Smashing Security

In episode 459 of Smashing Security, we dive into a chillingly clever account takeover attempt targeting WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg - involving MFA fatigue, real Apple alerts, a convincing support call, and a phishing page that oh-so-nearly worked. If a famous techie could have this happen to you, can you be sure you're immune?

Plus: would you donate your lifetime medical history to science if you were promised anonymity? We unpack serious concerns around UK Biobank, where “de-identified” data may not be as anonymous as you think — and how surprisingly little information it takes to reveal everything.

And! Human-powered “AI”, and a punishment worse than prison: eight hours on the RSA expo floor...

All this, and much more, in episode 459 of the "Smashing Security" podcast with cybersecurity veteran Graham Cluley, and special guest Paul Ducklin.

EPISODE LINKS:

• DOGE employee stole Social Security data and put it on a thumb drive, report says - TechCrunch.
• Foreign hacker in 2023 compromised Epstein files held by FBI, source and documents show - Reuters.
• New font-rendering trick hides malicious commands from AI tools - Bleeping Computer.
• Lockdown Mode - Apple support.
• Gone (Almost) Phishin’ - Matt Mullenweg.
• Listen to the Live Scam Call Targeting Matt Mullenweg’s Apple Account - YouTube.
• Confidential health records from UK BioBank project exposed online - The Guardian.
• A message from Professor Sir Rory Collins, Chief Executive and Principal Investigator of UK Biobank - UK BioBank.
• Psychotherapy data breach blackmailer sent to prison - Paul Ducklin.
• Your AI slop bores me.
• Post by Vaughan Shanks - LinkedIn.
• Judge Sentences CISO to 8 Consecutive Hours on RSA Expo Floor as Formal Punishment for Security Breach - The Exploit.
• Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)

SPONSORS:

• Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!
• Adaptive Security - request a custom demo featuring a real CEO deepfake simulation.
• Meter - Network infrastructure for the enterprise. Get a free personalised demo.

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.

Become a supporter! Join Smashing Security PLUS via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes on our early-release feed!

FOLLOW THE SHOW:

Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.

THANKS:

Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.

Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.

A Wikipedia security engineer accidentally wakes a dormant JavaScript worm that hadn't stirred since 2024 - and within minutes, giant woodpecker images are plastered across the internet's favourite encyclopaedia.

Meanwhile, a crypto contractor hired to help the US Marshals manage seized digital assets allegedly decides to help himself to $46 million of it - and then brags about it on a recorded Telegram call.

Plus: Graham champions Asterix, Trisha discovers the fantasy novels of Robin Hobb, and someone called "Lick" ends up in the nick.

All this, and much more, in episode 458 of the "Smashing Security" podcast with cybersecurity veteran Graham Cluley, and special guest Tricia Howard.

EPISODE LINKS:

• Major data leak forum dismantled in global action against cybercrime forum - Europol.
• Ericsson blames vendor vishing slip-up for breach exposing thousands of records - The Register.
• How hackers bypassed MFA with a $120 phishing kit – until law enforcement  shut them down - Hot for Security.
• Wikipedia hit by self-propagating JavaScript worm that vandalized pages - Bleeping Computer.
• FBI arrests crypto thief accused of stealing $46 million from seized government wallet - Tom’s Hardware.
• Twitter thread by ZachXBT about John Daghita’s arrest - Twitter.
• Asterix - Wikipedia.
• Robin Hobb.
• The Complete Farseer trilogy - Harper Collins.
• Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)

SPONSORS:

• Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!
• ThreatLocker - Start your free trial and book a demo of ThreatLocker today to see how you can implement Zero Trust in your environment.
• Meter - Network infrastructure for the enterprise. Get a free personalised demo.

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.

Become a supporter! Join Smashing Security PLUS via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes on our early-release feed!

FOLLOW THE SHOW:

Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.

THANKS:

Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.

Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.

When a top cybersecurity firm discovered it had a leak, you would expect the FBI to be called. Instead, the person put in charge of the investigation was the actual leaker... who promptly sent an innocent colleague into a career-ending ambush.

In this episode, we unravel the jaw-dropping tale of a defence contractor caught selling zero-day exploits to a Russia-linked broker.

Plus: are nation states quietly poisoning AI models to bend reality itself? We explore how “foreign information manipulation interference” could target not just social media users, but the large language models we increasingly trust for answers — and what that might mean for truth, trust, and the future of online influence.

All this, and much more, in episode 457 of the "Smashing Security" podcast with cybersecurity veteran Graham Cluley, and special guest Carl Miller.

EPISODE LINKS:

• Large-Scale Online Deanonymization with LLMs - Simon Lermen.
• Hacked Prayer App Sends ‘Surrender’ Messages to Iranians Amid Israeli and US Strikes - Wired.
• “Stay safe out there gamers”: Streamers say Amazon just made Wishlists a doxxing risk - Daily Dot.
• Apple alerts exploit developer that his iPhone was targeted with government spyware - TechCrunch.
• Former General Manager for U.S. Defense Contractor Sentenced to 87 Months for Selling Stolen Trade Secrets to Russian Broker - US Department of Justice.
• Treasury Sanctions Exploit Broker Network for Theft and Sale of U.S. Government Cyber Tools - US Department of Treasury.
• Inside the story of the US defense contractor who leaked hacking tools to Russia - TechCrunch.
• ​​Hundreds of English-language websites link to pro-Kremlin propaganda - Guardian.
• The Incredible Shrinking Man - Internet Archive.
• “The Immortalists” by Aleks Kortoski - Penguin Books.
• Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)

SPONSORS:

• Action1 - Keep your systems safe (and your sanity intact) with the patch management platform that just works. The best part? Your first 200 endpoints are free, forever, with no functional limits.
• Meter - Network infrastructure for the enterprise. Get a free personalised demo.
• Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.

Become a supporter! Join Smashing Security PLUS via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes on our early-release feed!

FOLLOW THE SHOW:

Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.

THANKS:

Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.

Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.

When the mysterious operator of an internet archiving-service decided to silence a curious Finnish blogger, they didn’t just send a stroppy email - they allegedly weaponised their own CAPTCHA page to launch a DDoS attack, threatened to invent an entirely new genre of AI porn, and tampered with parts of their own archive to smear the blogger's name.

In this episode, we unravel how a website designed to preserve history may have trashed its own credibility - and how Wikipedia responded when trust went out the window.

Plus a ransomware gang shoots itself in the foot with a classic case of buffoonery, accidentally corrupting the very keys victims would need to decrypt their data. When even the criminals can’t unlock your files, what happens next?

All this, a surprisingly zen Pick of the Week, and a gloriously splenetic rant against web forms, on episode 456 of the award-winning "Smashing Security" podcast, with cybersecurity veteran Graham Cluley and special guest Paul Ducklin.

EPISODE LINKS:

• This App Will Detect People Wearing Smart Glasses Near You - Lifehacker.
• Patients listed as dead after major NZ health app MediMap hacked - 1News.
• Why fake AI videos of UK urban decline are taking over social media - BBC News.
• FBI orders domain registrar to reveal who runs mysterious Archive.is site - Ars Technica.
• Archive.today CAPTCHA page executes DDoS; Wikipedia considers banning site - Ars Technica.
• Archive.today is directing a DDOS attack against my blog - Gyrovague.
• Critical buffer overflow bug - in ESXi ransomware - SolCyber.
• Yoga with Adriene - YouTube.
• Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)

SPONSORS:

• Coreview - Download "Total Tenant Takeover", a white paper about the Microsoft 365 Disaster No One Is Ready For.
• Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!
• ThreatLocker - Start your free trial and book a demo of ThreatLocker today to see how you can implement Zero Trust in your environment.

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.

Become a supporter! Join Smashing Security PLUS via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes on our early-release feed!

FOLLOW THE SHOW:

Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.

THANKS:

Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.

Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.

Could America turn off Europe's internet?

That’s one of the questions that Graham and special guest James Ball will be exploring as they discuss tech sovereignty. Could Gmail, cloud services, and critical infrastructure really become geopolitical leverage? And is anyone actually building a Plan B?

Plus we explore if Meta is quietly plotting to turn its smart glasses into face-recognising surveillance specs? With reports of internal memos suggesting they plan to launch controversial features while everyone’s distracted by political chaos, we ask: is this innovation really wanted by the public... or something far creepier?

All of this, and much more, in episode 455 of the award-winning "Smashing Security" podcast with cybersecurity veteran Graham Cluley, joined this week by journalist and author James Ball.

EPISODE LINKS:

• IcedID malware developer fakes his own death to escape the FBI - Risky Business.
• Sex toys maker Tenga says hacker stole customer information - TechCrunch.
• Dutch police arrest man for "hacking" after accidentally sending him confidential files - Hot for Security.
• Meta Plans to Add Facial Recognition Technology to Its Smart Glasses - New York Times.
• Trading Sovereignty for Scale? The Costs of the US - UK Tech Prosperity Deal - Just Security.
• Just Mercy - Wikipedia.
• Just Mercy trailer - YouTube.
• Bryan Stevenson’s TED talk: We need to talk about an injustice - YouTube.
• The Residence - Netflix.
• Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)

SPONSORS:

• Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!
• Passwork - a reliable secrets manager and password management solution.
• Adaptive Security - request a custom demo featuring a real CEO deepfake simulation.

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.

Become a supporter! Join Smashing Security PLUS via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes on our early-release feed!

FOLLOW THE SHOW:

Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.

THANKS:

Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.

Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.

AI bots are having existential crises, inventing religions, and allegedly plotting against humanity... or so the internet would have you believe.

We dig into Moltbook, the “AI-only” social network that sent Twitter into a meltdown, attracted breathless talk of the singularity, and turned out to be far less Terminator and far more humans role-playing as bots.

Plus we discuss why "vibe coding" your app might be a catastrophically bad idea, when security researchers can easily peek inside rifle through your private messages, API keys, and databases.

Also this week we learn that pro-Russian hackers are circling the Winter Olympics - or is it the Jamaican Bobsleigh team?

All this and more is discussed in episode 454 of the "Smashing Security" podcast with cybersecurity veteran Graham Cluley, and special guest Iain Thomson.

EPISODE LINKS:

• AI Agents Created Their Own Religion, Crustafarianism, On An Agent-Only Social Network - Forbes.
• I Infiltrated Moltbook, the AI-Only Social Network Where Humans Aren’t Allowed - Wired.
• 'Moltbook' social media site for AI agents had big security hole, cyber firm Wiz says - Reuters.
• Italy blames Russia-linked hackers for cyberattacks ahead of Winter Olympics - The Record.
• Italy says railways hit by 'serious sabotage' as Winter Olympics begin - BBC News.
• EpsteIN - GitHub.
• Private Eye.
• Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)

SPONSORS:

• Meter - Network infrastructure for the enterprise. Get a free personalised demo.
• Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!
• Passwork - a reliable secrets manager and password management solution.

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.

Become a supporter! Join Smashing Security PLUS via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes on our early-release feed!

FOLLOW THE SHOW:

Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.

THANKS:

Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.

Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.

Supposedly redacted Jeffrey Epstein files can still reveal exactly who they’re talking about - especially when AI, LinkedIn, and a few biographical breadcrumbs do the heavy lifting.

Sloppy redaction leads to explosive claims, and difficult reputational consequences for cybersecurity vendors, and we learn how trust - once cracked - can be almost impossible to fully restore.

Elsewhere, the spotlight turns to insider threat in the age of AI, after a senior US cybersecurity official uploads sensitive government material into the public version of ChatGPT. Oops.

All this, and much more, in episode 453 of Smashing Security with cybersecurity veteran Graham Cluley and special guest Tricia Howard.

EPISODE LINKS:

• Notepad++ hijacked to serve malware in targeted attacks - Notepad++.
• Porn-quitting app caught leaking users’ sexual habits - 404 Media.
• MicroWorld Technologies’ eScan anti-virus update turned into a malware delivery system - Morphisec.
• Jmail.World.
• Informant told FBI that Jeffrey Epstein had a ‘personal hacker’ - Techcrunch.
• Confidential informant statement given to FBI - US Department of Justice.
• Post by Graham Cluley - LinkedIn.
• Trump’s acting cyber chief uploaded sensitive files into a public version of ChatGPT - Politico.
• We are Lady Parts - Channel 4.
• We are Lady Parts trailer - YouTube.
• “Bashir with a good beard” by We are Lady Parts - YouTube.
• “Voldermort under my headscarf” by We are Lady Parts - YouTube.
• Doctor Who: The Shakespeare Notebooks - Penguin.
• Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)

SPONSORS:

• Passwork - a reliable secrets manager and password management solution.
• Meter - Network infrastructure for the enterprise. Get a free personalised demo.
• Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.

Become a supporter! Join Smashing Security PLUS via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes on our early-release feed!

FOLLOW THE SHOW:

Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.

THANKS:

Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.

Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.

In episode 452, a London-based YouTuber wins a landmark court case against Saudi Arabia after his phone was hacked with Pegasus spyware — exposing how a single, seemingly harmless text message can turn a smartphone into a round-the-clock surveillance device.

Plus, we go looking for professional hitmen online - only to uncover uncomfortable questions about why some crimes attract customers but very few complaints.

All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by cybersecurity veteran Graham Cluley, joined this week by special guest Joe Tidy.

EPISODE LINKS:

• Sorry Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that! PCs refuse to shut down after Microsoft patch - The Register.
• Russian state hackers likely behind wiper malware attack on Poland’s power grid - The Record.
• US charges 31 more suspects linked to ATM malware attacks - Bleeping Computer.
• Dark web arrests in Romania linked to portal which offered services including murder - ROCU.
• Romanian scammers ran fake hitman-for-hire site, lured desperate perpetrators as 'incompetent assassins' - Fox News.
• This Fake Hitman Site Is the Most Elaborate, Twisted Dark Web Scam Yet - VICE.
• Unlikely Assassin, The Murder of Amy Allwine - Rooster.
• Saudi dissident awarded $4.1 million by UK court for hacking, assault 'by Saudi Arabia' - Reuters.
• Stalkerware: The software that spies on your partner - BBC News.
• Using 'stalkerware' to spy on a colleague's phone - YouTube.
• “Polite Society” trailer - YouTube.
• Elegoo Saturn 3 3D printer - Elegoo.
• Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)

SPONSORS:

• Passwork - a reliable secrets manager and password management solution.
• Coreview - Download "Total Tenant Takeover", a white paper about the Microsoft 365 Disaster No One Is Ready For.
• Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.

Become a supporter! Join Smashing Security PLUS via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes on our early-release feed!

FOLLOW THE SHOW:

Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.

THANKS:

Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.

Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.

In episode 451 of "Smashing Security," we meet the cybercriminal who hacked the US Supreme Court, Veterans Affairs, and more - and then helpfully posted screenshots (and even someone’s blood type) on an account called "I hacked the government."

Plus we discuss how researchers uncovered a creepy flaw that lets attackers hijack wireless headphones, listen in on calls, inject audio, and even turn your earbuds into a stalking device - all without you noticing.

All this, and much more, in this episode of the "Smashing Security" podcast with Graham Cluley, and special guest Ray [REDACTED]

EPISODE LINKS:

• Tennessee Man Pleads in Hacking U.S. Supreme Court, AmeriCorps, and VA Health System - US Department of Justice.
• Paris Hilton’s hacker sentenced to 57 months in prison - Graham Cluley.
• WhisperPair.
• One Tap To Hijack Them All - A Security Analysis of the Google Fast Pair Protocol - YouTube.
• Hundreds of Millions of Audio Devices Need a Patch to Prevent Wireless Hacking and Tracking - Wired.
• Line of Duty - Wikipedia.
• Line of Duty - BBC iPlayer.
• Forgive the haters - YouTube.
• Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)

SPONSORS:

• Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!
• ThreatLocker - Start your free trial and book a demo of ThreatLocker today to see how you can implement Zero Trust in your environment.
• Adaptive Security - request a custom demo featuring a real CEO deepfake simulation today from adaptivesecurity.com.

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.

Become a supporter! Join Smashing Security PLUS via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes on our early-release feed!

FOLLOW THE SHOW:

Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.

THANKS:

Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.

Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.

Confusion reigns after claims that data linked to 17.5 million Instagram accounts is up for sale - sparked by a vague post, contradictory statements, and a flood of password reset emails nobody asked for.

And we dig into Grok, Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, after it started generating sexualised images of women and children - raising uncomfortable questions about guardrails, accountability, and why playing the censorship card doesn’t make the problem go away.

All this, and much more, in this episode of the "Smashing Security" podcast with Graham Cluley, and special guest Monica Verma.

EPISODE LINKS:

• Free Speech Union website down after alleged funders exposed by trans hackers - Pink News.
• Illinois Man Charged in Snapchat Hacking Investigation - US Dept of Justice.
• Hackers get hacked, as BreachForums database is leaked - Hot for Security.
• Post by Malwarebytes - Bluesky.
• Post by Instagram - Twitter.
• Instagram denies breach amid claims of 17 million account data leak - Bleeping Computer.
• Ofcom asks X about reports its Grok AI makes sexualised images of children - BBC News.
• Musk’s Grok blocked by Indonesia, Malaysia over sexualized images in world first - CNN.
• Elon Musk shares AI images of Starmer in bikini in row over grim Grok deepfakes - Mirror.
• Soul Music - BBC Sounds.
• Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)

SPONSORS:

• Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off!
• Meter - Network infrastructure for the enterprise. Get a free personalised demo.

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.

Become a supporter! Join Smashing Security PLUS via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes on our early-release feed!

FOLLOW THE SHOW:

Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.

THANKS:

Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan.

Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.

ENJOYED THE SHOW?

Make sure to check out our sister podcast, "The AI Fix".