AI & Cybersecurity News
A curated feed of the latest developments in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, aggregated from leading industry and research sources.
[Virtual Event] What Every Enterprise Should Know About Securing Cloud Assets in the Age of AI
DistroKid has been quietly taking down songs in response to UMG lawsuit
Artists are taking to social media to complain that DistroKid has unceremoniously removed their work without notice. Now DistroKid has confirmed to The Verge that the takedowns are a direct response to claims made by UMG. The label filed a lawsuit in September claiming that…
Cyber exec arrested in case allegedly tied to ShinyHunters hackers
Canadian cybersecurity executive Edward Dubrovsky has been arrested in Pennsylvania in connection with alleged extortion activity that multiple reports have linked to the FBI's ongoing crackdown on the ShinyHunters hacking group. [...]
Anthropic is cutting off its internal evaluations from the internet
After a recent spate of high-profile incidents in which AI agents escaped containment, Anthropic is cutting off internet access for all internal evaluations. In a report Friday, the company detailed "unintended model actions," including submitting a false tip regarding an…
ARTEX AI, Claude agents used in cyberattacks on South Korean banks
The cyberattacks that shook the South Korean financial sector earlier this month were launched by a Chinese hacker using the ARTEX AI penetration testing suite and Claude agents. [...]
AI agent makers are promising privacy — will they deliver?
At this year's OpenAI DevDay, CEO Sam Altman unveiled the company's new AI agent Dots - and told the crowd that the company wants to "set a new standard for privacy in frontier AI." OpenAI would spend the day taking veiled shots at Meta's Muse, its primary competitor, for…
Criminal IP Introduces AITEM as the Next Evolution of Attack Surface Management
Traditional attack surface management helps organizations discover exposed assets, but visibility alone is not enough to address threats. Criminal IP introduces AITEM, an AI-powered approach that connects exposure discovery with investigation, risk prioritization, and response.…
The Third-Party Agent Problem: Why Security Built for AI You Chose Misses the Agents You Didn't
In environments studied for the 2026 State of Agent Security Report, roughly 1,280 third-party products now embed AI. About 282 of them sit behind single sign-on. The other thousand are invisible to identity infrastructure by default, not because anyone hid them, but because an…
Anthropic Cuts Live Internet Access for Internal AI Tests After Claude Exploits Injection Flaws
Anthropic on Friday said it's cutting off live internet access for all its internal evaluations following the discovery of new incidents in which its artificial intelligence (AI) models exhibited misaligned behavior and targeted real websites. The AI company said it identified…
FBI Arrests Executive at Ransomware Negotiation Firm
Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Thursday arrested the co-founder of a Canadian cybersecurity firm in connection with an investigation into the ShinyHunters hacking group that recently relieved the FBI of sensitive data on thousands of agents, multiple…
Anthropic’s AI gave Philadelphia police a fake tip about an unsolved homicide
An Anthropic AI model provided false information about an unsolved homicide to a Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) tipline, according to a report from 6abc. In a statement released on Friday, the PPD said the AI model sent the tip through PhillyUnsolvedMurders.com on July…
ASOS Breach Reveals the Risks in Customer-Facing SaaS
The attack on the British retailer shows that compromising a single identity can lead to much deeper penetration of the corporate network.
Hackers abuse Google Ads, Bing redirects to push Claude ClickFix attacks
Hackers are abusing legitimate Bing search-result redirects as click URLs in Google search ads to direct users to fake Claude installers that deliver ClickFix attacks. [...]
Friday Squid Blogging: I Caught a Squid
On Wednesday I spent a day fishing, on a small boat out of Gloucester, MA. We caught many cod (none of which we could keep), and a bunch of hake and mackerel (all of which we could keep). And…I caught a squid! Near as I can tell, it’s a longfin squid, sometimes called a Boston…
AI Scramble Drives Cybersecurity M&A Boom
Welcome to another gangbuster year for strategic M&A activity in cyber, with 117 deals announced in the latest quarter. What's different: Many of the buyers are not your typical cybersecurity firms.
Credential-Stealing GitHub Actions Workflows Planted in Tens of Thousands of Repositories
Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed details of an ongoing credential-theft campaign that has compromised two high-profile open-source maintainer accounts to push a malicious workflow into over 340 repositories. "Using the account of Takashi Kitao, author of the 18,400-star…
‘Pure insanity’: Mathematicians will need years to make sense of OpenAI’s latest drop
"Staggering." "Overwhelming." "Unprecedented." "Surreal." "Pure insanity." Those were among the descriptions more than three dozen mathematicians reached for in conversations with The Verge as they tried to make sense of the flood of mathematical results OpenAI abruptly dropped…
PC shipments fall 20.1 percent in “sharpest decline” since Q1 2023
"The current decline may be just the beginning of a new downward cycle."
Nikon microscopic video competition winner disqualified for using generative AI
Nikon says the video that originally won first place in its Small World in Motion contest "did not comply with the competition rules regarding generative AI." BBC reports that the original first place video from Dr. Ning Xu claimed to show "tiny, hair-like structures called…
FBI Arrests Another ShinyHunters Suspect Reportedly Involved in Its Jobs Portal Hack
The FBI has arrested another suspected co-conspirator of ShinyHunters, FBI Director Kash Patel said on October 9 in a post on X. ShinyHunters is the extortion group that said in September it had breached the FBI's jobs portal and stolen sensitive data on almost all FBI agents…
What We Missed: FBI Strikes Back at ShinyHunters
In this video conversation, Dark Reading editors discuss some of the news they didn't get a chance to cover, from the arrest of a suspected ShinyHunters operative to the compromise of a Pentagon-run data center.
Unpatched AhsayCBS flaws exploited to deploy webshells, mine crypto
Threat actors are exploiting one critical and one medium-severity vulnerability still unpatched in the AhsayCBS backup management platform to deploy webshells and cryptocurrency miners. [...]
FBI arrests another suspected ShinyHunters hacker after agency breach
The FBI has arrested another suspected member of the ShinyHunters extortion group believed to be involved in the recent breach of FBI systems, Director Kash Patel announced Friday. [...]
P7 DarkSword iOS Exploit Kit Adds Crypto Wallet Data Theft and Remote Commands
Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed details of a previously unseen variant of the DarkSword iOS exploit kit called P7 DarkSword. "Compared with the variants we usually observe, P7 reduces its on-device footprint, adds on-device keychain and crypto-wallet theft, and adds two…
Security Threats Don't Stop at the Office: Why Executives' Families Need Training, Too
Those closest to executives must match their security postures because the weakest link in a family can become the entry point for attacks.
Germany arrests alleged core Qilin ransomware member after extradition
Germany has arrested a Russian national suspected of being a leading member of the Qilin ransomware group following extradition from Japan earlier this month. [...]
Trump’s attempt to rename AI is looking awfully artificial
President Donald Trump has a knack for turning words against his enemies. His first successful presidential run was built on monikers like "Little Marco" and "Crooked Hillary"; he changed "fake news" from a phrase describing scammy media outlets to a derogatory term for the…
How to keep AI agents within their permissions
AI agents can use valid credentials to perform actions beyond their assigned permissions, creating risks that traditional access controls may not prevent. Token Security explains how organizations can enforce agent-specific policies without sacrificing autonomy. [...]
Instinct was the buzziest AI agent around — can it survive Muse?
Before there were cute little guys, there was Instinct. In August, the startup got its AI agent to market with an unusual playbook: invite-only, no marketing, and barely so much as a website. And yet, Instinct quickly became the buzziest thing in AI, garnering praise for its…
TP-Link Sued by Four More U.S. States Over Router Security and China Ties
Four more U.S. states sued router maker TP-Link Systems on October 6, bringing the total to five, with Texas filing a suit in February. Florida, Iowa, Montana and Nebraska allege the California company misled buyers about how secure its routers are and how separate it is from…
Social Engineering AI Agents: The New BEC for 2026
As AI agents gain authority over business systems, attackers can manipulate them like business email compromise (BEC) victims.
Researchers Publish Working Exploit for Pre-Auth AnyDesk Linux Flaw That Gives Root Access
Security researchers have published a full working exploit for a pre-authentication remote code execution flaw in AnyDesk Linux that gives attackers root access before anyone approves the connection. AnyDesk patched the flaw in version 8.0.3 in June, but its changelog described…
Anthropic Launches Free AI Vulnerability Scanner for Open-Source Projects
Anthropic on Thursday unveiled OSS Scanner as an opt-in vulnerability scanner to help secure the open-source ecosystem using artificial intelligence (AI). "It's an opt-in service informed by our experience using Claude to find vulnerabilities during Project Glasswing," Anthropic…
Attackers Exploit AhsayCBS Flaws to Deploy XMRig Miners Disguised as Microsoft Edge
Threat actors have been observed exploiting two recently disclosed flaws in the AhsayCBS backup utility to seize control of affected devices and deploy web shells and XMRig cryptocurrency miners. Details of the flaws are below - CVE-2026-105133 (CVSS v4 score: 5.5) - An improper…
Max severity SonicWall SMA1000 flaw now exploited in attacks
Attackers are exploiting a maximum-severity vulnerability in SonicWall SMA1000 appliances (CVE-2026-102255) that was patched on Tuesday, three days ago. [...]
Flax Typhoon Exploits Five Flaws as CISA Sets October 11 Deadline for Federal Agencies
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Thursday added five security flaws to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, following their abuse by a China-linked threat actor known as Flax Typhoon. The vulnerabilities in question are listed…
The AI Velocity Paradox: Why Security Is Decades Behind AI Ambition
As enterprises race to deploy autonomous AI agents to accelerate business, a new report reveals they are tethered to security architectures built for a different era. The "Horizons of Identity Security" report from SailPoint highlights a critical “velocity paradox,” in which…
Man admits to running network of 15,000 money mules for cybercriminals
A Ukrainian-Russian dual citizen has pleaded guilty to running a massive money laundering operation that laundered millions for cybercriminals worldwide. [...]
Microsoft: Outdated Windows devices will stop receiving security updates
Microsoft says devices running unsupported versions of Windows will stop receiving security updates after next year's Windows Update certificate rotation. [...]
OpenAI doubles down on decision to fire three AI safety researchers
OpenAI is standing firm on its decision to fire three safety researchers after an investigation found they committed "a significant breach of trust." In a post on X on Friday, the company said Jasmine Wang, Tomek Korbak and Mikita Balesni were dismissed for violating "clear…
GoBalance Flaw Lets Attackers Hijack .onion Addresses by Recovering Tor-Format Keys
A bug in GoBalance, a tool many dark-web sites use to stay reachable during attacks, lets anyone work out the secret key that controls a site's .onion address using only public information, and then take that address over. Searchlight Cyber, which disclosed the flaw on October…
We’re putting too much faith in AI’s ability to say no
Ever since people first seriously contemplated giving machines an intelligence modeled on our own, there has never been any question that they would, like us, be able to say no. The sci-fi canon is full of stories of robotic disobedience. Most of these capers are, of course,…
Citrix warns admins to patch new NetScaler RCE flaw immediately
Citrix has warned IT administrators to patch systems immediately against a new critical vulnerability affecting NetScaler ADC networking appliances and NetScaler Gateway secure remote access solutions. [...]
Three Teams Demonstrate Remote Hacks of Fully Patched Google Pixel 10 at Pwn2Own
Three research teams broke into Google's Pixel 10 on October 8 at Pwn2Own Ireland, a hacking contest in Cork whose rules require every target to be fully patched. The contest pays researchers to show working exploits and passes the flaws to the vendors. One of the three Pixel…
Citrix Patches Critical NetScaler Flaw That Could Enable RCE in SAML Deployments
Citrix has released patches for yet another critical security flaw impacting NetScaler ADC and NetScaler Gateway that could result in remote code execution or denial-of-service (DoS) under certain conditions. "CVE-2026-107406 is a memory overflow vulnerability that may lead to…
FBI Seizes 7 Domains, Disrupts Flax Typhoon Tools Used in Critical Infrastructure Intrusions
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Justice (DoJ) have announced the disruption of malicious tools used by a China-linked advanced persistent threat group known as Flax Typhoon. To that end, the agencies seized several domains and blocked access to…
Hackers get $1,262,000 for 98 zero-days at Pwn2Own Ireland
The Pwn2Own Ireland 2026 hacking contest has concluded, with hackers collecting $1,262,000 in rewards after exploiting 98 zero-day flaws. [...]
Roundtables: A Conversation With the Creator of AI-Designed Viruses
Friday, October 16, 2026 Can AI design new life forms? In 2025, Stanford University PhD student Samuel King came up with a preliminary answer when he used a generative AI model to propose genetic blueprints for microscopic viruses. It isn’t yet an example of AI-generated life,…
Anthropic launches free AI security scans for open-source projects
Anthropic's offering to help open-source projects track down security vulnerabilities with a new service called OSS Scanner. It says open-source projects that opt-in will get "thorough, periodic security scans by our strongest models at no cost." That could mean open-source…
FBI disrupts Chinese hacking tools used to breach critical infrastructure
The FBI has seized seven domains used by Chinese state-sponsored hackers known as Flax Typhoon to operate two hacking tools, MicroScan and FishHub, used in attacks that breached critical infrastructure and other organizations worldwide. [...]
'AgentCorruption' Puts AWS Environments at Risk With Single Prompt
A now-patched vulnerability in AWS Bedrock AgentCore could have allowed an attacker to use one AI chatbot to take over an organization's entire fleet.
Ransomware attack disrupts Japan's IDCF Cloud used by govt clients
IDC Frontier, a major Japanese cloud and digital infrastructure company, disclosed that its IDCF Cloud service was targeted in a ransomware attack that caused an outage at a data center cluster serving the eastern part of the country. [...]
California is trying to shut down robot vs. human cage matches
The California State Athletic Commission sent a cease-and-desist letter to a startup that hosted a match between a human and a robot last month, as reported by The New York Times. The fight, which took place on September 18th, pitted a human, Frankie LaPenna, against a humanoid…
Low-cost Android phones ship with residential proxy malware
A malware campaign dubbed 'Midnight Mimosa' has been discovered on low-cost Android smartphones that ship with malicious software embedded in their firmware, allowing attackers to silently install apps, perform ad fraud, and turn devices into residential proxies. [...]
Venezuelan Cartel's Malware Honcho Nabbed for ATM Jackpotting
The first cybercriminal to ever make the FBI's "10 Most Wanted Fugitives" list allegedly infused Tren de Aragua's violent criminal operations with cash.
FBI Says China-Linked Hackers Ran Portal Giving Third Parties Access to Stolen Emails
Hackers tied to a Chinese cybersecurity company stole email from government organizations, law enforcement agencies, healthcare systems, and religious institutions in Southeast Asia, the FBI and agencies in 6 other countries said on October 8. The company, Integrity Technology…
Russian Spies Give 'MatchBoil' Malware a Stealthy Facelift
Cyber-espionage actor UAC-0099 has been steadily refining its flagship dropper in campaigns targeting Ukrainian organizations.
USA Today becomes the latest publisher to sue OpenAI
USA Today Co., along with the several local newspapers it owns, is suing OpenAI over claims that the company copied "hundreds of thousands" of articles to train its AI models, as reported earlier by Reuters. In a filing on Thursday, the publisher asks for damages of more than…
ThreatsDay: Ransomware Affiliate Betrayal, WhatsApp RAT, Exposed Hacker Tools and 12 More Stories
The crooks have trust problems of their own. One ransomware affiliate decided to keep the profits for himself. Elsewhere, an attacker left a server exposed, complete with tools and traces of an intrusion. Apparently, keeping things secure is a problem on both sides of the fence.…
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