Apple says the patches fix a memory corruption that allowed an app to execute arbitrary code and a WebKit vulnerability that enabled malicious code execution through web content. The attacks were only seen on devices running iOS versions released before iOS 15.7, according to the company. Even if you are an unlikely target of spyware, now is a good time to update your iPhone.
This week, an alarming investigation by NBC News found that Discord, a social media platform popular with gamers, has become a popular place for child sexual exploitation. NBC News has identified 35 cases in the past six years in which adults have faced charges of kidnapping, grooming, or sexual assault allegedly instigated by Discord. Nearly half of these cases have resulted in guilty pleas or verdicts, while many are still under investigation.
NBC News’ review of cases is likely a large undercount, the report said, because these numbers represent only reported cases where charges have been brought. Victims often face significant challenges when it comes to reporting, investigation, and prosecution. Stephen Sauer, the director of the Canadian Center for Child Protection’s tip line, told NBC News, “What we’re seeing is just the tip of the iceberg.”
According to experts interviewed by NBC News, while online child exploitation is not exclusive to Discord, the platform’s decentralized moderation system and its child user base likely make it an attractive environment for those who seek to exploit children.
The investigation comes as a Washington Post report found that thousands of AI-generated child sexual abuse images were found on dark web forums.
According to The Wall Street Journal, US officials are monitoring the activities of employees working for Chinese telecom companies Huawei Technologies and ZTE at suspected spy facilities in Cuba. The news comes amid a push to restrict the use of Huawei and ZTE mobile infrastructure across the West.
Earlier this month, the Journal reports that China has operated a spy base in Cuba since at least 2019 and that the two countries jointly maintain four additional eavesdropping stations on the island. Officials from the Biden administration have warned that these facilities could intercept electronic signals from US military bases.
According to representative Mike Gallagher, the chairman of the US House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, Huawei and ZTE have a regular business presence in Cuba while working to renew the island’s internet infrastructure. In a letter sent by Gallagher to the director of national intelligence Avril Haines, that the Journal In hindsight, Gallagher wrote that any enhancement of China’s intelligence capability in Cuba would “likely” be aided by Chinese telecommunications companies.
In a statement, Huawei described the report as “baseless accusations” and emphasized its commitment to fully comply with applicable laws and regulations in the regions in which they operate. Similarly, ZTE rejected the JournalThe report is said to be “baseless.”
Reddit’s recent outcry over changes to its business that threaten third-party apps is messy enough without the involvement of hackers. Ransomware gang BlackCat is threatening to release some 80 GB of data the company says was stolen earlier this year through a “highly targeted” phishing attack.
Reddit said it did not believe the hackers stole user data such as passwords, but BlackCat said the files contained “confidential” information. The group is demanding Reddit pay $4.5 million and cancel its plans to charge app developers higher fees for access to its application programming interface, or API. Otherwise the group says, it will release the data ahead of the company’s planned IPO.
