Signal is Looking at Adding an Option to Sign Up Without a Phone Number
References in Signal's source code point to a new feature to sign up without giving a phone number, potentially requiring a one-time payment.
Privacy & Security News
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18-Year-Old Linux Kernel Bug Allows Full System Takeover
Researchers at Tencent Zhuque Lab uncovered an 18-year-old vulnerability in the Linux kernel that can escape containers and gain full root privileges on the host system.
Data Breach Roundup (July 31 - August 6, 2026)
This week featured only two data breaches from the UK and from Switzerland. Both affected federal governments, however.
Spectre is Back: CPU Mitigations Found to Be Ineffective
Researchers found a way to bypass the latest Spectre mitigations and exploit AMD and Intel processors to leak secrets like passwords and encryption keys.
North Korean Hackers Breached Over 1,600 Organizations Worldwide
New research shows the shocking extent of North Korea's state sponsored hacking team.
Data Breach Roundup (July 24 - 30, 2026)
People's AI chats have once more been exposed online, multiple updates to previously reported data breaches, and more.
Apple's Private Relay Leaks Your Real IP Address in Safari
App developer/security researchers at Mysk discovered several leaks in Apple's Private Relay and all other browser proxies that allow websites to see your real IP address.
WhatsApp is Testing Age Verification
The Tech Trace reports that a WhatsApp representative has confirmed the messenger is testing out new age verification on some user accounts to comply with a new law in India.
Multiple Flaws in Google's Synced Passkey Implementation Allow Attackers to Take Over Your Accounts
Unit 42 released new research showing that in Google's synced passkey ecosystem, it's possible for an attacker to take over accounts protected by synced passkeys without user interaction.
Nearly 1,400 Bitcoin Hacked from Coldcard Wallets
A flaw in Coinkite's Coldcard hardware wallet firmware cost victims millions of dollars, all of whom believed they were investing in state of the art security
CISA Releases Guidance Urging Water Treatment Facilities to Disconnect Equipment From the Internet
CISA released an urgent message warning water utilities to disconnect their logic controllers from the internet in the face of rising cyberattacks.
New "Dynamic Patching" in Chrome Would Allow Updates Without Restarting
In a blog post, Google announced it is working on a system in Chrome to apply updates without needing to restart the browser in order to keep up with a mountain of patches.
Pokémon Stores Implementing Facial Recognition to Combat Scalpers
The Pokémon Company announced that they've implemented mandatory facial recognition in Japanese Pokémon stores to combat card scalpers.
Over 100 Vulnerabilities Found in IRS Contractor Handling Americans' Tax Information
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) found over 100 vulnerabilities in a third-party contractor the IRS was using to digitize tax documents.
Surveillance Cameras Can Now Be Retrofitted to Track Your Wireless Device Fingerprint
Flock-style license plate reader vendor Leonardo announced a new system called SignalTrace that can fingerprint your wireless devices while you drive by and track you around without needing to see your license plate.
Data Breach Roundup (July 17 - 23, 2026)
After last week's lack of news, the breaches are back with a vengeance.
macOS Vulnerability Allows Attackers to Replace Any App With Malicious Code
Researchers Talal Haj Bakry and Tommy Mysk discovered a vulnerability in macOS that allows an attacker to replace already installed apps with malicious versions that look indistinguishable from the real app.
Gemini is Allowing Attackers to Bypass the Android Lock Screen
The Register received multiple reports of people being able to access features such as sending SMS or WhatsApp messages from the lock screen when Gemini is enabled.
Apple Finally Fixes Hide My Email Vulnerability After a Year
404 Media says Apple has fixed a vulnerability in HideMyEmail that would allow anyone to find your real email address after knowing about the issue for over a year.
Malware Stored in SVG Images Used to Hack Developers' Machines
According to Cyber Security News, North Korean hackers are targeting developers with fake job interviews containing malicious code stored in SVG images.
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