First Mercenary Spyware Delivered Via Targeted Ads Uncovered by CitizenLab
CitizenLab confirmed the first publicly confirmed instance of mercenary spyware delivered via online targeted ads, dubbing it "AdFection."
Privacy & Security News
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Spy Chip Implanted in Ledger Wallets to Steal Cryptocurrency
The cryptocurrency wallet maker Ledge has confirmed that some devices sold through the reseller CryptoBilis were implanted with a spy chip that would steal users' seed phrase and drain their wallets.
Hackers at Pwn2Own Ireland Exploit Zero Days in the Google Pixel 10, Samsung Galaxy S26, and OpenAI Codex
Hackers at the Pwn2Own Ireland hacking competition were able to chain together zero-day exploits and already known vulnerabilities to exploit the Google Pixel 10, the Samsung Galaxy S26, and OpenAI's Codex.
Android On-Device AI Gets a Security Bump With "Next-Gen" Enclaves
Google announced in a blog post a new feature to keep local AI isolated from the rest of your device, based around virtual machines and hardware isolation, which they're calling "AI seal."
Data Breach Roundup (Oct 3 - 8, 2026)
This week saw a rather surprising hack from UK fashion retailer ASOS, as well as multiple breaches from organizations in Denmark.
Support Privacy Guides on DAF Day 2026
This October 8th, nonprofits of every size are asking their communities to make their DAF gifts count today, and we hope Privacy Guides is on your list.
Hackers Impersonate Google and Other Large Services With Counterfeit TLS Certificates
Attackers were able to compromise three top-level domain registries and mint TLS certificates for Google and other large organizations, allowing them to impersonate legitimate domains.
Apple Tightens "Full Disk Access" Permission on macOS in Light of AI Agent Security Concerns
Apple released a blog post on their Developer website announcing that they plan on tightening security around the "Full Disk Access" permission on macOS in light of AI agents misusing it and putting user data at risk.
Data Breach Roundup (Sep 25 - Oct 1, 2026)
The US government has once again been breached, as well as a Japanese car-sharing app and a vibe-coding app platform.
Leaked Video Shows That Police Can Bypass iPhones' Automatic Reboot Feature
According to 404 Media, a company that makes devices to hack phones claims they can bypass iOS's automatic reboot feature and allow police to more easily access data on iPhones.
German Police Are Using Linked Devices to Read Messages from Messaging Apps Without Cracking the Encryption
A document by Netzpolitik reveals that German police are sneakily abusing the linked devices feature in messengers to access the messages of suspects using encrypted messengers like Signal without needing to crack the encryption.
Highly Sensitive Data of 3 Million People in the Pentagon's System Accessed by "Unauthorized Users"
The Pentagon sent out letters to affected individuals explaining that their Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) was accessed by "unauthorized users," exposing the highly sensitive personal data of millions of military personnel.
New Attack Can Track You Across Operating Systems Without Elevated Privileges
Researchers at the Graz University of Technology Austria demonstrated a new attack that can track you via file change events "on all systems," allowing for various data leaks.
Meta Promises to Upgrade Ray Ban Smart Glasses with "Private Processing"
Meta announced in a blog post that its notorious smart glasses will soon use its Private Processing to protect your data as it's being processed in the cloud.
New Technique Discovered for Breaking RSA Faster Than Ever Before
Researchers have demonstrated a way to break RSA encryption faster than before, allowing them to break (admittedly already deprecated) 1024-bit RSA in just five months on classical computers in an academic CPU cluster.
Critical Tor Vulnerabilities Patched Across All Tor Components From the "LLM Report Firehose"
Tor has released updates for "all components" of Tor that include severe vulnerabilities and bugs from the "LLM report firehose" and recommends "upgrading as soon as possible."
Data Breach Roundup (Sep 18 - 24, 2026)
This week's big story is a breach of the FBI exposing all employees and applicants.
Discord Rolls Out Revised Age Verification, Promises Privacy Improvements Vs Previous Implementation
Discord is rolling out a revised version of their age verification system, promising privacy improvements over the previous implementation.
FBI Hacked, Sensitive Info on "Almost All FBI Agents" Stolen
The notorious hacker group ShinyHunters claims they breached the FBI's systems on Monday night, accessing the personal data of "almost all FBI agents/employees."
Meta's Muse AI Assistant Vulnerable to Hijacking Via Undocumented Setting
macOS security researcher Patrick Wardle discovered a flaw in Meta's new Muse AI assistant that an attacker can use to turn it into "the ultimate backdoor."
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