can detect.
👾Building a reliable system on top of these unreliable signals is difficult and you can read about some of the challenges and approaches that were taken during development. This is a work in progress and additional techniques and approaches are going to be trialed in future.👾")
8 Bit Mechanical Computer built from K’nex.
Long before electricity was a common household utility, humanity had been building machines to do many tasks. Transportation, manufacturing, agriculture and essentially everything had non-electric analogs, and perhaps surprisingly, there were mechanical computers as well….
![….Electronics-based computers are far superior in essentially every way, but the aesthetics of a mechanical computer are still unmatched, like this 8-bit machine built from K’nex.
Although this video only goes over the ALU for the mechanical computer, I look forward to [Shadowman39]’s future videos, which go over the other parts of the machine. The basics of the computer are shown in intricate detail. Mechanical computers like these, while generally built as passion projects and not as usable computers, are excellent ways to get a deeper understanding of their electronics-based cousins.
👾Another way to dive deep into this sort of computing world is by building a relay computer.👾](https://nerdculture.de/system/media_attachments/files/114/998/761/329/416/399/original/f248f5ab48760c72.jpeg "….Electronics-based computers are far superior in essentially every way, but the aesthetics of a mechanical computer are still unmatched, like this 8-bit machine built from K’nex.
Although this video only goes over the ALU for the mechanical computer, I look forward to [Shadowman39]’s future videos, which go over the other parts of the machine. The basics of the computer are shown in intricate detail. Mechanical computers like these, while generally built as passion projects and not as usable computers, are excellent ways to get a deeper understanding of their electronics-based cousins.
👾Another way to dive deep into this sort of computing world is by building a relay computer.👾")
![[ImageSource: Shadowman39]
The K’nex computer is built by [Shadowman39], and this first video features just the ALU. It can accept numbers from 0-255 or -128 to 127 and can add two of these numbers by storing them in registers using levers to represent each digit. A drive system underneath with a rack and pinion system operates on each digit, eventually outputting the sum.
👾It can also perform other mathematical operations like subtraction and handling negative numbers using the two’s complement method.👾](https://nerdculture.de/system/media_attachments/files/114/998/762/113/266/850/original/87b99d998de58158.jpeg "[ImageSource: Shadowman39]
The K’nex computer is built by [Shadowman39], and this first video features just the ALU. It can accept numbers from 0-255 or -128 to 127 and can add two of these numbers by storing them in registers using levers to represent each digit. A drive system underneath with a rack and pinion system operates on each digit, eventually outputting the sum.
👾It can also perform other mathematical operations like subtraction and handling negative numbers using the two’s complement method.👾")
Remember: Behind every robot that turns evil, is an engineer who specifically installed red LEDs into the eyes just for this occasion.
[
BEWARE] Mozilla warns of Phishing Attacks targeting Add-On Developers.
According to Mozilla's advisory, these phishing emails are impersonating the AMO [addons-mozilla-org] team and claim that the targeted developer accounts require updates to maintain access to development features.
https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2025/08/01/warning-phishing-campaign-detected/
!["The developer community should be aware we've detected a phishing campaign targeting AMO [addons.mozilla.org] accounts. Add-on developers should exercise extreme caution and scrutiny when receiving emails claiming to be from Mozilla/AMO," Mozilla cautioned. "Phishing emails typically state some variation of the message' Your Mozilla Add-ons account requires an update to continue accessing developer features."
👾To secure their accounts, developers are advised to always verify if emails they receive are sent from a Mozilla domain [firefox.com, mozilla.org, mozilla.com or their subdomains], that they pass standard email authentication checks [including SPF, DKIM and DMARC], and not to click on links embedded in suspicious emails.👾
‼️Mozilla also urged developers to navigate directly to its websites rather than following email links, and only enter their login credentials on official Mozilla or Firefox domains.‼️](https://nerdculture.de/system/media_attachments/files/114/987/448/972/975/097/original/b85e45cf86dacecd.jpeg "\"The developer community should be aware we've detected a phishing campaign targeting AMO [addons.mozilla.org] accounts. Add-on developers should exercise extreme caution and scrutiny when receiving emails claiming to be from Mozilla/AMO,\" Mozilla cautioned. \"Phishing emails typically state some variation of the message' Your Mozilla Add-ons account requires an update to continue accessing developer features.\"
👾To secure their accounts, developers are advised to always verify if emails they receive are sent from a Mozilla domain [firefox.com, mozilla.org, mozilla.com or their subdomains], that they pass standard email authentication checks [including SPF, DKIM and DMARC], and not to click on links embedded in suspicious emails.👾
‼️Mozilla also urged developers to navigate directly to its websites rather than following email links, and only enter their login credentials on official Mozilla or Firefox domains.‼️")
![[ImageSource: blog.mozilla.org]
Mozilla Phishing Email
<https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2025/08/01/warning-phishing-campaign-detected/#comment-227958>
While Mozilla has yet to disclose the scale of this phishing campaign, the end goal of the attacks, or whether any developer accounts had already been successfully compromised, at least one developer claims to have fallen victim.
<https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2025/08/01/warning-phishing-campaign-detected/#comment-227959>
Mozilla said it would provide updates if additional details about this campaign become available.
👾The warning comes after last month's announcement that Mozilla's Add-ons Operations team has launched a new security feature to help block malicious Firefox extensions designed to drain cryptocurrency wallets.👾
<https://nerdculture.de/@Olly42/114817349825232313>
Andreas Wagner, the Add-ons Operations Manager who oversees the content security and review efforts for addons.mozilla.org [AMO], stated that Mozilla has identified and removed hundreds of extensions, including fraudulent cryptocurrency wallets, over the past few years.
‼️While not all of these extensions were directly linked to malicious activities, criminals stole $494 million worth of cryptocurrency last year through wallet-draining attacks affecting over 300,000 wallet addresses.‼️](https://nerdculture.de/system/media_attachments/files/114/987/449/609/199/373/original/6a9669763ec9241d.jpeg "[ImageSource: blog.mozilla.org]
Mozilla Phishing Email
<https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2025/08/01/warning-phishing-campaign-detected/#comment-227958>
While Mozilla has yet to disclose the scale of this phishing campaign, the end goal of the attacks, or whether any developer accounts had already been successfully compromised, at least one developer claims to have fallen victim.
<https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2025/08/01/warning-phishing-campaign-detected/#comment-227959>
Mozilla said it would provide updates if additional details about this campaign become available.
👾The warning comes after last month's announcement that Mozilla's Add-ons Operations team has launched a new security feature to help block malicious Firefox extensions designed to drain cryptocurrency wallets.👾
<https://nerdculture.de/@Olly42/114817349825232313>
Andreas Wagner, the Add-ons Operations Manager who oversees the content security and review efforts for addons.mozilla.org [AMO], stated that Mozilla has identified and removed hundreds of extensions, including fraudulent cryptocurrency wallets, over the past few years.
‼️While not all of these extensions were directly linked to malicious activities, criminals stole $494 million worth of cryptocurrency last year through wallet-draining attacks affecting over 300,000 wallet addresses.‼️")
We're expanding our R&D team in Finland and we're looking for Android System Engineers. If you are interested in learning how to compile, change, and deploy your own Android OS, develop and ideate on system applications our customers will enjoy using worldwide and build future technologies from scratch, this is for you.
If you or, someone you know is interested on joining us at HMD, tag them, reach out to me.
PS: This position is Europe-based and you can work remotely from Europe. Most of the team is in Finland.
#engineer #term #status #thread
https://mas.to/@nemo/114979601693559383
1/9
There are job descriptions with titles like "support engineer" or "helpdesk engineer" that, despite the use of "engineer," do not always involve traditional engineering tasks such as design, development, or system architecture. These roles focus on technical support, troubleshooting, and user assistance rather than core engineering.
1/5 In both the United States and Canada, the term "engineer" and related titles such as "professional engineer" (PE in the US, P.Eng. in Canada) are legally protected and regulated. Using these titles without proper licensure is generally prohibited to ensure public safety.
Post SMTP Plugin Flaw exposes 200K WordPress Sites to Hijacking Attacks.
The security issue affects all versions of Post SMTP up to 3.2.0 and is due to a broken access control mechanism in the plugin’s REST API endpoints, which only verified if a user was logged in, without checking their permission level….
![….This means that low-privileged users, such as Subscribers, could access email logs containing full email content.
[Post SMTP is a popular email delivery plugin for WordPress that counts more than 400,000 active installations. It’s marketed as a replacement of the default ‘wp_mail()’ function that is more reliable and feature-rich.]
<https://wordpress.org/plugins/post-smtp/>
The vulnerability, now tracked as CVE-2025-24000, was originally reported by Denver Jackson through Patchstack’s Zero Day program. The responsible disclosure was made on May 23, 2025, and by June 11, the patched version of Post SMTP was publicly released.
<https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-24000>
‼️If you’re using this plugin and haven’t updated yet, make sure you’re running version 3.3.0 or higher. Any site with open registration, whether for comments, eCommerce or memberships, is especially at risk if this vulnerability remains unpatched. It’s one of those cases where a small oversight in permissions logic opened up access to highly sensitive data that should never be visible to most users.‼️](https://nerdculture.de/system/media_attachments/files/114/976/124/379/826/247/original/01881a7c7910cd6d.jpeg "….This means that low-privileged users, such as Subscribers, could access email logs containing full email content.
[Post SMTP is a popular email delivery plugin for WordPress that counts more than 400,000 active installations. It’s marketed as a replacement of the default ‘wp_mail()’ function that is more reliable and feature-rich.]
<https://wordpress.org/plugins/post-smtp/>
The vulnerability, now tracked as CVE-2025-24000, was originally reported by Denver Jackson through Patchstack’s Zero Day program. The responsible disclosure was made on May 23, 2025, and by June 11, the patched version of Post SMTP was publicly released.
<https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-24000>
‼️If you’re using this plugin and haven’t updated yet, make sure you’re running version 3.3.0 or higher. Any site with open registration, whether for comments, eCommerce or memberships, is especially at risk if this vulnerability remains unpatched. It’s one of those cases where a small oversight in permissions logic opened up access to highly sensitive data that should never be visible to most users.‼️")
![[ImageSource: PatchStack]
The vulnerable Code.
On vulnerable sites, a subscriber could initiate a password reset for an Administrator account, intercept the reset email via the logs, and gain control of the account. The plugin’s developer [Saad Iqbal], was informed about the flaw and responded with a fix for Patchstack to review on May 26.
👾According to Patch Stack’s report, the fix arrived in version 3.3.0, where the plugin’s developers updated the ‘get_logs_permission’ function. Instead of just checking whether a user is logged in, it now confirms whether they have the ‘manage_options’ capability, which typically belongs only to Admins. That change closed the door on the broken access controls and stopped the account takeover threat.👾
Download statistics on WordPress.org show that less than half of the plugin's user base [48.5%] has updated to version 3.3. This means that more than 200,000 websites are vulnerable to CVE-2025-24000.
<https://wordpress.org/plugins/post-smtp/advanced/>
‼️A notable 24.2%, corresponding to 96,800 sites, still run Post SMTP versions from the 2.x branch, which is vulnerable to additional security flaws, leaving them open to attacks.‼️](https://nerdculture.de/system/media_attachments/files/114/976/125/458/351/768/original/bd72c2849f13df5e.jpeg "[ImageSource: PatchStack]
The vulnerable Code.
On vulnerable sites, a subscriber could initiate a password reset for an Administrator account, intercept the reset email via the logs, and gain control of the account. The plugin’s developer [Saad Iqbal], was informed about the flaw and responded with a fix for Patchstack to review on May 26.
👾According to Patch Stack’s report, the fix arrived in version 3.3.0, where the plugin’s developers updated the ‘get_logs_permission’ function. Instead of just checking whether a user is logged in, it now confirms whether they have the ‘manage_options’ capability, which typically belongs only to Admins. That change closed the door on the broken access controls and stopped the account takeover threat.👾
Download statistics on WordPress.org show that less than half of the plugin's user base [48.5%] has updated to version 3.3. This means that more than 200,000 websites are vulnerable to CVE-2025-24000.
<https://wordpress.org/plugins/post-smtp/advanced/>
‼️A notable 24.2%, corresponding to 96,800 sites, still run Post SMTP versions from the 2.x branch, which is vulnerable to additional security flaws, leaving them open to attacks.‼️")
