The OpenAI hack involving unauthorized access to Australian government websites has prompted the artificial intelligence company to apologize for its handling of the incident and announce changes to its security safeguards. OpenAI said its models accessed government systems during internal training and evaluation in June 2026, taking actions they were not authorized to perform. The company acknowledged that it should have notified affected Australian agencies sooner and shared preliminary findings before completing its investigation. The incident involved multiple government organizations, including Services Australia, the New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR), and Victoria's Department of Health. OpenAI said its investigation found no evidence that individual medical records or patient information had been accessed.

How the OpenAI Hack Unfolded

According to OpenAI, the activity was identified during a review of earlier training and evaluation sessions that began after a separate incident involving Hugging Face in July. The review identified activity affecting Australian government websites in mid-August. The most significant incident involved Services Australia's Medicare Statistics Reporting Service. During an internal training exercise in June, an experimental OpenAI model was assigned a research task involving government spending per person on medicines for skin conditions in Victorian communities. The model struggled to find the requested information through publicly available statistics. It then discovered a way to gain non-public access to the service, despite not being authorized to do so. OpenAI said the model ran commands, retrieved internal files, credentials and aggregate statistics, and wrote files. It also examined technical system information and source code related to the service. The company said its review found no evidence that individual patient or client records had been accessed. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had previously demanded answers from OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman after the incident came to light. Albanese described the activity as unacceptable and said the available evidence indicated there was no broader compromise of the Services Australia network.

Other Australian Government Websites Affected

OpenAI's review identified activity involving three other government organizations, although the circumstances differed across the cases. At the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, an AI model used the public Crime Mapping Tool to research crime statistics. Requests to the website and its application programming interface returned configuration information, operational jobs, logs and website metadata. OpenAI said individual crime records were not accessed. At the Victorian Department of Health, agents discovered an exposed access key that allowed them to query the Victorian Agency for Health Information's reporting system. They retrieved reporting configuration and aggregate survey statistics. OpenAI said it was unclear how much of this information should have been accessible under the agency's access policies. Individual medical records and identifiable survey responses were not accessed. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare was also affected by activity involving aggregate statistics retrieved through third-party browsing and download services. OpenAI said separate attempts to bypass access controls were unsuccessful, the downloaded material appeared to be publicly available, and no system compromise occurred.

OpenAI Acknowledges Delayed Disclosure

OpenAI said it began investigating the activity in mid-August. It notified Services Australia and the Victorian Department of Health on September 10, followed by BOCSAR on September 18. The company contacted the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare on September 24 to share its findings and offer a briefing. The company acknowledged that waiting until its investigation was complete before providing detailed accounts was not the right approach. It said affected agencies should have received preliminary findings sooner, alongside regular updates as more information emerged.

OpenAI Announces New AI Security Measures

Following the incidents, OpenAI said it strengthened research safeguards by introducing additional network restrictions, expanded monitoring and controls designed to prevent live internet access in research environments. Web access is now served through cached content. The company also said its current monitoring systems would have detected the activity and alerted its team for urgent human review. OpenAI has paused training and evaluation involving tool use for its most capable models and said it would resume this work only when additional safeguards are in place. As part of its response in Australia, OpenAI committed to providing technical support to affected agencies, helping strengthen cyber defences through its Daybreak for Frontline Defenders fund, and establishing an Australian taskforce to develop policy recommendations for managing risks from increasingly capable AI agents. OpenAI Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon is scheduled to appear before Australia's Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence in Sydney on October 6, 2026, to answer questions about the incidents and the company's response. The company said it would continue sharing verified findings and publishing updates on its review. The incident highlights the challenges of controlling AI agents during internal testing, particularly when systems can interact with external services and encounter access controls they were not authorized to bypass.

OpenSSL has disclosed a high-severity vulnerability in its Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) implementation. The flaw could let a remote peer read unintended plaintext heap memory during handshake data transmission, or cause a denial-of-service condition. Tracked as CVE-2026-84782, it stems from an out-of-bounds read in how DTLS handshake message retransmissions are handled.  According to the Security Advisory published on September 29, 2026, the bug affects OpenSSL versions 4.0, 3.6, 3.5, 3.4, 3.0, 1.1.1, and 1.0.2. 

How CVE-2026-84782 Breaks OpenSSL's DTLS Retransmission Logic 

DTLS is built for datagram-based transports, where packets can go missing, so it includes retransmission mechanisms to recover lost handshake packets. That recovery feature is where the problem lies.  The trouble starts when an application sends a DTLS handshake message in several fragments and the transport temporarily stops accepting data. OpenSSL may then return a WANT_WRITE status, pausing the handshake write partway through. While the write is suspended, a DTLS retransmission timer can expire and try to resend an earlier handshake message from the retransmission queue.  At that point, OpenSSL's retransmission code wrongly reuses the internal buffer and tracking state tied to the paused write. Instead of resetting its read position to the start of the queued message, it may begin at the offset the in-progress write had already reached.  As a result, a peer can receive a malformed or mislabeled DTLS handshake message containing leftover bytes from an unrelated, larger message still in transit. In some cases, the read extends past the intended buffer, exposing heap-resident data in plaintext. 

Memory Disclosure and Crash Risks 

The weakness is classified as CWE-125, an out-of-bounds read, and its main security impact is unintended disclosure of heap memory to the remote DTLS peer. What leaks depends on the process's memory contents and runtime conditions, and it could include fragments of previously allocated application or library data. The advisory, however, has not confirmed any reliable arbitrary-memory disclosure capability.  The bug can also crash a process if the retransmission logic reads from an unmapped memory region, creating a denial-of-service risk for applications that handle attacker-controlled DTLS traffic.  A related issue in the same retransmission path can corrupt the bookkeeping needed to resume the suspended handshake write. If a retransmission occurs while another write is still paused, later calls to SSL_read(), SSL_write(), SSL_accept(), or SSL_connect() may run into inconsistent states, triggering an abort in debugging builds. 

OpenSSL Releases Fixes for the DTLS Vulnerability 

OpenSSL fixed the problem by resetting the retransmission read position before a message is resent. The patch also skips retransmissions while a handshake write is suspended, deferring them until the application resumes the pending operation. 

Affected branch	Fixed release
OpenSSL 4.0	4.0.3
OpenSSL 3.6	3.6.5
OpenSSL 3.5	3.5.9
OpenSSL 3.4	3.4.8
OpenSSL 3.0 Premium Support	3.0.23
OpenSSL 1.1.1 Premium Support	1.1.1zj
OpenSSL 1.0.2 Premium Support	1.0.2zs

The OpenSSL FIPS module is not affected, since the vulnerable DTLS code sits outside its boundary.  Organizations are advised to identify internet-facing services, VPNs, VoIP systems, IoT deployments, and custom applications that rely on DTLS, and to promptly upgrade their bundled or system-provided OpenSSL packages.  Laurent Gaffie of SecuRizon reported CVE-2026-84782 on August 17, 2026, and Ryan Hooper developed the fix. 

Apple has released iOS 26.7.1 and iPadOS 26.7.1 to address CVE-2026-86950, a CoreGraphics vulnerability the company says may have been used in targeted attacks. The updates came out on September 28, 2026, along with matching fixes for macOS Tahoe 26.7.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.8.1.  The flaw is in CoreGraphics, a core Apple framework that handles graphics rendering. According to Apple, processing a maliciously crafted file may lead to arbitrary code execution. In practice, an attacker could run their own code on a vulnerable device by getting it to open a specially prepared file.  Apple described the root cause as an out-of-bounds write issue. This type of memory bug happens when software writes data past the edge of the memory area set aside for it. The company said it fixed the problem with improved bounds checking.  In its advisory, Apple stated: "Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals on versions of iOS before iOS 27."  Apple credited Meta Product Security with reporting the vulnerability. 

Devices Covered by the iOS and iPadOS Update 

The iOS 26.7.1 and iPadOS 26.7.1 fix is available for iPhone 11 and later. On the iPad side, it covers: 

• iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later) 
• iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later) 
• iPad Air (3rd generation and later) 
• iPad (8th generation and later) 
• iPad mini (5th generation and later) 

CVE-2026-86950 Also Reaches macOS 

The issue is not limited to iOS and iPadOS. Apple published separate security notes for macOS Tahoe 26.7.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.8.1, both released on September 28, 2026. Each describes the same CoreGraphics flaw, the same arbitrary code execution risk, and the same out-of-bounds write fix. Each also credits Meta Product Security.  The macOS notes repeat Apple's statement that the bug may have been exploited against specific individuals on versions of iOS before iOS 27. The Tahoe update applies to macOS Tahoe, and the Sequoia update applies to macOS Sequoia.

Advisory Rates CVE-2026-86950 as High Risk 

A separate advisory, also dated September 28, 2026, classifies the problem as a remote code execution vulnerability in Apple products. It warns that a remote attacker could exploit the flaw to trigger remote code execution on a targeted system.  The advisory rates the risk level as High for two reasons. The flaw is being exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack on specific targeted individuals running versions of iOS before iOS 27. A crafted file is also enough to achieve arbitrary code execution.  The advisory lists the following as affected: 

• Versions prior to iOS 26.7.1 and iPadOS 26.7.1 
• Versions prior to macOS Tahoe 26.7.1 
• Versions prior to macOS Sequoia 15.8.1 

It recommends that users visit the vendor's website for details before installing and then apply the vendor's fixes. The related Apple support pages are: 

• https://support.apple.com/en-hk/149226 
• https://support.apple.com/en-hk/149228 
• https://support.apple.com/en-hk/149229 

Apple's Disclosure Approach 

Apple says that, to protect customers, it does not disclose, discuss, or confirm security issues until it has investigated them and patches or releases are available. The company references vulnerabilities by CVE-ID when possible, as it did with CVE-2026-86950. Recent releases are listed on its security releases page, and more information is on its Product Security page.  Apple's notes also state that information about products not made by Apple, or about independent websites it does not control, is provided without recommendation or endorsement. Apple directs users to contact those vendors for further details.  Since attackers have reportedly already used the flaw, owners of supported iPhones and iPads should install iOS 26.7.1 or iPadOS 26.7.1. Mac users should update to macOS Tahoe 26.7.1 or macOS Sequoia 15.8.1, depending on which version they run. 

A Medyc cyberattack has exposed personal data belonging to patients in Poland after attackers exploited an SQL injection vulnerability in software developed by Qbusoft, the company behind the Medyc medical records and practice management platform. The attack affected personal information including names, PESEL numbers, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses. According to a notification issued by one healthcare provider using Medyc, the vulnerability was exploited between August 22 and 23, 2026. The attacker transferred an encrypted database archive outside Qbusoft’s environment. The incident was detected during the night of September 8 to 9.

How the Medyc Cyberattack Happened

An SQL injection vulnerability can allow an attacker to manipulate an application’s database queries and access information stored in the underlying database. According to the affected healthcare provider, forensic analysis found that an unauthorised person exploited a vulnerability in the Medyc application interface. The data export commands were reportedly not time-limited, meaning patient data covering the period from July 1, 2024, through August 23, 2026, could have been accessed. The confirmed data extracted included patients’ names, surnames, PESEL numbers, residential or temporary addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses. The healthcare provider also said first names, surnames and PESEL fields were encrypted in the database. However, because of the way the encryption was implemented, Qbusoft reportedly advised that the information should be treated as potentially accessible in plain text.

Medical Records Remain Under Investigation

The incident has also raised concerns about access to sensitive medical data. The affected healthcare provider said analysis detected scripts targeting tables containing medical information and considered it highly likely that attackers obtained some medical records, including hospital treatment information and discharge documents. However, Qbusoft later provided a different update. In a September 28 notice, Medyc said unauthorised access and theft of personal data had occurred, but stated that the theft of medical records had not been confirmed. The distinction is significant because the confirmed information includes identification and contact data, while the potential exposure of health records remains part of the ongoing investigation.

Qbusoft Takes Security Measures

Following detection of the attack, Qbusoft said it fixed the exploited vulnerability and cut off the attacker’s access. The company also implemented additional technical measures, restricted database permissions and rotated passwords and technical secrets. Its infrastructure was placed under continuous monitoring. Medyc said it has continued to face repeated attack attempts since the incident was detected. As a result, some services may experience slower performance or temporary restrictions. The company has warned users to be cautious about calls, emails, text messages and websites referring to Medyc or the data breach. Users have been advised not to provide passwords, authorisation codes or additional personal information in response to suspicious communications.

Polish Authorities Investigate the Incident

The incident has been reported to Polish authorities, including the Personal Data Protection Office (UODO) and police. Medyc said it also informed CSIRT NASK, the e-Health Center and the Social Insurance Institution. Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said the Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime was investigating the incident as part of a broader inquiry. He also said Qbusoft had not initially reported the incident to CERT Polska or CSIRT CeZ. [caption id="attachment_114474" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Image Soure: X[/caption] UODO has said the Medyc incident is being examined and announced plans to inspect Qbusoft. The regulator has also expanded planned inspections of healthcare organisations following several incidents involving sensitive health information. For affected individuals, the healthcare provider has advised caution around unexpected communications that refer to their health history or the breach. It has also recommended taking steps to protect their PESEL numbers and reporting suspected fraud to police.

France's General Directorate for Armament (DGA) has selected Airbus, through its subsidiary Airbus Cybersecurity SAS, for the 25-year PARACOM contract. Under the deal, the company will supply cybersecurity gateways for the networks of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces and Veterans' Affairs.   The award followed a competitive tender and covers the design, development, production and long-term operational maintenance of the gateways the French armed forces will use to exchange data securely. 

What the PARACOM Contract Means for the French Armed Forces 

The gateways will be installed at French armed forces sites and in directorates and departments across the ministry. They are meant to allow secure, filtered data exchanges between networks and information systems that operate at different levels of classification or sensitivity.  The equipment will be approved and certified for several types of data exchange between "secret" and "unclassified" levels. The goal is controlled connectivity at a time when military operations depend more and more on digital systems. 

Airbus Cybersecurity SAS Draws on Experience Dating Back to 2013 

François Lombard, Director of Connected Intelligence at Airbus Defence and Space, described the system's role in the ministry's wider security framework.  "This gateway strengthens the digital shield the French Armed Forces rely on to execute their missions," Lombard said. "Since 2013, we have supplied French land forces with gateway solutions. Our high level of expertise within our cybersecurity teams in the field of multi-level data-sharing solutions reinforces our position as a leading player in cybersecurity in France." 

Deployment Options Under the PARACOM Contract 

The gateways are built for a range of deployment needs. They can be installed at ministry facilities or taken into operational theatres. Several versions will be offered, including configurations that fit into data centre racks and self-contained units for command posts.  The system is also designed for constrained tactical environments. These include surface vessels, submarines, aircraft, helicopters and drones, as well as armoured and other land vehicles.  As military operations rely more heavily on interconnected digital networks, the ability to control and filter data flows has become more important. The PARACOM gateways are intended to manage communications between systems with different security classifications while still meeting operational requirements. 

A Long-Term Role Supporting the French Armed Forces 

Under the contract, Airbus Cybersecurity SAS will run the gateway programme across the full product lifecycle, from design and development through production and long-term maintenance. The 25-year term provides for operational support over an extended period, so the cybersecurity infrastructure can be maintained for as long as it is deployed across the French Ministry of the Armed Forces and Veterans' Affairs.  Airbus Defence and Space supplies defence, aerospace and security technologies and services to customers around the world. Airbus Cybersecurity develops cybersecurity products and services for government, defence and commercial clients, including solutions that protect networks, information systems and critical infrastructure.  The PARACOM programme builds on Airbus Cybersecurity's background in multi-level data-sharing systems and on its work with the French armed forces since 2013. 

AI service security is becoming an important concern for organisations as attackers find ways to access AI services through stolen credentials, compromised accounts and vulnerable applications. The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) has warned that malicious cyber actors are obtaining unauthorised access to organisational AI services, potentially allowing them to generate harmful material, consume available credits and disrupt legitimate work. The warning highlights how AI API keys, stolen authentication tokens, compromised user sessions and third-party access arrangements can expose AI services to misuse. Organisations must secure their own accounts, devices, applications and credentials rather than relying solely on the security measures provided by AI developers.

How AI Service Security Can Be Compromised

One route to unauthorised AI access involves exposed API keys. These credentials may be stored in source-code repositories, application configuration files or browser extensions, where attackers can obtain them. Vulnerable agent dashboards and other internet-facing applications can also expose credentials used to connect to model providers. An attacker who obtains a valid key may be able to send requests directly to an AI service without using the organisation's legitimate application. Phishing, information-stealing malware and compromised third-party services present additional risks. A stolen browser session can allow an attacker to act as an authenticated user without completing a new multi-factor authentication challenge. Suppliers and contractors can also introduce exposure when they hold organisational credentials or delegated access. The impact depends on the compromised identity's permissions. Access to use a model does not necessarily grant permission to administer an account, create credentials or retrieve stored files. Organisations need to assess these privileges separately instead of assuming every credential has appropriately restricted access.

AI Agents Could Extend the Impact

The risks can extend beyond direct access to an AI model. Compromised accounts, sessions or AI agents may be able to interact with connected enterprise systems, invoke tools, access organisational data or communicate with other agents on a user's behalf. Consequently, the practical impact of a compromised identity may reach connected systems and sensitive information, depending on the access available to that identity or agent. Organisations should separate restricted-model access and sensitive data from routine AI use and experimental environments. Applications exposed externally should undergo security reviews, while suppliers should receive limited, auditable access.

Recent Reports Highlight AI Access Risks

Reports published in 2026 have described incidents involving exposed credentials, excessive model consumption and alleged unauthorised access to restricted AI systems. On September 9, The Hacker News reported research from Okta that identified still-valid AI API keys and unexpired authentication tokens in data stolen from infected computers. On September 1, The Register reported an incident in which an attacker spent three weeks consuming public-model credits worth approximately US$600,000. METR's disclosure described an authentication flaw in an internet-facing agent dashboard that enabled the theft of a model-provider API key. Separately, Reuters, citing Bloomberg, reported on April 21 that unauthorised users had accessed Claude Mythos Preview, which was restricted to selected organisations. The reporting concerned alleged access through a vendor environment, not confirmation of a compromise of the model developer's core infrastructure.

How Organisations Can Strengthen AI Service Security

ASD recommends several measures to reduce the risk of unauthorised access. Organisations should maintain an inventory of AI accounts, service identities and credentials, assign an accountable owner to each, and apply least privilege by granting only the access required for each role. Unnecessary permissions should be removed promptly. Account protection should include phishing-resistant MFA, managed and patched devices, monitoring for suspicious session activity, and approved secrets-management services for API keys. Credentials should not be exposed in code, documents, logs or prompts. Security teams should also monitor model access, credential creation, permission changes and unusual consumption patterns. Audit logs must be protected against tampering, while tested spending, rate and consumption limits should enforce restrictions rather than merely generate alerts. If compromise is suspected, organisations should revoke affected API keys, sessions and tokens, isolate compromised devices, preserve logs and investigate unauthorised changes. Access should be restored only after the underlying cause has been addressed. These measures can help organisations reduce exposure while maintaining controlled access to AI services.

Spain's state-owned railway operator Renfe confirmed on September 25 that a cyberattack had compromised some of its customers' data. Spanish media reported that the criminals behind the Renfe cyberattack used artificial intelligence (AI), which would make it the first attack of its kind in the country. Train services across Spain have continued to run normally while the investigation goes on.  According to Renfe, the attackers mainly obtained customer names and email addresses. "The attackers were able to access limited user information, consisting mainly of names and email addresses," the company said. It added that it had found "no conclusive evidence" that the stolen information had been made public.  The operator, which carried more than 531 million passengers last year, also said, "There is no evidence of access to bank or financial details, payment methods, IDs or other particularly sensitive information." 

Breach Traced to Adif's Systems 

Investigators have linked the cyberattack on Renfe to Adif, the state body that manages Spain's railway infrastructure. According to The Star, Renfe said in a statement that the "cybersecurity incident" began on Adif servers that were "previously compromised and interconnected with the company's systems."  Adif spotted unusual activity on its network late on Thursday and put cybersecurity measures in place to contain it. Neither organization has found evidence that the systems running railway operations were affected, so there has been no disruption to rail services linked to the attack.  The most visible effect was a temporary outage of the Adif website, which was down for part of Friday afternoon. Renfe's website stayed online. 

Weeks of Attempted Intrusions Preceded Renfe Cyberattack 

Renfe said the breach followed "several weeks" of attempted attacks on its systems. Its monitoring and security tools had "detected and successfully blocked" those earlier attempts.  Once it detected the breach, Renfe activated its incident-response procedures, isolated the areas that might have been affected and added further protective measures. Independent cybersecurity specialists are helping with the investigation and with efforts to limit any further damage.  Adif has filed a complaint with the relevant authorities and shared what it found with Spain's National Cryptologic Center (CCN). It has also notified businesses and suppliers that may have been affected so they can take precautions. 

Reports of AI Involvement and a Foreign Link 

El Mundo cited "sources close to the investigation" who said a criminal organization used "a system similar" to Anthropic's AI to attack Adif's website, which was unavailable on September 25. The newspaper described it as the first AI-driven cyberattack on the website of a Spanish public company and said the incident lasted "several days."  La Razón reported that sources familiar with the case believe "the modus operandi points to a foreign group." 

Wider Concerns Over AI and Hybrid Threats 

The cyberattack on Renfe comes as concern grows worldwide about what advanced AI tools can do, following a series of hacking incidents involving models from OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, and its rival Anthropic.  Warnings have also increased about possible hybrid attacks, including cyber incidents, targeting Western allies of Ukraine as Russia's invasion enters its fifth year.  Renfe and Adif are still investigating where the attack came from and how far it reached, including how much customer information was accessed without authorization. 

Citrix has released fixes for two critical remote code execution flaws in NetScaler ADC and NetScaler Gateway, tracked as CVE-2026-88771 and CVE-2026-88772. On September 27, the company confirmed that attackers had already exploited both in the wild. The same update addresses six other vulnerabilities. One of the two exploited bugs affects every deployment running a vulnerable version, including appliances left in the default configuration.  The disclosure came a day after security firm watchTowr reported that two unpatched NetScaler RCE flaws were being exploited, and after some administrators said they had taken appliances offline. Citrix did not say whether its two flaws are the ones watchTowr described, though the details match.  NetScaler ADC and NetScaler Gateway sit at the edge of enterprise networks, handling VPN and remote access, load balancing, and user authentication. 

How CVE-2026-88771 and CVE-2026-88772 Work 

CVE-2026-88771, rated 9.5 on the CVSS v4 scale, is an improper input validation flaw that lets an unauthenticated attacker run arbitrary commands. It affects all NetScaler ADC and NetScaler Gateway deployments and requires no additional feature to be enabled.  CVE-2026-88772, also rated 9.5, is a memory overflow that can lead to remote code execution or denial-of-service (DoS) on appliances with DTLS enabled. DTLS is on by default for VPN virtual servers, so any NetScaler Gateway is exposed unless DTLS has been explicitly turned off.  "Exploits of CVE-2026-88771 and CVE-2026-88772 on unmitigated NetScaler deployments have been observed," Citrix said. The company did not disclose how widespread the attacks are, who is responsible, or when they began.  The bulletin is Citrix's first public notice of the flaws, which means both were exploited before a fix was available. It lists no workarounds and no indicators of compromise. 

Fixed NetScaler Versions 

Appliances running 14.1-73.32 and 13.1-63.21 fall within the affected range and need the new update. Those builds were released in August to fix the exploited authentication bypass CVE-2026-19490.  Citrix urged affected customers to install these versions as soon as possible: 

• NetScaler ADC and NetScaler Gateway 14.1-73.37 and later releases 
• NetScaler ADC and NetScaler Gateway 13.1-64.23 and later releases of 13.1 
• NetScaler ADC 14.1-FIPS 14.1-73.37 FIPS and later releases of 14.1-FIPS 
• NetScaler ADC 13.1-FIPS and 13.1-NDcPP 13.1-37.279 and later releases of 13.1-FIPS and 13.1-NDcPP 

The bulletin covers customer-managed appliances, including NetScaler instances in Secure Private Access Hybrid deployments. Citrix handles upgrades for its own cloud services and for Citrix-managed Adaptive Authentication. The 13.1 fix arrives even though that branch reached End of Maintenance on September 15 under Citrix's release schedule. 

Six Other Flaws 

The bulletin does not list the remaining six vulnerabilities as exploited: 

• CVE-2026-88773 (9.3): HTTP request smuggling on appliances with load balancing, content switching, VPN, or authentication virtual servers of type HTTP or SSL. 
• CVE-2026-88774 (7.0): A policy bypass on appliances where any policy uses an HTTP URL-based expression. 
• CVE-2026-88775 (8.8): A memory overflow that can cause unpredictable behavior or DoS on appliances configured as a Gateway (SSL VPN, ICA Proxy, CVPN, RDP Proxy) or as an authentication, authorization, and auditing (AAA) virtual server. 
• CVE-2026-88776 (8.8): A memory overflow that can cause unpredictable behavior or DoS on load balancing virtual servers of type Oracle. 
• CVE-2026-88777 (8.8): A memory overflow that can cause unpredictable behavior or DoS on load balancing, content switching, or CGNAT-LSN/NAT64 setups with a non-HTTP Layer 7 protocol feature, such as FTP, RTSP, or DNS64, enabled. 
• CVE-2026-88778 (8.8): A TCP Initial Sequence Number (ISN) prediction flaw on appliances with TCP-based virtual servers, such as HTTP, SSL, or TCP, where Enhanced ISN Generation is disabled. Citrix advises applying a TCP configuration change on affected appliances to turn it on. 

The Kiteworks shutdown advisory has been lifted after the company completed a precautionary shutdown in response to credible threat intelligence from federal intelligence authorities. Kiteworks said the threat window passed without incident, continuous monitoring found no abnormal activity, and there is no indication that its systems or customer environments were compromised. The advisory was issued on September 25 and recommended that customers temporarily take their Kiteworks systems offline. During the shutdown, Kiteworks said its security and engineering teams discovered a previously unknown critical vulnerability and deployed a fix.

Kiteworks Shutdown Advisory Followed Threat Intelligence

Kiteworks issued the Kiteworks shutdown advisory after receiving intelligence about a potential imminent attack. Customers managing their own Kiteworks environments were asked to shut down their systems during the recommended period. Kiteworks also shut down environments it hosts on behalf of customers. The company worked with federal intelligence authorities throughout the shutdown and monitored its systems during the potential threat window. According to its latest update, the period passed without incident and no abnormal activity was detected. Kiteworks said the shutdown was a precautionary measure and was not triggered by evidence of a confirmed compromise.

Critical Vulnerability Discovered During Shutdown

During the shutdown, Kiteworks identified a previously unknown critical vulnerability in a capability enabled for less than 1% of its customer base. The company said its engineering and security teams developed and deployed a fix during the shutdown window. Kiteworks also applied an additional protective layer across all environments. The company said there is no indication that the vulnerability was exploited. Kiteworks added that all other products were unaffected by the vulnerability discovered during the response.

No Evidence of Kiteworks Systems Compromise

Kiteworks said it has no indication that its systems or customer environments were compromised. The company also said continuous monitoring throughout the threat window did not identify abnormal activity. It has not disclosed the identity of the potential threat actor or provided further details about the intelligence received from federal authorities. The latest update maintains that the shutdown was a preventative response rather than a reaction to a confirmed breach. Kiteworks continues to recommend that customers use the latest available version of its software.

Kiteworks Systems Restored

With the threat window now passed, Kiteworks has restored its hosted customer environments and said customers can bring their own systems back online if they have not already done so. The company said it will continue monitoring its environments following the incident and maintain the additional security measures implemented during the response. The Kiteworks shutdown advisory ultimately ended without a confirmed compromise. However, the precautionary action resulted in the discovery and remediation of a previously unknown critical vulnerability affecting a limited customer capability. Kiteworks said it will continue working with federal intelligence authorities and monitoring its systems as customers return to normal operations.

A Dyfed-Powys Police cyberattack may have resulted in staff information being accessed or compromised, according to the police force that serves Dyfed-Powys in Wales. The cyber incident, identified on September 14, 2026, disrupted some non-emergency systems, but the force said there is currently no evidence that members of the public had their personal data accessed. Dyfed-Powys Police said an investigation into the incident is ongoing, with support from cybersecurity specialists. The force has also introduced precautionary measures while specialist teams investigate the incident and work to restore affected services safely.

Dyfed-Powys Police Cyberattack Disrupted Non-Emergency Systems

The Dyfed-Powys Police cyberattack was identified on Monday, September 14, according to a statement issued by the force. The incident affected some non-emergency systems, resulting in a period when online and email contact services were unavailable. The police force said these services have since been restored. We can confirm that the force has been subject to a cyber incident which was identified on Monday September 14, 2026. The incident caused disruption to some non-emergency systems," reads the offical release. Despite the disruption, emergency response operations were not affected. Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed that it remained fully operational and that both 999 and 101 telephone services continued to operate. The force said it has been closely monitoring its systems while specialist teams investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Staff Information Under Investigation

While there is currently no evidence that members of the public had their personal information accessed or compromised, the investigation is examining whether information relating to police staff may have been exposed. Dyfed-Powys Police said it is taking steps to protect staff information and will provide appropriate advice to employees if required. The force has not provided further details about what staff information may have been accessed or compromised. The investigation remains ongoing, meaning the full impact of the incident has not yet been established.

ICO Notified Over Cyber Incident

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has been notified about the incident as the investigation continues. Dyfed-Powys Police said the investigation is being managed by Tarian through its regional cyber-crime unit, with cybersecurity specialists supporting the response. The force has also implemented precautionary measures across its systems as part of its response. Specialist teams are working to investigate the incident and restore services safely while the police continue to monitor its systems. At this stage, the force has not disclosed details about how the attackers may have gained access to its systems or identified those responsible for the cyber incident.

Emergency Services Remain Operational

Dyfed-Powys Police said the incident did not affect its ability to respond to emergencies. The 999 and 101 telephone services remained available throughout the disruption. Online and email contact were unavailable for a period following the incident but have now been restored. The force said it understands the concern the incident may cause and is continuing to take steps to protect its information and maintain the security of its systems. The investigation is ongoing, and further details could emerge as specialists examine the incident and assess whether any staff information was accessed or compromised. Dyfed-Powys Police said it will provide further updates when more information becomes available. Update: This article will be updated as Dyfed-Powys Police provides further information about the investigation, affected systems or any potential compromise of staff information.

This weekly roundup covers a brazen breach claim against the FBI's recruitment portal, a multinational advisory exposing North Korea's fake-recruiter malware operation, a sweeping EU proposal to reshape children's access to social media, a conversation on application security in the age of AI agents, a short-lived Discord ban in the Philippines, and a multimillion-dollar hot-wallet heist at a crypto casino.  From federal law enforcement to individual job seekers, this week's developments show that no target is too prominent or too small. Cybercriminals are openly taunting the agencies that pursue them, state-backed actors are turning the hiring process into an attack vector, and governments are testing how far they can push platforms on child safety, sometimes reversing course within hours. 

The Cyber Express Weekly Roundup 

Shiny Hunters Claims FBI Breach, Says FBIjobs Agent Data Exposed 

The FBI is investigating an apparent breach after the cybercriminal group Shiny Hunters claimed to have stolen personal data belonging to thousands of federal agents, with the probe centering on the bureau's FBIjobs recruitment website. Read more... 

WaterPlum Hackers Steal $10.7M in Crypto From IT Workers 

A North Korean cyber actor group known as WaterPlum, also referred to as "Contagious Interview," has infected at least 30,000 devices across more than 100 countries while stealing cryptocurrency from IT professionals worldwide. Read more... 

EU KIDS Act Sets New Social Media Rules for Children 

The European Commission adopted the proposal on September 18, setting out rules that would prevent children under 13 from accessing social media and establish 15 as the minimum age for minors to open accounts independently. Users aged 13 to under 15 could instead access parent-managed mini accounts with limits on social contacts and up to 60 minutes of screen time per day, while platforms would bear the responsibility of proving their services are safe for children. Read more… 

Harness' Rahul Sood: AppSec in the Agentic Era Is About More Than Code. It's About Authority 

In this conversation, The Cyber Express spoke with Rahul Sood, the General Manager for Application Security at Harness, who leads the company's AppSec portfolio and focuses on building security for the AI era, integrated directly into modern DevOps workflows. The conversation centers on a shift in how security teams must think about AI agents: the risk no longer lies only in the code being shipped, but in what authority autonomous agents are granted once they operate inside production systems. Read more… 

Ban on Discord Lifted After Platform Commits to Work With DICT and CICC 

The Philippine government has lifted its ban on Discord after the platform's representatives met with officials from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), with the restriction removed on Thursday, Sept. 24. Read more... 

Duelbits Hit by $7 Million Hack as Crypto Stolen Across Four Blockchains 

Crypto casino Duelbits has shut down its platform after attackers took roughly $7 million from several of its wallets, with the stolen assets moved across four blockchains and mostly converted into Ether. The company says funds held in user accounts have not been affected, but it has not explained how the attackers got in or when the site will return. Read more... 

Weekly Cybersecurity Takeaway 

This week's developments span the full spectrum of cyber risk, from a criminal group openly retaliating against the FBI over a public advisory, to a state-backed operation weaponizing job interviews against developers, to a crypto platform losing millions from the very hot wallets that keep it running.  Meanwhile, the policy response is moving on multiple fronts: the EU is flipping the burden of proof onto platforms to demonstrate child safety by design, and the Philippines has shown how quickly a government can block, and then restore, a major platform in exchange for enforcement commitments. At the same time, security leaders are warning that AI agents are introducing an entirely new question of who, or what, holds authority inside enterprise systems.  Taken together, the stories point to an increasingly confrontational threat landscape, where attackers are bolder, trust-based processes like hiring are being exploited at scale, and institutions are experimenting with more aggressive levers to hold platforms and adversaries accountable. 

Crypto casino Duelbits has shut down its platform after attackers took roughly $7 million from several of its wallets. In the Duelbits crypto hack, the stolen assets were moved across four blockchains, and most of them were then converted into Ether.  The company says it is investigating the breach and that funds held in user accounts have not been affected. However, it has not explained how the attackers got into its systems or said when the site will return. 

How the Duelbits Cyberattack Unfolded 

Blockchain security research firm Scam Sniffer first flagged a series of unusual transfers out of Duelbits wallets on BNB Chain, Ethereum and Tron. Later, it spotted a further loss of 8.1 BTC from the casino's Bitcoin wallet.  All the affected wallets were hot wallets. These are online accounts where a platform keeps enough crypto to handle customer deposits and withdrawals. They make fast transactions possible, but they also leave funds more exposed if someone obtains the access credentials.  The attacker ended up with 836 ETH, about 593,000 USDT, 97,000 USDC, 31,500 DAI, and 12.4 billion SHIB. 

Co-Founder Confirms Duelbits Crypto Hack 

Duelbits co-founder Joe acknowledged the incident in a public post: 

Confirming a ~$7M hack. Still investigating exactly what happened and how.  Until we have clarity, Duelbits stays offline. User funds are safe.  Next steps: finish the investigation, re-top hot wallets, and bring Duelbits back online, launch Duelbits 2.0.  I'll keep posting updates as I have them.  Duelbits will be back up asap.  Updates to follow" 

Joe said the platform would stay offline until the investigation is finished and the hot wallets have been refilled. No one has independently verified his claim that user funds are safe. 

Compromised Private Key Suspected 

The wallets were emptied quickly and on a large scale, which leads Scam Sniffer to suspect that a private key was compromised. A private key is the master credential for a crypto wallet. Anyone who holds it can move funds out of that wallet without exploiting any weakness in the blockchain itself.  Duelbits has not confirmed this explanation. 

Stolen Funds From Duelbits Cyberattack Swapped Into Ether 

Most of the stolen tokens were exchanged for Ether and gathered in a single address. After the transfers, that address held around 2,234 ETH, worth roughly $6 million. When the funds were traced, they had not moved any further.  Converting the stolen assets into Ether could make recovery much harder. The companies behind USDT and USDC can freeze those tokens. Ether has no central issuer that can step in and freeze funds taken in a hack. 

Unanswered Questions After the Duelbits Crypto Hack 

Several important questions remain open. It is still unclear how the wallet credentials were breached, whether customer deposits were held in the affected wallets, and when withdrawals will resume. Duelbits has not addressed these points so far.  Users are also advised to avoid any refund or recovery links that circulate during the outage. Links shared at times like this are often attempts to steal wallet details and recovery phrases.  For now, the Duelbits cyberattack amounts to a loss of about $7 million from wallets on four networks. Most of the stolen assets have been swapped into Ether and sit at one publicly visible address. 

A Burnaby School District cyberattack is being investigated after an incident disrupted internal network services and phone lines across the district. The Burnaby School District said the cyber incident came to its attention on Monday, September 21, and that staff are working to contain the incident and restore affected services. The district has not disclosed whether any personal or sensitive information was accessed or stolen. However, the disruption has raised concerns about potential data leaks as the investigation continues.

Burnaby School District Cyberattack Disrupts Operations

According to the district, the incident has affected some systems and operations, including internal network services and phone lines. Staff across Burnaby Schools are working to restore normal operations while limiting the impact on students. The district said the disruption has not affected student learning and that staff are working to ensure schools can continue supporting students. Families, staff, and district partners were contacted earlier in the week about the incident. The district said it will provide additional updates as efforts to contain the incident and restore services continue. The investigation remains ongoing, and the district has not provided further details about the nature of the incident, the suspected attackers, or whether information was compromised. The latest incident follows other school district cyberattacks and cybersecurity incidents that have disrupted education services and raised concerns about the security of student and staff information.

Education Sector Faces Repeated Cybersecurity Incidents

In September, The Cyber Express reported on the Springfield cyberattack, which disrupted school operations shortly after the start of the new academic year. The incident forced schools to close for part of the week and affected services relied on by families, including childcare and school meal programs. The district arranged grab-and-go meals at six locations while the YMCA of Greater Springfield provided full-day care for families enrolled in its programs. Students were expected to return to classrooms the following Monday. The Springfield incident highlighted how a cyberattack against school systems can extend beyond IT operations and affect essential services used by students and families. Earlier in 2026, a separate QLearn cybersecurity incident involving education technology provider Instructure affected educational institutions globally. Queensland Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek confirmed that the Queensland Department of Education had been briefed about the international breach. Early assessments indicated that the incident could affect more than 200 million people and more than 9,000 institutions worldwide.

Education Authority Cyberattack Targeted School Systems

In April 2026, an Education Authority cyberattack investigation found that attackers had gained targeted access to personal information linked to a small number of schools. Authorities identified the incident on April 10 after being alerted to suspicious activity affecting school systems. A forensic investigation later determined that attackers had accessed specific personal information associated with certain schools. The findings added to concerns surrounding cybersecurity risks in the education sector, where school networks can contain sensitive information belonging to students and staff. For the Burnaby School District, the current investigation is focused on containing the incident and restoring affected services. The district has not confirmed any data theft or provided details about possible unauthorized access. As the investigation progresses, further updates are expected from the district on the scope of the incident, affected systems and any potential impact on personal information.

The government has lifted its ban on Discord in the Philippines after the platform's representatives met with officials from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC). The CICC is an attached agency of the DICT. The restriction was removed on Thursday, Sept. 24.  DICT Secretary Henry Aguda and CICC Executive Director Undersecretary Renato "Aboy" Paraiso confirmed the decision. They said it followed a pledge from Discord officers to cooperate with both agencies. 

Discord's Commitments to the DICT and CICC 

The two sides held an online meeting on Thursday. According to Paraiso, Discord agreed to put security measures in place, establish a presence in the country, and support the government's campaign against online groomers.  "The meeting was successful," Paraiso said during a live press briefing. "We secured a commitment from Discord to collaborate with us in achieving our goal of further strengthening the online safety measures we are implementing for our country."  Discord also told the DICT and CICC that it would provide a "green lane," which would let Philippine authorities track and monitor suspicious activity on the platform.  "Like Reddit, Discord has promised to provide us with a 'green lane'—such as monitoring and identifying threat actors on their platform," Paraiso said. 

Why the CICC Imposed the Ban on Discord 

The CICC had earlier ordered Discord and Reddit to coordinate with the agency and set up a local office within 24 hours.  In a clarificatory statement on Wednesday, the center said it did not grant Discord an extension because the company had only responded through a letter. Paraiso said the ban took effect immediately, at around 5 p.m.  Reddit, meanwhile, was allowed to keep operating after it held an online meeting with CICC officials. That discussion covered plans for a local Reddit office and other safety measures for teenagers who use the platform. 

DICT Acknowledges Disruption to Users 

An anti-scam advocacy organization said many people were frustrated by the temporary restriction because they rely on the platform for work. Aguda maintained that the immediate ban was meant to protect young people.  "Legitimate users have been somewhat inconvenienced, and we understand that. We just want to let you know that when we spoke with Reddit and Discord, they acknowledged the issue," the secretary said.  Aguda added that both Discord and Reddit have named point persons who will coordinate with the government at all times. However, the timeline for setting up the companies' local offices has not been finalized. 

Extremist Group Concerns Behind the CICC's Action 

The CICC had previously flagged the presence of a Nihilistic Violent Extremism (NVE) group allegedly recruiting and grooming teenagers on these online platforms.  The group is suspected of having links to the Sept. 18 school shooting at Banga National High School in South Cotabato, which killed three students. That incident came a month after a similar shooting at Ateneo de Zamboanga University left two students dead.  "Instances involving NVE are on the rise. The numbers are truly going up," Aguda said.  "We are all aware of this. We have been tasked with providing a solution," he told reporters.  "Sometimes, these solutions may not be popular, but we must do what is necessary to make progress in protecting the youth," the cabinet official said. 

The Apache Software Foundation has released Tomcat 11.0.26, an Apache Tomcat Update that resolves 12 security vulnerabilities. They include the WebSocket message-smuggling bug CVE-2026-87022 and the HTTP/2 header mix-up tracked as CVE-2026-86350.   The fixes, disclosed on September 23, 2026, cover WebSocket, HTTP/2, AJP, authentication, and TLS certificate validation. Four flaws are rated Important, three Moderate, and five Low. 

Apache Tomcat Update-Who Needs It

Most Tomcat 11 deployments are exposed. Many of the issues affect versions 11.0.0-M1 through 11.0.25, while narrower flaws start at 11.0.0-M5, 11.0.0-M14, 11.0.19 or 11.0.22. Apache does not issue binary patches for individual vulnerabilities and instead directs users to install a release containing the fixes. That makes 11.0.26 the practical minimum for remediation. 

How CVE-2026-87022 Enables WebSocket Smuggling 

CVE-2026-87022 comes from improper handling of a length parameter when per-message-deflate compression is enabled. An attacker can exploit the discrepancy to smuggle WebSocket messages. Every release from 11.0.0-M1 through 11.0.25 is affected, and the correction is in commit 4fef25fe. 

CVE-2026-86350 and Other HTTP/2 Defects 

CVE-2026-86350 is the higher-priority HTTP/2 issue. It is a regression introduced during the fix for CVE-2026-41293. Inconsistent request interpretation can cause headers to be attached to the wrong request in versions 11.0.22 through 11.0.25.  Two related HTTP/2 bugs were also fixed. CVE-2026-78437 allows a malformed request to make another user's request fail. CVE-2026-77762 is a race condition that can inject trailer fields into a recycled pooled request. 

Denial-of-Service and Authorization Risks 

Several fixes address availability. CVE-2026-78383 can pin an AJP processing thread when a request body is absent. CVE-2026-77791 permits denial of service through a busy wait while a WebSocket close message is being sent. CVE-2026-79677 is a concurrency bug that can cause asynchronous WebSocket write timeouts to be lost, leaving operations free to consume resources indefinitely.  The release also closes CVE-2026-76183, an Important-rated WebSocket authorization bypass caused by request paths being parsed as endpoint templates. CVE-2026-75973 could reuse the first application's realm across multiple applications that rely on Jakarta Authentication's default SimpleAuthConfigProvider.   CVE-2026-77756 could disrupt another user's request because Tomcat honored Transfer-Encoding in HTTP/1.0 traffic behind a reverse proxy. 

Certificate Validation Repairs 

Two fixes concern certificate checking. CVE-2026-86248 completes an earlier, incomplete OCSP fix. That gap could let CLIENT_CERT authentication succeed with soft-fail disabled under the FFM implementation.   CVE-2026-73581 corrects OpenSSL and OpenSSL-FFM behavior that ignored certificate revocation lists when certificates were stored in a keystore. 

Rolling Out the Apache Tomcat Update Safely 

Administrators are advised to take the following steps: 

• Inventory every Tomcat 11 instance. 
• Prioritize externally reachable WebSocket, HTTP/2 and AJP connectors. 
• Upgrade to 11.0.26 after testing application compatibility. 
• Verify downloaded artifacts using Apache's OpenPGP signatures or SHA-512 checksums. 
• Review reverse-proxy and authentication configurations. 
• Monitor for unusual connection exhaustion, cross-request header anomalies and authorization failures. 

Several of the bugs involve race conditions and shared connection state, so exploitation may succeed only intermittently. This makes controlled regression testing and sustained telemetry especially important after an emergency rollout across clusters.   After deployment, servers should be restarted, and the running version confirmed. Configuration-only workarounds do not provide the same coverage as this multi-component release. Upgrading is the only complete protection against CVE-2026-87022, CVE-2026-86350, and the other ten vulnerabilities. 

A Latvia cyberattack investigation has led to the arrest of a man born in 2003 over alleged cyberattacks against at least two Latvian companies. The State Police said the suspect accessed company databases, extracted personal data and attempted to demand payment in exchange for not disclosing the information. One of the attacks took place in February, while a second incident was detected in early September at TSC, a household appliance and smart device repair company that is part of the LMT group. Investigators linked the two cases based on similarities in the methods used.

Latvia Cyberattack Investigation Links Two Cases

According to the State Police, the attacker used an automated tool to scan websites for vulnerabilities. After identifying a vulnerability, the suspect allegedly gained access to a website database and exported information, including restricted-access data. The attacker also allegedly used virtual camouflage tools to hide the actual location from which the activity was carried out. After completing the attack, the person contacted the affected company through an anonymous email account and demanded payment to prevent the stolen information from being disclosed. The investigation into the earlier attack helped police identify similarities with the TSC cyberattack detected in September. The State Police worked with LMT Security Service and CERT.LV to analyse the incident and establish a possible connection between the two cases. On September 15, police detained the suspect and carried out additional procedural actions, including a search at an address in Riga. Investigators also obtained evidence and information concerning other alleged cyberattacks against companies in Latvia and abroad. Those investigations are continuing.

TSC Cyberattack Exposed Customer Repair Data

TSC disclosed the data breach earlier this month after unidentified attackers exploited a vulnerability on its website and accessed a database containing information related to customer repair orders. The company said the affected customers included people who registered or modified repair orders through TSC websites, as well as customers who delivered devices for repair and later carried out additional activities online, such as making payments or changing repair orders. The information potentially accessed varied depending on what customers had provided. In most cases, it included names or company names, telephone numbers, email addresses and repair receipt numbers. In certain cases, the exposed information could also include device IMEI numbers, device access codes, bank account numbers, delivery or repair addresses and access codes for repair facilities. TSC said the incident did not affect data or content stored on devices submitted for repair.

Hacker Arrested as Investigation Continues

The State Police said there is reason to believe its prompt response prevented the unauthorized personal data from being passed to third parties. Police also said the suspect did not appear to target specific companies. Instead, automated tools were allegedly used to scan different websites and resources for vulnerabilities. The hacker arrested in the investigation has been recognized as a suspect in both criminal proceedings. Police cited provisions of Latvia’s Criminal Law covering unauthorized access to automated data processing systems for financial purposes, extortion and unlawful actions involving such systems. TSC temporarily suspended its website after discovering the incident and launched an investigation with cybersecurity experts. Its equipment repair services continued through contact-based customer service. TSC also said its IT systems operate separately from those of other LMT group companies, with no indication that LMT’s telecommunications network was compromised. The criminal investigation remains ongoing. The State Police reminded that the suspect is presumed innocent until guilt is established under the procedures prescribed by law.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has demanded answers from OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman after an AI agent broke into an Australian government website. The OpenAI hack took place in June, but the Australian government only learned of it recently, a delay the Prime Minister has openly criticized.  Speaking from New York on Thursday (AEST), Albanese said the OpenAI agent "infiltrated" the Medicare Statistics Reporting Service portal, which is administered by Services Australia. The agent had been researching public medical spending when it found a way around the site's privacy protections, gaining access to both public and non-public files. 

How the OpenAI Hack Unfolded 

"No personal information is believed to have been accessed at this stage, but investigations are ongoing," Albanese said. "Evidence currently available is there is no broader compromise to the Services Australia network. Nonetheless, this situation is obviously unacceptable."  He described the site as a public-facing portal holding non-sensitive Medicare information, including data and statistics such as spending. The Australian Signals Directorate will help carry out a forensic examination of the breach and check whether any other government sites were affected. 

Anthony Albanese Slams Slow Disclosure 

Albanese said he had spoken directly with Altman and conveyed his "extreme concern" over the incident.  "I also expressed my disappointment that it took the company way too long to inform the government what had occurred and the nature of the way that that notification occurred, as well, was unacceptable," he said.  Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles told ABC TV that ministers were briefed at the end of last week and over the weekend. He said the past few days had been spent confirming the effect on the portal and its data, which he called "relatively minor.  "It's important to assure people of that, no personal information has been accessed here," Marles said. "There's no impact on the system, but that said, what we have seen is unauthorized access into an Australian government website and that is completely unacceptable and we have made that clear to OpenAI."  Marles said the "bigger picture" was the need for guardrails and safety measures as AI technology advances quickly. He pointed to the call made by the Prime Minister and other world leaders in New York that week, as well as concerns raised by tech company CEOs at the UN overnight. 

Australian Government Pushes for Global AI Safeguards 

Before news of the OpenAI hack broke, Australia joined more than 20 countries in signing a joint statement calling for stronger AI safeguards and continued human control. The statement was released on Tuesday, Australian time, ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, where AI measures are on the agenda.  "AI must remain under human direction, oversight, and control. It must be developed and used in line with international law," the statement said. It also warned that leading scientists and executives believe the pace of development could outstrip the ability to manage emerging risks.  Other signatories included Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez, and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. The statement remains open to further endorsements, which Albanese said he hoped to see.  "Other nations are putting forward their national interests," he said. "In our case, Australians do want to know that artificial intelligence won't be in control of us. We need to shape how it rolls out, rather than have artificial intelligence shape the way that our society functions."  Albanese said Australia played a central role in drafting the statement and that he had spoken directly with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who issued it on behalf of the participating nations. He added that the issue had been discussed among leaders "just as it's been discussed around lounge rooms", and that AI "will have a massive impact on the way that our lives and our work is conducted."  The statement called for AI risks to be addressed without widening the gap between countries in accessing the technology's benefits. It urged AI companies to develop transparent safety protocols, asked governments to set common standards, and encouraged the UN to explore creating an international institution to establish AI standards. 

Ofcom has opened an investigation into Aylo, the service provider of Pornhub, over its Pornhub age checks, examining whether the platform has met its legal obligations to prevent children from accessing pornographic content under the UK Online Safety Act.

The investigation focuses on a new age assurance process introduced by Pornhub in May 2026 for some users. The process relies on signals from Apple indicating that UK users attempting to access Pornhub may have completed Apple’s own age checks.

Under the Online Safety Act, responsibility for ensuring that age assurance is highly effective rests with the service provider, regardless of where in the process an age check takes place.

Ofcom Questions Pornhub’s Age Assurance Process

Ofcom said it is concerned that Aylo may not have carried out sufficient due diligence and testing before introducing the new process. The regulator is examining whether the system is sufficiently effective in preventing children from encountering pornography.

The investigation will assess whether Aylo complied with two key requirements under the Online Safety Act: using highly effective age assurance to prevent children from seeing pornography and completing a suitable and sufficient assessment of children’s access to the service.

Ofcom will also examine how Aylo implemented the process and whether the necessary due diligence was completed before deployment. The investigation will not determine how Apple operates its own age checks.

George Lusty, Ofcom’s Director of Enforcement, said online age checks are an important protection against children encountering inappropriate or harmful material and that technology companies are expected to ensure such systems are highly effective before deployment.

Ofcom Sets Out Investigation Process for Pornhub Age Checks

Ofcom said its investigation will begin with gathering and analysing evidence to determine whether a breach has occurred. If the regulator finds evidence of a compliance failure, it can issue a provisional decision to the company.

[caption id="attachment_114372" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Image Source: Ofcom[/caption]

Aylo would then have an opportunity to respond to Ofcom’s findings before a final decision is made.

If Ofcom determines that a company has broken the law, it can require the platform to take specific steps to comply with its obligations or address harm caused by the breach. The regulator can also impose fines of up to £18 million or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater.

Ofcom Expands Enforcement Against Intimate Image Abuse

The investigation comes alongside a separate Ofcom enforcement programme targeting the spread of illegal intimate images, including explicit AI-generated deepfakes.

Ofcom has said platforms should have automated hash matching technology in place by September 30 to detect and prevent the sharing of illegal intimate images. Platforms without hash matching must demonstrate that other systems and processes are equally effective at curbing the spread of non-consensual intimate images, or NCII.

Companies that fail to meet their legal duties could face fines of up to 10% of their global annual revenue.

Ofcom has partnered with SWGfL, which operates the StopNCII.org database and Revenge Porn Helpline, to share information and expertise on tackling intimate image abuse online.

The regulator is also seeking evidence from academics, survivor and victim support groups, and other stakeholders about how women’s and girls’ experiences online have changed.

Ofcom said the evidence will contribute to a report on industry progress in reducing online harms to women and girls. The regulator will also consider whether formal recommendations to the UK government are needed if industry action falls short.

The two enforcement efforts highlight Ofcom’s broader focus on requiring online services to put effective safeguards in place before harmful content or access risks materialise.

AI is changing how software is built, tested, and secured, but the speed of development is also creating new challenges for application security teams. As AI coding tools and autonomous agents increase the volume and pace of software development, security teams are facing a growing gap between vulnerability detection, prioritisation, and remediation. In this interview with Rahul Sood, GM, Application Security at Harness, we explore how AI application security is evolving as developers increasingly rely on AI-assisted coding and software agents. Sood discusses why traditional checkpoint-based security processes are struggling to keep pace, how organisations can bring security controls closer to the point where code is created, and why automated vulnerability remediation could become increasingly important. The conversation also examines the security risks associated with AI agents that can access repositories, APIs, infrastructure and production environments. Sood explains why identity, least-privilege access, observability and human oversight will become increasingly important as software gains greater autonomy, and why application security will need to address not only what software contains, but also what autonomous systems are authorised to do. Read the full interview below for Rahul Sood’s perspective on the changing application security landscape and the security challenges emerging as AI takes a more active role in software development.

The Cyber Express: What is the biggest change AI is bringing to the application security landscape?

Rahul Sood: The biggest change is speed. We have spent years making software development faster, and AI has accelerated that dramatically. Security processes, however, haven't accelerated at the same rate. Most security scanning is still triggered at fixed checkpoints - a pull request, merge, or nightly build - designed for a world where a developer produces a handful of meaningful commits a day. LLM-based scanning can potentially find 10x more vulnerabilities vs. traditional scanning tools. That sounds great, but it also means the discovery side of the pipeline is now outpacing triage and remediation even more than it already was. That's where AI agents also become part of the answer, not just part of the problem. An agent can identify something and begin acting on it in close to the same motion, which is exactly the kind of compression this gap needs. The challenge is making sure that speed is matched with the right judgment and oversight.

The Cyber Express: AI coding assistants can introduce insecure code at scale. What should teams be doing differently?

Rahul Sood: The instinct is to assume AI-generated code is introducing more vulnerabilities because AI is somehow worse at writing secure code. I don't think that's the real story. Even if AI wrote code exactly as securely as a person does, the sheer volume of code now being produced would still overwhelm the way most organisations scan for issues today. Scanning at the commit is already struggling to keep pace, as we discussed. The next step is pushing security further left than that, into the coding tool or agent itself, so secrets detection, dependency checks, and application security testing happen as the code is being written, and those same controls continue through build and deployment rather than starting over at each stage. You need both: controls at the point of creation to cut volume, and a verification layer that confirms what's really going out the door. I expect the industry to move from automated detection towards much more automated resolution. Systems will increasingly identify an issue, establish whether it is actually exploitable, create a potential fix, verify that fix and then bring a developer in where judgement or approval is required. Human oversight remains important, but it should be concentrated on decisions where human judgement adds value rather than every mechanical step surrounding them.

The Cyber Express: What new security challenges emerge when AI agents can make decisions and take actions?

Rahul Sood: A coding assistant can suggest something insecure, but there are usually other controls between that suggestion and production. An agent with access to APIs, repositories or infrastructure is different. It has been given authority to act. That makes identity, permissions and the scope of that authority fundamental security questions. One principle I think will become increasingly important is that autonomy should be proportional to the consequence of the action. The more consequential and difficult an action is to reverse, the stronger the controls around it should be. More broadly, enterprises will need a security architecture for non-human actors: distinct identities, least-privilege access, short-lived credentials, complete auditability and clear boundaries around which decisions an agent can make independently. The important question isn't how autonomous an agent is. It's what we've given it the authority to do, where the boundaries are, and what happens when it gets a decision wrong.

The Cyber Express: What becomes harder to secure when applications behave dynamically?

Rahul Sood: AI-native applications introduce another layer because some risks only become visible through behaviour. The security question is no longer limited to whether the underlying code contains a known vulnerability. You also need to understand what the system is doing at runtime. One of the more concerning findings in the AI-native application security research we conducted last year was how basic the visibility problem still was. Many security practitioners told us they didn't have a reliable way of identifying all of the LLMs operating within their environment. That's a significant problem because you cannot meaningfully govern something you don't know exists. As applications become more dynamic, understanding behaviour becomes just as important as understanding what's in the code.

The Cyber Express: Is shift-left still enough?

Rahul Sood: Shift-left was an important correction because security was happening far too late. But moving security earlier in development doesn't solve the entire problem on its own, since risk doesn't only enter through code. It can come through a dependency, an API, a model interaction, a deployment configuration, or the way an application behaves once it's actually running. There is also a growing mismatch between how quickly vulnerabilities can be exploited and how long organisations take to remediate them. The 2026 Edgescan Vulnerability Statistics Report puts the average time to close high and critical vulnerabilities at roughly 55 days. At the other end of that equation, exploitation of newly disclosed vulnerabilities can now begin within hours. Finding a vulnerability earlier is useful, but the more consequential metric is the period between discovery and protection. The next phase of application security is less about moving a scanner to an earlier point in the lifecycle and more about compressing the entire exposure window, from discovery to protection.

The Cyber Express: How can teams identify which risks actually matter?

Rahul Sood: Security teams don't have an alert problem as much as they have a context problem. A vulnerability can have a severe technical rating and still present relatively little immediate risk if the affected component isn't reachable or exposed. Another vulnerability with a lower score could sit in an internet-facing, business-critical application and deserve immediate attention. So prioritisation has to move beyond severity. That means combining technical severity with signals like EPSS scores for real-world exploit probability, static reachability analysis to confirm whether a vulnerable path can actually be called, and false-positive reduction to cut out findings that never posed real risk in the first place. The goal shouldn't be to help a security team process 10,000 alerts faster. It should be to make sure they don't have to treat 10,000 alerts as equally important in the first place.

The Cyber Express: What does a healthy developer–security relationship look like?

Rahul Sood: The healthiest organisations I've seen don't treat security as a handoff between two teams. Developers understand that security is part of building good software, while security teams take responsibility for making the secure path practical. If following security policy means leaving the developer workflow, opening a ticket, waiting several days and then interpreting a scanner report, people will inevitably look for ways around the process. That's an operating-model problem, not simply a developer behaviour problem. We saw how wide that gap had become in research we conducted last year. Seventy-four percent of security professionals surveyed said developers viewed security as a blocker to AI innovation. Security teams should define acceptable risk, policies and guardrails. Engineering teams should then be able to work within those boundaries without constantly asking for permission. That is ultimately what a mature DevSecOps model should achieve. Security becomes part of the engineering system rather than another team standing beside it.

The Cyber Express: What one assumption should organisations rethink today?

Rahul Sood: One assumption I would rethink is that knowing what software contains is enough to understand its security posture. Application security has traditionally been very good at analysing components: the code, libraries, dependencies, APIs and vulnerabilities that make up an application. But with autonomous software, knowing what it's made of is only part of the picture. We also need to understand the authority we've given it. An agent may be built from approved components and have no obvious vulnerability in its code, yet still create significant risk because it can access the wrong data, has excessive permissions or can take an action that was never anticipated when those permissions were granted. We have spent decades building security around software that executes instructions written by people. We are now introducing software that can interpret a goal, decide how to pursue it and interact with other systems along the way. The security architecture for that world cannot rely only on finding vulnerabilities. It also has to govern delegated authority. I think that will become one of the defining application security problems of the agentic era.

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The FBI is investigating an apparent breach of its networks after the cybercriminal group Shiny Hunters claimed on Tuesday to have stolen personal data belonging to thousands of federal agents. Two sources familiar with the matter confirmed the probe, which centers on the bureau's FBIjobs recruitment website.  In a statement, the bureau said it was "aware of claims regarding unauthorized activity affecting FBIjobs.gov and is currently investigating." The FBI's job application portal was offline on Tuesday, with a notice saying the "Special Agent Applicant Portal" was "currently unavailable."  The statement came hours after Shiny Hunters listed the FBI as a victim on its dark-web site. The hackers said they began accessing the data on Monday evening. 

Shiny Hunters Says It Was "Offended" by FBI Advisory 

The group framed the attack as retaliation, saying it was "offended" by a May 2026 FBI advisory that analyzed its extortion methods and advised victims not to pay. That advisory described Shiny Hunters as targeting "major companies across tech, finance, and retail, often stealing millions of customer records at once."  Since then, the group has hacked several large healthcare organizations, leading an industry group to call it a "clear and present danger to the global health sector."  Its endgame with the FBI remains unclear. Shiny Hunters demanded that the bureau remove or revise the advisory but claimed it was not "financially motivated" in this case. US government agencies typically do not pay ransoms to hackers. 

What the Shiny Hunters Data Sample Shows 

In a dark-web post and an online chat with Reuters, Shiny Hunters claimed to hold data on "almost ALL FBI Agents, and individuals who filed an application with the FBI for a job," covering most of the bureau's current and former employees. As proof, it offered what it said was a screenshot of a vandalized FBIjobs page along with a small sample of the stolen data.  Reuters could not verify the screenshot, though the site did appear to have been recently disrupted. The sample seemed to contain agents' names, home addresses, Social Security numbers, assignments and, in some cases, the names of family members.  Reuters partially authenticated the records by checking details, including Social Security numbers, against credit bureau records and previously breached data preserved by dark-web intelligence firm District 4 Labs. In at least 10 instances, including that of FBI Director Kash Patel, the details appeared to match. A person familiar with the matter said job descriptions in the data also matched in some cases. Still, Reuters could not establish where the data originated or whether it had been taken from the FBI's internal systems, as the hackers claimed. Attempts to reach the people named in the sample were unsuccessful. 

FBI Joins Growing List of Targeted Law Enforcement Agencies 

The incident is the latest case of US law enforcement agencies being targeted by the cybercrime groups they investigate. In March, CNN reported a separate suspected cybersecurity incident on a sensitive FBI network used to manage wiretaps and intelligence surveillance warrants.  Last month, a likely Russian-speaking cybercriminal gang leaked what appear to be sensitive law enforcement files stolen from the Justice Department's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. A CNN review found the files seem to include information on targets of past ATF investigations and analyses of their phone communications.  In 2023, a ransomware attack on the US Marshals Service targeted the subjects of its investigations. That same year, hackers breached a computer system the FBI's New York field office used in child sexual exploitation investigations, including one storing images related to the Jeffrey Epstein probe, according to people briefed on the matter. 

A SharePoint Server vulnerability tracked as CVE-2026-65660 turned out to be far more serious than Microsoft first indicated. The company originally described it as a spoofing issue with a CVSS score of 6.5. In reality, it is an authenticated RCE flaw rated 8.8. That gap matters, because security teams that trusted the first label may have pushed the patch further down their to-do lists. 

What the CVE-2026-65660 RCE Flaw Does?

Dinh Ho Anh Khoa, a researcher at Viettel Cyber Security, discovered the bug. Microsoft credits him as "khoadha." The flaw affects SharePoint Server 2016, 2019, and Subscription Edition, and it stems from improper validation of the SafeControls list.  An attacker can use unescaped quotes to slip malicious Register directives past that validation. They can then run arbitrary .NET classes through deserialization in XamlServices.Parse(), which opens the door to deploying an in-memory webshell.  Microsoft's executive summary states that "improper control of generation of code ('code injection') in Microsoft Office SharePoint allows an authorized attacker to execute code over a network." The weakness is categorized as CWE-94. According to the company's FAQ, an authenticated attacker with low-level access could send a specially crafted request to run code on the server, with no user interaction required. 

Inside Microsoft's Revised SharePoint Advisory 

Microsoft published the advisory on August 11, 2026. It issued version 1.1 on August 27, updating the impact field in the Security Updates table, the CVE title, and the FAQs, and it called the revision "an informational change only."  The advisory now lists the impact as Remote Code Execution, with a maximum severity of Important. The vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C, which gives a base score of 8.8 and a temporal score of 7.7. That means the attack comes over the network with low complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction, leaves scope unchanged, and has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Exploit code maturity is rated Unproven, the remediation level is Official Fix, and report confidence is Confirmed.  At original publication, the flaw had not been publicly disclosed or exploited. Microsoft assessed it as "Exploitation Less Likely." 

Patching SharePoint Against the RCE Flaw 

The fixes released on August 11 are listed below by edition: 

• Subscription Edition: KB 5002893, build 16.0.19725.20522 
• SharePoint Server 2019: KBs 5002894 and 5002896, build 16.0.10417.20198 
• SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016: KBs 5002905 and 5002906, build 16.0.5565.1001 

Microsoft advises customers to install every update offered for their software, in any order. It also confirms that the same KB number covers both SharePoint Server 2016 and SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016. 

How a CVE-2026-65660 Attack Could Unfold 

Threat analysts mapped the vulnerability onto a cloud kill chain. They rated initial compromise with high confidence. The remaining stages are rated medium confidence and inferred: 

• Privilege escalation through the SharePoint service context 
• Lateral movement across the farm and connected systems 
• Command and control via the webshell 
• Data exfiltration 
• Operational disruption 

A successful attack could expose sensitive organizational data, confidential documents, and user information. It could also disrupt SharePoint collaboration services. The overall confidence for this assessment is medium. 

The EU KIDS Act is set to introduce new age restrictions and safety requirements for children using social media and other online services across the European Union. The European Commission adopted the proposal on September 18, setting out rules that would prevent children under 13 from accessing social media and establish 15 as the minimum age for minors to open accounts independently. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen discussed the proposal during a high-level dialogue on protecting children's rights in the face of artificial intelligence, pointing to growing concerns over children's exposure to online platforms and digital technologies.

EU KIDS Act Introduces Age Restrictions

Under the EU KIDS Act, children under 13 would not be permitted to access social media platforms. Children between 13 and under 15 would also not be allowed to create autonomous accounts. Instead, users in that age group could access mini accounts managed through a parent or guardian's account. These accounts would provide access to age-appropriate social media and video-sharing services, while including restrictions on social contacts and screen time. The proposal sets a limit of up to 60 minutes of screen time per day for these accounts. Parents would have the ability to reduce the permitted time. Children between 3 and under 13 would not be allowed to access social media. However, they could use specially designed child-friendly video-sharing services through guardian-managed accounts. Parents would also receive tools to restrict an adult device to those services when it is given to a child, with usage limited to a maximum of one hour per day.

Platforms Would Face Greater Safety Responsibility

A key part of the EU KIDS Act is a proposed shift in the burden of proof. Under the proposal, online platforms and service providers would have to demonstrate that their services are safe by design and appropriate for younger users. Von der Leyen said the current process under the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act can take months to assess whether algorithms are harming children, followed by discussions with platforms and further changes. She argued that the process can take several years before penalties are imposed, while children may continue to be exposed to potentially harmful algorithms during that period. The proposed approach would instead place responsibility on platforms to prove that their services are safe for children. If they cannot demonstrate this, they would not receive access to children under the proposed framework.

EU Raises Concerns Over Children's Online Exposure

During her speech, von der Leyen cited figures from the July Eurobarometer, saying 92% of Europeans surveyed believe more should be done to protect children online. She also said young people in Europe spend an average of four to six hours a day on screens, while those who began using them before the age of 10 spend around seven to eight hours online. Von der Leyen said many digital platforms are designed to capture users' attention and monetise it, while not necessarily being developed with children's wellbeing and development in mind. The European Commission had previously convened a panel of experts for six months, including representatives from civil society, parent organisations and youth groups, to examine possible measures. The EU KIDS Act now proposes a framework focused on age restrictions, parental supervision and greater responsibility for online service providers. Von der Leyen said the issue is not simply whether children should access social media, but how and when digital services should be allowed to reach them.

Cyber attackers are gaining an advantage from artificial intelligence that defenders cannot yet match, according to a senior official at the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). Dave Chismon, the NCSC’s chief technology officer for architecture, warned that AI-enabled cyber attacks could grow as organisations struggle to use automated systems for defensive actions without putting their own operations at risk.

The problem is not simply whether AI can perform a cybersecurity task. For defenders, an automated action can affect live systems, business operations and critical services. That means security teams have to consider what could go wrong before allowing AI to act on its own.

Why Defenders Cannot Use AI Like Attackers

Chismon draws a clear distinction between offensive and defensive cybersecurity.

For attackers, many of the problems are technical. They may need to find an exploit or work out how to avoid detection. The objective is often clear: compromise a system, make malware communicate with its controller or steal information.

Defenders face a different set of obstacles. Getting an outdated system replaced may require budget approval. Applying a patch could affect another service. A firewall change may need to go through a formal approval process.

As Chismon explains, defenders are often restricted by organisational policies, while attackers are more likely to be restricted by technical problems. Cybersecurity is also a cost for most organisations rather than their primary business function, making security decisions subject to competing priorities.

That difference matters for agentic cyber defence. AI systems can work well when they are given a technical problem and a measurable result. Defensive actions are harder because there may not be a single clear success state, and someone still has to take responsibility for what the system does.

AI-Enabled Cyber Attacks: NCSC on AI Automation

The NCSC is not arguing that defenders should avoid AI. Instead, Chismon says organisations need to account for the constraints around defensive actions.

Some security tasks are already suitable for greater automation. Penetration testing, vulnerability research and vulnerability discovery can be carried out in controlled environments, with findings passed to development teams for remediation. Vulnerability scanning can also become a routine process once an organisation is satisfied that the activity will not disrupt its systems.

Security operations centres offer another example. Establishing a SOC involves policies, legal considerations and moving data from live systems into platforms where suspicious activity can be detected and investigated. The resulting alerts can then be handed to human teams for action.

Chismon identifies three principles for this model: technology handles detection while humans take action, detection must not damage the organisation, and automated responses should remain tightly controlled and limited in scope.

Measuring the Risk Before AI Acts

The NCSC framework looks at five areas when assessing whether a defensive action is suitable for automation: potency, scope, criticality, rollout confidence and recoverability.

Potency considers what an AI system is actually allowed to do. At the lowest level, it may only provide information and advice to a human. At higher levels, it could collect information autonomously, change system data or configuration, or execute code.

Scope considers how many systems could be affected, while criticality looks at whether those systems support important business or mission functions. Rollout confidence examines how well the action can be tested before deployment. Recoverability considers how easily an incorrect action can be reversed.

For now, Chismon suggests starting with lower-risk actions. AI can already help defenders process large amounts of security information, summarise reports and threat intelligence, and help teams prioritise what requires attention.

Research Could Expand Autonomous Defence

The NCSC and the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport are working on Cyber Shield, described as a national-scale agentic cyber defence ecosystem. The NCSC also plans to publish an “AI for Cyber Defence” problem book covering areas where further research is required.

One key question is whether organisations can prove that an automated defensive action is genuinely low risk. Chismon points to areas such as analysing traffic logs and understanding the network connections or processes a system may require.

That evidence could eventually allow organisations to automate more defensive actions, harden systems and reduce their attack surfaces. But Chismon cautions that this will require further research and that organisations should continue strengthening their security through conventional measures while autonomous cyber defence develops.

Belgium’s table tennis federations are investigating a Belgium sports federations cyberattack after a hacker claimed to have stolen data belonging to tens of thousands of members and users. The French-speaking Association Francophone de Tennis de Table (AFTT) confirmed the cyberattack and said the Royal Belgian Table Tennis Federation (FRBTT) was also affected. The federations are working with their IT provider to determine whether any data was accessed or compromised. The incident comes as the French-speaking Gymnastics Federation separately investigates unauthorized access to part of its IT environment. The federation confirmed that some personal data belonging to members and clubs was extracted and said it has notified Belgium’s Data Protection Authority.

Belgium Sports Federations Cyberattack Investigations

Jean-Michel Mureau, president of the French-speaking Association Francophone de Tennis de Table (AFTT), confirmed over the weekend that the organization had suffered a cyberattack. He also said the Royal Belgian Table Tennis Federation (FRBTT) had been affected. The federation was alerted to the incident on Thursday and asked its IT provider to investigate the extent of the incident. Mureau said the investigation was intended to establish exactly what data may have been compromised. In a statement released Monday, the federation said it had conducted several checks, including with the service provider responsible for its results website. Those checks had not found evidence that the provider’s infrastructure had been compromised. "As soon as we became aware of this information, we conducted several checks, including with our service provider in charge of the results website. At this stage, the checks carried out have not revealed any evidence to suggest that their infrastructure has been compromised," reads press statement. The federation also said information referenced in press reports appeared, for the most part, to consist of information that was already publicly available.

Table Tennis Federation Continues Security Checks

The federation said it had conducted additional checks on its own server and reinforced several security measures as a precaution. It stated that it was not currently aware of any access to or retrieval of members’ telephone numbers or email addresses. However, the organization said its checks were continuing and that it could not provide an absolute guarantee until the analysis was complete. If further investigation identifies a breach involving personal data, the federation said it would take the necessary steps and notify affected individuals in accordance with applicable regulations. The organization also clarified that a separate issue involving missing players from rosters on Saturday evening was not connected to the cyberattack. According to the information available to the federation, that issue resulted from a synchronization problem.

Gymnastics Federation Confirms Data Access

The French-speaking Gymnastics Federation subsequently confirmed a separate cybersecurity incident involving personal data belonging to members and clubs. The federation said it discovered on September 14 that unauthorized individuals had accessed part of its IT environment and extracted some data. Experts were brought in after the discovery, and the federation said the access route was neutralized, affected access points were secured, and enhanced monitoring was introduced. The incident was also reported to the Data Protection Authority responsible for GDPR matters.

Personal Data Potentially Accessed

According to the French-speaking Gymnastics Federation, the data that may have been accessed or extracted includes names, mailing addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth and gender. The information may also include affiliation details and history, management training diplomas, judges’ licenses, and limited information connected to accident reports, specifically the date and file number rather than the reports themselves. The federation said it had not observed any use of the data so far. It warned that the information could potentially be used in attempts to obtain additional personal information by impersonating a trusted organization or individual. Members were advised to remain alert to unusual emails, messages and calls, avoid disclosing passwords or confidential information following unexpected requests, and verify sender addresses before opening links or attachments. Both incidents remain subject to ongoing investigation and security checks.

The Data Protection Commission (DPC) has fined Google €403 million following an inquiry into its processing of Google location data under three features: Web & App Activity, Location History and Location Accuracy. The inquiry examined location data processing between May 25, 2018, when the GDPR came into application, and February 4, 2020. The DPC launched the own-volition inquiry in February 2020 after receiving complaints from several European consumer rights organisations, including BEUC. The DPC acted as the Lead Supervisory Authority for Google Ireland Limited.

Google Location Data Processing Under GDPR Review

The inquiry examined how Google processed location data through the three specified features and assessed whether the processing complied with requirements under the GDPR. The DPC's final decision found that Google infringed the GDPR in relation to the lawfulness and fairness of its processing of location data through Web & App Activity and Location History. The regulator also found that Google failed to meet its accountability obligations regarding Location Accuracy. According to the decision, Google was unable to demonstrate compliance with the GDPR principles of lawfulness, fairness and transparency in its processing of personal data through the feature. The DPC further identified transparency breaches across all three features.

Findings Cover Data Retention and Transparency

The Google GDPR fine also relates to the retention of location data. The DPC found issues with Google's retention of location data through Web & App Activity and Location History. The regulator said that location data is personal data that can allow an individual's location to be inferred, either from the data itself or in combination with other information. Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle said location data can provide benefits by improving the utility of online services, but can also reveal significant information about individuals, including information that is inherently private. The DPC said Google's failures could have resulted in individuals being unaware that their location data was being used, including for purposes such as influencing them with advertisements or inferring their interests. It said this could result in individuals losing control over their personal data. The regulator also said that retaining users' location data for longer than necessary aggravated this loss of control.

What the Three Google Features Do

Web & App Activity is a Google Account setting available to Google Account holders. When enabled, it processes information related to activity on Google services, including websites and applications. This information can include browsing history, search history and location data. Location History tracks a user's location while they have a compatible mobile device. Users must opt in to the service. It can process data to infer information such as places visited, activities and routes between locations. The feature also uses Google's Timeline function, which displays a private map through Google Maps showing where users have travelled. The location information is saved for signed-in devices even when the user is not using a Google service. Location Accuracy is an Android OS feature designed to determine a device's location more accurately than relying only on GPS inputs. Unlike the other two features, it is available to Android users regardless of whether they have a Google Account.

Google Ordered to Change Processing

The DPC imposed administrative fines totalling €403 million and ordered Google to bring its processing into compliance within six months. The decision was made by Data Protection Commissioners Dr Des Hogan, Dale Sunderland and Niamh Sweeney. The DPC also acknowledged the cooperation and assistance of its peer supervisory authorities during the inquiry. The regulator said the full decision will be issued in due course.

An overseas business unit of Boustead Singapore Limited was recently targeted by a cybersecurity incident, according to a filing made by the company on the Singapore Exchange.   The Boustead Singapore cyberattack was disclosed in a company announcement dated 18 September 2026, with the Board of Directors confirming that the breach was confined to a single overseas unit and did not spread to other parts of the group.  According to the filing, the affected business unit moved quickly once it became aware of the Boustead Singapore cyberattack, activating its business continuity procedures without delay. External cyber incident response specialists, legal advisers, and restoration providers were brought in to help manage the situation. As part of its containment strategy, the unit shut down and isolated the systems that had been compromised, aiming to prevent any further spread of the intrusion.  Following these initial steps, the business unit carried out a comprehensive investigation into the cyberattack on Boustead Singapore. The findings were then reported to Singapore's Personal Data Protection Commission, along with relevant authorities in other jurisdictions where the unit operates, in line with regulatory obligations tied to incidents of this nature. 

Recovery and Business Impact of the Boustead Singapore Cyberattack

Boustead Singapore stated that the business unit's critical systems and data have since been fully restored using backups. The company noted that this recovery process resulted in no material disruption to the unit's operations. Importantly, the group emphasized that the cyberattack on Boustead Singapore remained isolated to the one overseas unit, with no other divisions or entities within the group affected.  As of the date of the announcement, Boustead said there had been no significant or material impact on the wider group's business operations as a result of the incident. This distinction between the affected unit and the rest of the organization was a key point in the company's disclosure, suggesting that the broader business continued to function without interruption. 

Independent Review Planned

In response to the Boustead Singapore cyberattack, the group announced plans to commission an independent cybersecurity review. This review is intended to identify areas where the company's cybersecurity programme can be strengthened, with a particular focus on improving the resilience of its systems going forward.  The original filing, signed by Company Secretary Tay Chee Wah on behalf of the Board, stated that the Group takes information security seriously and views the review as part of its broader response to the incident.  Boustead Singapore's disclosure follows a now-familiar pattern among listed companies facing cybersecurity incidents: swift containment, engagement of external specialists, regulatory notification, and a commitment to post-incident review. The filing did not specify which overseas unit was affected, the nature of the data potentially compromised, or the identity of the threat actors behind the intrusion.  The announcement was made public through the Singapore Exchange, where Boustead Singapore is listed, ensuring shareholders and other stakeholders were informed of the cyberattack on Boustead Singapore and the company's ongoing efforts to address it. The company has indicated that further updates may follow as the independent review progresses, though no timeline was provided for when that review might conclude or when its findings would be shared publicly. 

A North Korean cyber actor group known as WaterPlum, also referred to as "Contagious Interview," has infected at least 30,000 devices across more than 100 countries. The group has been stealing cryptocurrency from IT professionals worldwide. A joint advisory was issued on September 18, 2026, by Japan's National Police Agency and National Cybersecurity Office, the US FBI and Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center, Australia's Signals Directorate, and Germany's Federal Intelligence Service and Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.

How WaterPlum Hackers Operate

The agencies assess that WaterPlum actors and certain North Korean IT workers operate under the 313 General Bureau of the Munitions Industry Department, part of the Workers' Party of Korea's Central Committee. The group poses as prospective employers, targeting software developers and IT professionals by impersonating artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, or non-fungible token companies, and by using recruiting services. During fake technical interviews, victims are instructed to download files to complete coding assignments or fix errors on video calls. These files carry malicious Node Package Manager packages embedded with BeaverTail malware, InvisibleFerret, OtterCookie, OtterCandy, or StoatWaffle. Once installed, the malware grants backdoor access, allowing Remote Access Trojans to maintain persistence while infostealers exfiltrate wallet credentials, browser passwords, clipboard data, keystrokes, and identification documents to command-and-control servers.

Scale of the Cryptocurrency Theft

Between December 2025 and July 2026, WaterPlum exfiltrated funds or credentials from over 7,000 cryptocurrency wallets, transferring 1.7 billion Japanese yen, equivalent to 10.71 million USD, to North Korea. Primary targets included web designers, engineers, and specialists in blockchain and Web3 technologies.

Role of Laptop Farms

The advisory also details how North Korean IT workers generate foreign currency through "laptop farms," locations, often an enabler's residence, where employment computers are remotely controlled by workers based in North Korea, China, Russia, and occasionally Africa or Southeast Asia. Enablers supply identification images, bank accounts, and internet connections, then forward payments to the workers after taking a cut. Japanese authorities dismantled a laptop farm for the first time domestically, uncovering evidence of several hundred million yen transferred abroad in cryptocurrency. A related case involved a suspected North Korean applicant at a Japanese cryptocurrency exchange in May 2025, who submitted a forged resume, accessed the recruitment portal via VPN, and displayed mismatched language skills during a video interview. The company declined to hire the applicant, and no damage occurred.

Warning Signs and Recommended Countermeasures

The agencies list red flags including refusal of in-person meetings, requests for cryptocurrency payment, background voices during calls, and repeated video freezes. Recommended defenses include avoiding execution of untrusted code outside a sandbox, treating VSCode projects with caution using "Restricted Mode," deploying Endpoint Detection and Response tools, and immediately disconnecting compromised devices from the internet. Victims are advised to assume wallet data has been exposed, create new wallets on separate devices, and perform full operating system resets.

International Cooperation Continues

The FBI stated it continues to prosecute US-based facilitators who assist North Korean IT workers, while Japanese and American authorities pledged ongoing cooperation to expose revenue-generation schemes benefiting the Kim regime. The advisory noted that WaterPlum and North Korean IT worker operations shared overlapping IP addresses across laptop farms, crowdsourcing platforms, and job applications, indicating coordinated infrastructure. Companies and individual IT professionals are urged to review the tactics outlined in the advisory and strengthen hiring verification processes to prevent further infiltration.

This weekly roundup covers a stark small-business cyberattack report out of the UK, a hardware flaw exposing Nintendo Switch owners to nearby attackers, the largest known seizure of AI deepfake porn websites, a candid conversation on AI's role in offensive security, new US legislation targeting elder fraud, and a fresh national threat-intelligence partnership in the UAE.  From consumer hardware to national policy, this week's developments show that exposure isn't limited to large enterprises or nation-state targets — small businesses, individual console owners, and everyday victims of fraud and non-consensual imagery are all squarely in scope, even as governments and industry move to close the gaps. 

The Cyber Express Weekly Roundup 

UK Small Businesses Face Higher Cyberattack Rates Than Global Peers, Hiscox Report Finds 

UK small firms are being hit by cyberattacks at a rate well above the global average, according to Hiscox's 10th annual Cyber Readiness Report. The survey of nearly 7,000 smaller businesses worldwide, including 1,000 in the UK, found that 38% of UK firms suffered a successful attack in the past year, compared with a 29% global average — the highest rate among all markets surveyed. Read more… 

Cyble Signs MOU with UAE Cyber Security Council to Boost National Threat Intelligence 

Cyble, an AI-native cybersecurity firm, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UAE's Cyber Security Council to strengthen the country's national threat intelligence capabilities. Announced in Abu Dhabi in September 2026, the agreement centers on delivering advanced threat intelligence, early warning capabilities, and insights into emerging cyber risks facing government and critical infrastructure entities across the UAE. Read more… 

Nintendo Switch Flaw Let Nearby Attackers Run Code, Steal Data 

Nintendo has patched a flaw in the original Switch that let nearby attackers hijack its QR-code-based "Send to Smartphone" feature to run unauthorized code or steal data, including account information stored on the console. Tracked as CVE-2026-82079, the bug affected consoles on firmware older than version 23.0.0; the Switch 2 is unaffected. Read more… 

Manhattan D.A. Seizes 12 Deepfake Porn Websites in Largest Known Takedown of Its Kind 

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has seized 12 websites allegedly used to create, sell, and distribute AI-generated deepfake pornography targeting roughly 1,200 real people without their consent. Announced by D.A. Alvin L. Bragg Jr., it's described as the largest known seizure of AI-generated celebrity deepfake websites to date, and the investigation is ongoing. Read more… 

Rahul Singh Choudhary on AI's Growing Role in Cryptanalysis and Offensive Security 

In the latest episode of Security Pill Season 2.0, The Cyber Express interviewed cybersecurity analyst Rahul Singh Choudhary about how AI is reshaping cryptanalysis, vulnerability research, and penetration testing. The conversation opens with a key question: has AI moved from merely assisting security research to actively participating in it — particularly around the cryptographic assumptions underpinning wallets, exchanges, and smart contracts? Read more… 

US House Passes GUARD Act to Boost Law Enforcement Fight Against Elder Fraud, Crypto Scams 

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the bipartisan GUARD Act (H.R. 2978) on September 15, 2026, aimed at strengthening law enforcement's ability to combat elder financial fraud and cryptocurrency scams. Co-led by Representatives Josh Gottheimer, Zachary Nunn, and Scott Fitzgerald, the bill now heads to the Senate. Read more… 

Weekly Cybersecurity Takeaway 

This week's developments span the full spectrum of cyber risk — from small UK businesses absorbing a disproportionate share of attacks, to a hardware-level flaw putting console owners at physical-proximity risk, to AI tools being weaponized for non-consensual imagery at unprecedented scale.   Meanwhile, policy responses are accelerating on multiple fronts: US lawmakers are moving to arm local investigators against crypto-enabled elder fraud, and the UAE is deepening its national threat-intelligence posture through public-private partnership.  Taken together, the stories point to a widening gap between the speed of exploitation — whether by scammers, deepfake operators, or nearby attackers exploiting hardware — and the pace of institutional response, even as that response visibly picks up. 

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Cisco has released a fix for a maximum-severity flaw in its Identity Services Engine (ISE) platform after confirming the bug was already being exploited by attackers. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2026-76460, carries a perfect CVSS score of 10.0 and was patched by Cisco on September 16, 2026.  The flaw sits in an API within Cisco Identity Services Engine and stems from inadequate authentication checks on an API endpoint. Because of this weakness, an unauthenticated attacker could send a specially crafted request to that endpoint and slip past ISE's web-based management interface entirely, gaining unauthorized access to the device without needing valid credentials. 

CISA Adds CVE-2026-76460 to Its Exploited Vulnerabilities List 

Given that Cisco confirmed active exploitation of CVE-2026-76460, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency added the flaw to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, a designation reserved for bugs already being weaponized in real-world attacks.  Cisco ISE has long served as one of the most widely deployed network access control tools in enterprise environments, helping organizations manage security policies centrally, confirm the identities of users and devices, and govern who and what can reach different parts of a network. That central role is precisely what makes a bypass of its authentication so dangerous, according to security researchers. 

Experts Warn of Ransomware and Lateral Movement Risk 

John Strand, owner of Black Hills Information Security, echoed the urgency, recommending that affected organizations patch immediately and disconnect ISE instances from direct internet exposure. Strand also warned that the bug could plausibly be leveraged in a ransomware attack.   Even so, he noted that relatively few ISE deployments appear to be directly exposed to the open internet, which limits the number of organizations at risk from an opportunistic, internet-facing attack. His larger concern is what happens after attackers are already inside a network: "I'd be more concerned about it as a post-exploitation lateral movement opportunity.   An attacker gets into the environment through something else, discovers a vulnerable ISE internally, and uses that to expand access or compound the damage." 

Signs of Compromise and Recommended Checks 

Cisco's advisory notes that successful exploitation can hand attackers root-level command execution, meaning they could potentially erase or mask evidence of their intrusion. The company is advising administrators to cross-reference network and firewall logs from outside the affected device to spot unusual activity, including unexpected data transfers to external addresses. Suspicious usernames in the access logs are cited as one possible indicator of compromise, and Cisco recommends checking every node in a distributed deployment. 

Affected Products and Fixed Releases 

The vulnerability affects Cisco ISE and ISE Passive Identity Connector regardless of how a device is configured. No workarounds exist, though Cisco suggests using infrastructure access control lists to restrict management traffic as a temporary mitigation. Fixed releases are available for versions 3.1 through 3.5, including 3.1 Patch 12, 3.2 Patch 11, 3.3 Patch 12, 3.4 Patch 7, and 3.5 Patch 4. Version 3.0 has already reached the end of software maintenance, so organizations still running it are advised to migrate to a supported release.  The issue was discovered during a Cisco Technical Assistance Center support case, and the advisory was published in final form on September 16, 2026. 

The Thinkng Bull cyberattack targeted the Seoul-based math academy headquartered in Daechi-dong. The attack has exposed the personal information of students and parents, drawing scrutiny from South Korea's data protection authorities.   The National Math Academy, which runs roughly 80 branches across the country, disclosed the breach to parents on September 17, confirming that an unidentified hacker had infiltrated its exam reservation website. 

Details of the Thinkng Bull Cyberattack 

According to the academy, the intruder informed staff that they were "securing all data," language that led Thinkng Bull to conclude there was a high likelihood that the personal details of every parent and student who had booked exams through the site had been compromised.  The exam reservation platform held sensitive registration data, including students' names, schools, grade levels and dates of birth, along with parents' phone numbers. In response, the National Math Academy took the reservation site offline and filed a report on the breach with the relevant government authorities.   The academy also said it was compiling documentation to request a formal police investigation into the intrusion. 

Academy's Response and Warnings to Parents 

Following the cyberattack on Thinkng Bull, the academy issued a direct warning to parents about the risk of follow-on scams. It noted that the stolen data could be used for "improper purposes" and cautioned that phone calls or text messages from unfamiliar numbers should be treated as potential voice phishing attempts, urging families to "respond calmly" rather than share further details. Parents were also asked not to hand over any personal information or click on unfamiliar links.  Thinkng Bull apologized for the incident, stating it "deeply" regretted the concern caused and expressed hope that no parents or students would suffer actual harm as a result. The academy said the exam reservation website would remain suspended until it completed measures designed to prevent a similar breach from happening again. 

Regulatory Oversight 

South Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission confirmed that Thinkng Bull reported the leak at approximately 9:00 p.m. on September 17. As of the latest updates, the exact number of affected individuals had not yet been determined.   A commission official said the agency was still verifying the facts of the case, including whether any legal violations occurred, and that the timing of any further investigation would depend on the outcome of that review. 

Background on Thinkng Bull 

Thinkng Bull is known as an advanced math program aimed at elementary school students, with a curriculum that allows children in the 4th through 6th grades to complete three years of middle school math material in 13 months.   The academy was founded in 2005 as a single location in Daechi-dong and has since expanded to more than 80 branches nationwide, including one in Gangnam District's Daechi neighborhood. 

What Comes Next? 

The cyberattack on Thinkng Bull adds to a string of data breaches affecting private education providers in South Korea, raising fresh questions about how academies safeguard the personal records of minors collected through online registration systems.  With the Personal Information Protection Commission still reviewing the incident, further details — including the scope of the breach and any regulatory penalties — are expected to emerge as the investigation proceeds.   In the meantime, the National Math Academy has advised affected families to remain alert to unsolicited contact and to avoid sharing additional personal data until the situation is resolved. 

Iranian cyber actors are using a malware family known as HEAVYGRAM, also tracked as CHOSEN BRICK, to target dissidents, journalists, and opposition groups worldwide, according to a recent FBI FLASH report and a joint advisory from the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the US FBI, and the Netherlands' General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD). The FBI assesses that the malware is deployed on behalf of the Government of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) to collect intelligence, conduct data leaks, and cause reputational harm to targets. The joint advisory adds that Iran almost certainly uses cyber activity to support repression of individuals seen as threats to the regime.

Who Is Being Targeted by Iranian Cyber Actors

The victim profile includes Iranian dissidents, journalists opposed to Iran, members of organizations with views countering Government of Iran narratives, and other individuals the Iranian government perceives as threats. The joint advisory notes that CHOSEN BRICK has been used against individuals in the UK, US, and Netherlands since at least 2025, and that personal details of some victims have appeared on pro-Iranian leak sites, increasing risks to their personal safety. In some cases, Iranian intelligence services have plotted to kidnap or conduct lethal operations against individuals abroad who are seen as enemies of the regime.

Social Engineering and Delivery

Iranian cyber actors rely heavily on social engineering to deliver their malware. Actors communicate with targets through platforms such as Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram, often posing as individuals known to the target or as technical support from the messaging platform. The joint advisory notes that actors research targets in advance to appear credible, and often initiate contact through a target's work device before shifting to personal devices if the initial delivery attempt fails or risks detection. Victims are persuaded to download files disguised as legitimate applications, including Pictory, RunwayML, Norton Antivirus, Telegram, Adobe Flash Player, and KeePass, or files appearing to be MRI scan results. The FBI notes that some victims downloaded AnyDesk and provided access strings, while others downloaded malware masquerading as a program installer. The malware targets only the Windows operating system.

Persistence and Telegram Command and Control

Once installed, the malware achieves persistence by adding registry keys, most often within the Run key at HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run, so it runs automatically at user login. It also adds exclusions to Microsoft Defender antivirus to evade detection. The malware then connects to Telegram command-and-control infrastructure, with each victim device linked to a unique Telegram Bot ID to prevent cross-contamination between victims. Through Telegram, the malware can enumerate running processes and system information, capture screen content, enable the microphone to record audio, copy Telegram and WhatsApp data from browsers, download additional files, delete files, steal email content, and wipe the computer system. Files and data are exfiltrated through the Telegram bot and cloud object stores such as VultrObjects and StorjShare. Recent variants use HTTPS/SOCKS5 proxies to obscure the use of Telegram bots.

FBI Recommendations

The FBI recommends caution regarding communications from unknown individuals, keeping devices updated, downloading software only from trusted sources, enabling antivirus software, using strong unique passwords with multi-factor authentication, and reporting suspicious messages. The NCSC, FBI, and AIVD jointly recommend phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication, application allowlisting, email scanning security features, and endpoint and network monitoring. Organizations concerned about a potential HEAVYGRAM or CHOSEN BRICK infection are advised to contact their IT providers and check both corporate and personal devices, since the actors also target individuals outside their workplace systems.

The European Commission has adopted the EU KIDS Act, a proposal that would introduce new age restrictions and safety requirements for online platforms used by children across the European Union. The proposal would prevent social media platforms from allowing children under 13 to access their services and establish an EU-wide minimum age of 15 for minors to open accounts independently.

The EU KIDS Act would also shift the burden of proof to online service providers, requiring them to demonstrate that their services are safe by design and appropriate for younger users.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the proposal is intended to give parents greater control over how children use digital services.

“Today, our children are engaging with the most sophisticated technologies ever created. Technology that was never created with their wellbeing in mind. Our KIDS Act is reversing the burden of proof - it is for platforms to show they are safe by design. And we put parents back in the driving seat, giving them the tools to help their children navigate a safer online world,” von der Leyen said.

EU KIDS Act Sets New Social Media Age Limits

Under the EU KIDS Act, children between 13 and under 15 would not be able to create autonomous social media accounts. Instead, they could use mini accounts managed through a parent or guardian's account, with access limited to age-appropriate social media and video-sharing services.

These mini accounts would include safeguards such as restricted social contacts and screen time of up to one hour per day.

Children between 3 and under 13 would not be permitted to access social media. They could, however, use specially designed child-friendly video-sharing services through guardian-managed accounts. Parents would also receive tools to restrict an adult device to those services when it is given to a child, with exposure limited to a maximum of one hour per day.

Safety-by-Design Rules Target Addictive Features

The proposal would introduce safety-by-design obligations for online services offering social media, video sharing, online video games, AI companions and chatbots to users under 18.

The proposed rules would prohibit addictive features and profiling-based recommendation feeds that can draw minors toward harmful content. Infinite scrolling without stopping points, reward mechanisms and push notifications during sleeping hours would also be restricted.

The proposal would further prohibit unsolicited contact from strangers. AI companions and chatbots would have to be turned off by default and could not simulate interpersonal relationships in ways that create emotional dependency.

Minor profiles would be private by default, while geolocation, camera and microphone access would be turned off. Platforms would also need to provide tools allowing minors to block or mute users, manage their time and control, tune and reset recommender systems.

Privacy-Preserving Age Assurance Proposed

The EU KIDS Act would require online services and app stores to use age assurance tools. The proposal points to the EU age verification app as one possible approach, with the system designed not to retain identity documents or biometric data.

Social media and video-sharing platforms would be expected to perform age verification when users create new accounts. For existing accounts, providers would estimate a user's age using reasonable indicators, such as the account creation date or credit card details.

EU Plans Faster Enforcement

The proposal would require very large online platforms to prove that their services are safe by design. Providers would submit compliance plans to the European Commission and an independent auditor, which would assess new services, features or functionalities.

If the Commission identifies shortcomings based on an auditor's report, it could require providers to propose corrective measures. The enforcement framework would build on existing structures under the Digital Services Act and Artificial Intelligence Act.

For noncompliance, the proposal includes expedited enforcement procedures under which the Commission should conclude investigations within 90 days.

Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, said the proposal would allow children to use digital services while increasing safeguards and accountability for platforms.

“With our EU KIDS Act, we make sure our children can enjoy their rights online - to learn, stay connected and explore. We also give parents the tools to accompany their kids to navigate a safe digital world. All of this by keeping the pressure high on platforms, because they must prove their services do not harm,” Virkkunen said.

EU KIDS Act Moves to Parliament and Council

The legislative proposal has now been submitted to the European Parliament and the Council for examination and adoption.

The proposal follows recommendations from the European Commission's Special Panel on Child Safety Online, which included more than 60 experts from areas including civil society, education, public health, child psychiatry and technology.

The Commission said public support for stronger online protections is also growing. According to the 2026 Special Eurobarometer on the Digital Decade, 92% of Europeans consider strengthening protection for children and young people online a top policy priority.

A newly documented security flaw in Parallels Desktop, identified as CVE-2026-90894 and nicknamed "ParaShells," could let any local account on a Mac escalate to full root control of the host machine, according to researchers at JFrog.  The risk is greatest on developer machines, where something as ordinary as a compromised Homebrew formula or a malicious npm preinstall script could serve as the entry point for escalating from a standard user to complete system control.   Shared computers with multiple local accounts — think university labs or office workstations — face similar exposure, said Yuval Moravchick, who leads JFrog's vulnerability research team.  Once an attacker reaches root, Moravchick said, they can swap out system software, access other users' files, and maintain persistence through launchd. 

Inside the ParaShells Exploit Chain 

CVE-2026-90894 is an argument-injection bug confirmed to affect Parallels Desktop for Mac version 26.4.0 running on Apple silicon. Earlier releases haven't been ruled out, but JFrog's team didn't test them.  Three conditions have to line up for ParaShells to work: the vulnerable version of Parallels needs to be installed, though no virtual machine actually has to be running; the prl_disp_service — which launches automatically as root via its daemon — must be active, along with its accompanying socket at /var/run/prl_disp_service.socket; and the attacker needs the ability to execute code under any low-privileged local account.  Moravchick described the mechanics as a combination of weaknesses stacking together: a Unix socket left world-writable, a client-authentication scheme that verifies peer credentials instead of checking a Team ID, and an argument-injection flaw in how the software unpacks appliance files. "The chain is short," he said. "A world-writable Unix socket, a login that trusts peer credentials rather than a Team ID, and an appliance unpack path that builds tar arguments using Qt string splitting." A stray quote character in the parent path allows the attacker to inject the flag "–use-compress-program=", causing macOS's tar utility to execute the attacker's script with root privileges. 

Disclosure and Fix for CVE-2026-90894 

JFrog reported the ParaShells vulnerability to Parallels' parent company, Alludo, which patched the issue in Parallels Desktop version 27.0.0, released in early September 2026. The company published its technical write-up two weeks after the patch shipped, but withheld the one-line proof-of-concept script it had developed to demonstrate the exploit.  Moravchick recommended that organizations identify every Mac running Parallels Desktop, restrict local account permissions on those systems, and update to version 27.0.0 or later to close off CVE-2026-90894. 

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the bipartisan GUARD Act, legislation aimed at strengthening law enforcement efforts against elder financial fraud, cryptocurrency investment scams and other financial crimes targeting older Americans. The bill, H.R. 2978, passed on September 15, 2026, and now heads to the Senate.

The GUARD Act, or Guarding Unprotected Aging Retirees from Deception Act, was co-led by Representatives Josh Gottheimer, Zachary Nunn and Scott Fitzgerald. The legislation would provide state, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies with additional resources to investigate fraud, track stolen funds and pursue criminals involved in increasingly complex financial schemes.

GUARD Act Targets Elder Financial Fraud and Crypto Scams

Under the GUARD Act, law enforcement agencies could use existing federal grant funding to investigate elder financial fraud, general financial fraud and pig butchering crypto scams.

The funding could support the hiring of analysts and other experts, as well as specialized training for investigators handling complex and often transnational financial crimes.

The bill would also clarify that federal law enforcement agencies can assist state, local and Tribal law enforcement partners and fusion centers with blockchain tracing tools and related technology. The goal is to help investigators follow the movement of funds and identify individuals involved in cryptocurrency-related scams.

The legislation also directs the Treasury Department, FinCEN and federal partners to report to Congress on the scale of financial scams in the United States. The report would examine how much Americans lose each year, how many scams are linked to overseas actors and organized crime, and the effectiveness of existing enforcement efforts.

‘Pig Butchering’ Scams Under Focus

The legislation specifically addresses pig butchering crypto scams, a form of financial fraud in which criminals build trust with victims before persuading them to put money into fraudulent investment opportunities.

The term refers to the process of building up a victim's confidence and encouraging larger investments before the criminals steal the funds.

According to the information provided with the legislation, the FBI's 2025 Internet Crime Complaint Center report recorded $20.9 billion in total internet crime losses in 2025, a 26% increase from 2024. Cryptocurrency-related losses reached $11.37 billion across 181,565 complaints, while investment fraud accounted for more than $8.6 billion in losses.

Bill Moves to Senate

Gottheimer said the legislation would give investigators tools and resources to pursue fraudsters, recover stolen money and address criminal networks operating from overseas.

Nunn said the bill followed concerns raised by an Iowa sheriff's deputy about local officers lacking the tools needed to track criminals and recover victims' money.

The GUARD Act has received support from organizations including AARP, the Iowa State Police Association, the Financial Technology Association, Consumer Bankers Association, America’s Credit Union Association, Digital Chamber, National Police Association, Crypto Council for Innovation and Iowa Bankers Association.

With House passage complete, the legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed an Emergency Security Protocol that would allow any European Union member state to trigger a coordinated response to security incidents including cyberattacks, sabotage and drone incursions. The proposal was announced during von der Leyen’s 2026 State of the Union address in Strasbourg, where she called for a new European security strategy in response to what she described as rising threats across the bloc. Recent incidents in Denmark, Lithuania and Poland, along with an attempted drone attack in Leipzig, were cited as examples of the changing security environment.

Emergency Security Protocol Would Bring EU Governments Together

Under the proposed Emergency Security Protocol, a single member state could trigger the mechanism, prompting all 27 EU governments to convene. The proposed framework would be designed to coordinate a European response, deter further escalation and mitigate the consequences of an incident. Von der Leyen presented the mechanism as a European counterpart to NATO’s Article 4, which allows alliance members to consult when the territorial integrity, political independence or security of a member is threatened. The EU proposal, however, was presented as a mechanism for incidents that fall below the threshold of armed aggression but still pose a national security threat. The proposal does not yet specify what decisions would follow such a meeting or whether the mechanism would create predetermined responses to specific types of incidents.

Cyberattacks and Hybrid Threats Drive Security Push

The Emergency Security Protocol comes as the EU considers how to respond to a broader range of hybrid threats. Von der Leyen cited cyberattacks, sabotage, arson and drone incursions as threats that are increasing across Europe. She argued that existing EU institutions and decision-making processes have not kept pace with the changing security environment. As part of the proposed European security strategy, she called for a European counter-hybrid playbook and greater agreement on how member states should respond to incidents that threaten national security without amounting to conventional armed aggression. The EU already has mutual-assistance and solidarity provisions. Article 42(7) of the Treaty on European Union provides for mutual assistance when a member state is the victim of armed aggression, while Article 222 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union contains a separate solidarity provision.

EU Security Council Also Proposed

Alongside the Emergency Security Protocol, von der Leyen proposed creating a European Security Council focused on the security of the continent. The proposed format would include EU leaders and partners such as Canada, Norway, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. The initiative is intended to provide a broader forum for discussions on European security as the bloc reassesses how it responds to emerging threats. The Commission is also expected to outline further details through its forthcoming European security strategy.

Decision-Making Questions Remain

The proposed mechanism comes as questions remain over how quickly the EU can reach collective decisions during security crises. Many decisions under the bloc’s common foreign and security policy require unanimity, meaning individual governments can block measures supported by other member states. EU sanctions are also adopted unanimously. Von der Leyen did not specify whether the proposed protocol would change those decision-making rules, establish agreed responses in advance or primarily provide a framework for consultation. She also announced a European Instrument for Strategic Enablers, covering capabilities including air and missile defence, strategic transport, air-to-air refuelling, space systems and cyber capabilities. The initiative is intended to be aligned with NATO. The Emergency Security Protocol, European security strategy and proposed European Security Council form part of a wider effort outlined in the 2026 State of the Union address to strengthen coordination around Europe’s changing security environment. Further details are expected as the Commission develops its proposed security strategy.

Pakistan's federal government has completed work on a 90-day cybersecurity action plan designed to build a more coordinated national defense against digital threats, bringing together federal and provincial governments, regulators and operators of critical infrastructure under one framework.  The Cyber Security Working Committee (CSWC) drafted the plan and functions as a subordinate body of the National Committee for Information and Communications Security (NCICS).   Its scope is broad: setting up a Federal CERT, activating provincial CERTs, drafting a five-year national cybersecurity strategy, building a cyber warfare escalation matrix, safeguarding critical infrastructure, and creating a dedicated career track for cybersecurity and emerging-technology specialists. 

CSWC's Mandate and Structure for the Cybersecurity Action Plan

The CSWC has been asked to close existing gaps in the country's cyber defenses by coordinating national CERTs, ministries at both federal and provincial levels, and other stakeholders.   Its goals include a unified governance model for cybersecurity, better visibility into digital assets and vulnerabilities, stronger baseline controls, protection for Critical Information Infrastructure (CII), coordinated incident response, workforce and academic development, and safer practices for acquiring and retiring public-sector technology.   The 90-day cybersecurity action plan is organized around six themes: governance, compliance, resource alignment, incident response and crisis management, security assessment, and supply chain security.  Chaired by the Director General of NCERT, the CSWC also includes the Secretary of NTISB, the Cabinet Division, the Chairman of PTA, a Member of the Ministry of IT and Telecom, and representatives from the Pakistan Digital Authority, PTA, NADRA, NTC, and NITB, along with a director from the former NCERT.   Co-opted members represent the provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, ISI's technical wing, the Ministry of Interior's NCCIA, and outside experts. The committee will run gap assessments based on completed audits, review existing policies against international norms, and recommend technical controls for sectors including health, energy, aviation and transport. 

Federal CERT Tops the Priority List 

Establishing a Federal CERT (FCERT) is the plan's priority, tasked with detecting, monitoring and analyzing threats across government while issuing advisories to ministries and divisions. NCERT will define its mandate and legal standing, and together with NTISB and the IT Ministry will prepare funding and implementation proposals.   The plan targets 40 percent operationalization of the Federal CERT within 365 days, against a total project timeline of three years, with rules for engaging 39 ministries and divisions to be developed on an ongoing basis.   Provincial CERTs form the second part of this priority, with NCERT and CSWC issuing technical and administrative guidance within 90 days for notification through provincial chief secretaries. 

Strategy, Escalation and Infrastructure Protection 

The plan notes that since the National Cyber Security Policy 2021, few sectors have built dedicated strategies — PTA's 2023-2028 strategy being an exception — while sectors like oil and gas remain without one.   A CSWC subcommittee will draft a Cyber Warfare Escalation Matrix within 60 days, covering escalation levels and response chains, with public consultation and finalization due in 90 days. Separately, NCERT will identify critical infrastructure and CII, and produce a declaration framework and protective guidelines within the same 90-day window. 

Workforce and Next Steps 

The final priority involves creating a specialized service structure for professionals working in cybersecurity, AI, and quantum computing, aimed at retaining talent. NCERT will also work with the Higher Education Commission and Pakistan Engineering Council to reform related curricula.   NCICS will oversee monitoring and progress reporting as regulators and provincial authorities manage implementation locally. 

A new Apple security update has been dropped for iPhone owners, releasing iOS 26.7 alongside its major annual release, iOS 27. The move gives iPhone users who are hesitant to jump straight into a full system overhaul a safer, lighter-weight path to staying protected, arriving less than a month after the previous patch, iOS 26.6.1.  As is typical with Apple's security releases, the company has kept details about what iOS 26.7 actually fixes deliberately sparse. The idea is simple: the fewer specifics made public, the less material attackers have to work with before the update reaches the majority of devices. 

One of Apple's Largest Coordinated Patches Yet 

This release is part of a much bigger rollout. On September 14, 2026, Apple pushed updates across nearly its entire product line — iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, Vision Pro, Safari, and Xcode — through iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS Golden Gate 27, watchOS 27, tvOS 27, visionOS 27, Safari 27, and Xcode 27, in addition to iOS and iPadOS 26.7, macOS Tahoe 26.7, and macOS Sequoia 15.8.  In total, the Apple security update resolves 273 unique vulnerabilities. That figure comes from consolidating 1,038 product-level CVE entries spread across ten separate advisories, since many flaws sit in shared frameworks and therefore show up in multiple operating systems at once. macOS Golden Gate 27 accounts for the largest share, with 210 CVEs, followed by macOS Sequoia 15.8 at 154 and macOS Tahoe 26.7 at 153. 

Notable Vulnerabilities Addressed 

Several of the fixes stand out for their severity. CVE-2026-65414 involved an out-of-bounds write in Bluetooth that could have let a remote attacker crash an app or run malicious code. CVE-2026-84607, a race condition in AVEVideoEncoder, could have allowed a sandboxed app to execute code with kernel-level privileges — both resolved through tighter bounds checking and better state management.  Media handling was another weak point. CoreMedia's CVE-2026-64752 could have triggered code execution from a maliciously crafted image, while ImageIO's CVE-2026-65395 risked memory corruption. Apple also patched issues in FontParser, CoreText, CoreUI, SceneKit, RealityKit, Model I/O, and disk-image handling tools.  On the Mac side, fixes targeted privilege-escalation risks in autofs (CVE-2026-84568) and CUPS (CVE-2026-43692), plus a Screen Sharing Server flaw (CVE-2026-65400) that could have let attackers bypass login credentials over a network. Gatekeeper, sandboxing, TCC privacy controls, and file-system protections for SMB, WebDAV, APFS, HFS, and exFAT were all hardened as well.  WebKit received a heavy round of fixes too, with Safari 27 alone patching six CVEs — including one letting cross-site scripting attacks run via a malicious webarchive, and another risking data exposure during web-content processing.  For iPhone specifically, iOS 26.7 closes 16 kernel-level vulnerabilities, the most severe being CVE-2026-43689, which could have granted a malicious app root access. It also fixes five ImageIO bugs and a WebKit use-after-free flaw, CVE-2026-43715, capable of corrupting memory through crafted web content. 

Which Update Should iPhone Users Install? 

iPhone owners will see iOS 26.7 offered prominently in Settings, with iOS 27 listed as a secondary option — a structure Apple maintains for months after a major release, largely to reassure users and businesses wary of early bugs in new software. iOS 26.7 supports iPhone 11 and later, along with a range of iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad, and iPad mini models.  Although automatic updates are generally recommended, Apple's staged rollout can take days or weeks to reach every device, so security specialists suggest installing iOS 26.7 manually via Settings > General > Software Update. 

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has seized the domains of 12 websites allegedly used to create, sell and distribute AI-generated deepfake videos featuring approximately 1,200 real people without their consent. Authorities said the websites were used to publish and sell non-consensual intimate imagery created with artificial intelligence tools. The seizure, announced by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr., involves what the office described as the largest known seizure of websites dedicated to AI-generated celebrity deepfakes to date. The investigation remains ongoing.

AI-Generated Deepfake Videos Target 1,200 People

According to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, individuals under investigation allegedly used AI image and video creation tools to transform existing photographs and videos of around 1,200 people into hyper-realistic images and videos depicting them engaging in sexual conduct. [caption id="attachment_114113" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Image Source: https://manhattanda.org/[/caption] The websites were allegedly dedicated almost exclusively to deepfake pornography and explicitly promoted AI-generated content. The material was then distributed, published and sold through the websites. The approximately 1,200 people affected were overwhelmingly women, according to the D.A.’s Office. Many were public-facing individuals, including actors, politicians, athletes, musicians, social justice advocates and social media influencers. The office said the images and videos were created without the knowledge or consent of the people depicted.

12 Domains Seized Under Court Order

The Manhattan D.A.’s Office said the 12 domains were seized pursuant to a court order as part of the criminal investigation. Authorities said they will continue monitoring the websites to prevent the operations from returning under different domain names. [caption id="attachment_114112" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Image Source: https://manhattanda.org/[/caption] The office is also urging people who believe they were affected to contact its Cyber Crime Bureau at 212-335-9600. The investigation comes as authorities examine websites allegedly built around the creation and distribution of non-consensual intimate imagery using artificial intelligence. District Attorney Bragg said the office would continue investigating the websites and similar operations. He also called on people affected by the websites to come forward.

Manhattan D.A. Expands Domain Seizures

The Cyber Crime Bureau has previously seized domains connected to other criminal investigations, according to the D.A.’s Office. Those cases included 12 domains from five online vendors accused of selling stolen credit and debit card information and personal identifying information. The office said those operations involved more than one million stolen cards belonging to people across the United States, including tens of thousands of New Yorkers. The bureau also seized the domain associated with Coin Dispute Network. The company was later indicted, along with its creators Michael Lauchlan and Gary Zaydman, over allegations that it stole from customers by falsely claiming it could trace and recover cryptocurrency for a fee. In the current investigation, Assistant District Attorneys Lotus Ho and Katherine Ellis are handling the case under the supervision of senior officials within the Cyber Crime Bureau and Investigation Division. The D.A.’s Office said its investigation into the 12 AI-generated deepfake websites and other potentially related operations is continuing.

Ukraine has appointed Ihor Klymenko to lead the country’s National Cybersecurity Coordination Center (NCCC), placing the former law enforcement official at the center of the government’s Ukraine cybersecurity coordination efforts. President Volodymyr Zelensky made the appointment through a decree dated September 14, 2026. The National Cybersecurity Coordination Center operates under Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) and brings together government agencies responsible for cybersecurity. Klymenko’s appointment puts him in charge of the body responsible for coordinating the country’s response to major cyberthreats.

Ihor Klymenko Takes Over Cybersecurity Role

According to the presidential decree, Ihor Klymenko, identified in the document as the Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, has been appointed head of the NCCC. The decree changes the existing provision governing the leadership of the center and took effect upon publication. Klymenko succeeds Rustem Umerov, who previously headed the National Cybersecurity Coordination Center. The leadership change comes as Ukraine continues to focus on protecting critical infrastructure and government systems amid ongoing security challenges. The appointment gives Klymenko responsibility for a national body that coordinates cybersecurity activities across government agencies. The NCCC’s role places it within the country’s wider national security structure, linking cybersecurity coordination with the work of the NSDC.

Cybersecurity Coordination Expands Beyond Digital Systems

The appointment comes alongside a broader government focus on protecting critical infrastructure. In a September 15 address, Zelensky said a staff meeting had focused on protecting critical infrastructure, the energy system and logistics, with particular attention given to Ukraine’s railway network. Zelensky said additional contracts would be issued for systems intended to strengthen the protection of railways, border crossings and other facilities operated by Ukrzaliznytsia, Ukraine’s state railway operator. He said decisions on those contracts had already been made. The president also discussed efforts to protect Ukraine from attack drones, saying interceptor systems were being developed and tested. He reported that another Ukrainian interceptor solution had successfully hit a Shahed drone during testing, although technical aspects still required refinement. According to Zelensky, interceptor crews achieved a 93% interception rate against regular Shaheds during the previous night. He said the government was directing state resources and funding toward additional forms of protection against attack drones.

Ukraine Cybersecurity Efforts Under National Security Structure

The NCCC’s position within the National Security and Defense Council places cybersecurity coordination within Ukraine’s broader national security framework. The center brings together government agencies responsible for cybersecurity and is tasked with coordinating responses to major cyberthreats. The leadership change therefore places Klymenko at the head of a body responsible for coordinating government-level cybersecurity activity, while Ukraine continues to strengthen protections for critical infrastructure and other essential systems. The presidential decree does not provide further details about changes to the NCCC’s mandate or announce specific new cybersecurity programs following Klymenko’s appointment. It formally establishes his leadership of the center following Umerov’s tenure.

A new Singapore Study has found that four in five websites run by local businesses carry at least one detectable WordPress vulnerabilities. The Singapore WordPress Website Cybersecurity Study, released by Equinet Academy on August 31, 2026, in partnership with Cutlazz Cyber Consulting, examined 102 publicly accessible WordPress sites operated by Singapore-based businesses.   Using passive, automated scanning between April and August 2026, researchers found that 80.4% of the sites had at least one identifiable vulnerability, and 33.3% fell into the High or Critical Risk categories. Seven sites were rated Critical Risk.  Across the sample, 1,853 confirmed vulnerabilities were matched to documented CVEs, and the average risk score came in at 42.1 out of 100 — placing the group at the upper end of "Elevated Risk." 

Outdated Software Drives WordPress Vulnerabilities 

Aging software was a recurring theme. Of the 102 sites, 41 (40.2%) were running outdated WordPress core versions, some dating back to 2015. Notably, every site flagged Critical Risk was also running outdated core software.  Plugins added further exposure: 70.6% of sites had at least one plugin with a confirmed CVE, and 65.7% had at least one outdated plugin, with 199 outdated plugin installations counted overall.  Other findings included: 

• 56.9% had XML-RPC publicly exposed 
• 54.9% had wp-cron publicly accessible 
• 29.4% revealed their login path through robots.txt 

Most Gaps Stem From Routine Maintenance, Not Sophisticated Attacks 

The study concluded that many of these vulnerabilities in CMS setups weren't the product of advanced hacking techniques but of neglected upkeep and default configurations left unchanged.  Dylan Sun, Founder and Managing Director of Equinet Academy, said the results show that WordPress security often comes down to basics rather than elaborate defenses. He noted that unpatched software and unreviewed configurations accumulate risk over time, and that regularly updating systems and checking public-facing exposure are practical ways businesses can cut down avoidable risk. 

Methodology and Limitations 

Researchers used the WPSec Automated Scanner to assess publicly visible data — WordPress versions, plugin inventories, CVE matches, header configurations, and exposed endpoints — without attempting authenticated access, brute-force entry, or exploitation of any flaws found.   The results reflect a snapshot of visible indicators rather than a full audit, and a detected vulnerability doesn't necessarily mean a site has been breached. Still, the study points out that the same information is just as discoverable to potential attackers running routine scans. 

Compliance and Business Implications 

For sites that collect personal data, unresolved vulnerabilities in CMS software may also carry compliance risk under Singapore's Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), which requires reasonable security safeguards.  The report recommends businesses adopt HTTPS across their sites, keep WordPress core and plugins current, disable unused XML-RPC functionality, review login-path visibility, restrict access to files like readme.html and wp-cron.php, and run security scans at least quarterly.  The Singapore Study analyzed sites selected by Singapore-registered domains or Singapore-hosted IPs, focusing on small and medium-sized businesses while excluding multinational subsidiaries. 

A newly disclosed Nintendo Switch vulnerability is pushing owners of the original console toward an urgent firmware update, particularly those who tend to play in public spaces. Nintendo confirmed the vulnerability in Nintendo Switch systems in a PDF advisory released Sept. 10, just a day after quietly shipping firmware version 23.0.0 to address the problem.  Importantly, this vulnerability in Nintendo Switch hardware is limited to the original console. The Nintendo Switch 2 is not affected in any way. 

How the Nintendo Switch Vulnerability Works? 

The flaw centers on the Send to Smartphone feature, a tool original Switch owners use to move screenshots and game captures onto a phone by scanning a QR code generated on the console. That same QR-code mechanism is also used by Super Mario Kart: Home Circuit when played on its physical cartridge, since the game relies on a QR code to establish a wireless connection between nearby players.  The danger arises when someone other than the intended user scans that QR code first. Doing so lets a stranger's device link up with the Switch console, opening the door to running unauthorized code on the machine or pulling data straight off it. Because account information lives on the console itself, that's a real risk for anyone exposed to this Nintendo Switch vulnerability while gaming around others.  Nintendo has not offered additional detail beyond its advisory. A company representative did not immediately respond when asked for further comment on the matter.  The vulnerability in Nintendo Switch firmware has been formally logged as CVE-2026-82079. It's described as a stack-based buffer overflow, a type of flaw that can allow an attacker within wireless range to execute code on the device. The issue only exists on original Switch consoles running firmware older than version 23.0.0; anything on that version or newer is already protected. 

Fixing the Nintendo Switch Vulnerability 

Nintendo's remedy is straightforward: install firmware 23.0.0, which the company released Sept. 9, one day before publicly disclosing the flaw. To do so, owners should navigate to System Settings, then System, then System Update, and follow any prompts that appear on screen to complete the installation.  For anyone who can't update right away, Nintendo has outlined a few stopgap measures. The company suggests only using the Send to Smartphone feature at home, where a stranger isn't in scanning range, and avoiding public sessions of Super Mario Kart: Home Circuit until the update is applied. More broadly, Nintendo advises against ever scanning a QR code using a device that isn't your own.  Players who exclusively game at home are already shielded from this particular vulnerability in Nintendo Switch systems and don't need to take any further action, since the exploit depends on a nearby attacker being in physical wireless range to intercept the QR code.  Given how quickly Nintendo moved from patch release to public disclosure — releasing the fix Sept. 9 and detailing the vulnerability the very next day — owners are being urged to update sooner rather than later, especially if they regularly play in cafes, transit, or other shared spaces where an unfamiliar device could realistically pick up a stray QR code. 

The International Meteor Organization cyberattack has knocked much of the Belgium-based nonprofit's website offline, with the organization warning that several weeks of partial downtime could follow as it moves to new infrastructure and services. The International Meteor Organization (IMO), which coordinates meteor observations and connects amateur and professional astronomers worldwide, is currently operating a stripped-down holding page following the incident. The organization said the attack dealt a "critical blow" to its aging infrastructure. "We recently suffered a cyberattack that dealt a critical blow to aging infrastructure, taking much of our site offline," IMO said in a notice. "We expect several weeks of partial downtime as we transition to new infrastructure and services."

International Meteor Organization Cyberattack Disrupts Services

IMO has not disclosed when the attack took place, how attackers gained access to its systems, or whether any information was accessed or encrypted during the incident. The organization collects observations from people who report unusually bright meteors, commonly known as fireballs. These observations help document and analyze such events, making the reporting service one of the key functions affected by the disruption. Following the IMO cyberattack, the organization said it prioritized restoring its fireball reporting capability. That service is now available again, allowing people who witness a fireball or bright light in the sky to submit their observations. Other sections of the website remain unavailable as IMO works to rebuild its infrastructure.

Aging Infrastructure Faces Extended Recovery

The expected recovery period indicates that the disruption extends beyond a simple website outage. IMO said it is transitioning to new infrastructure and services, with partial downtime expected to continue for several weeks. However, the organization has not provided details about the extent of the infrastructure damage or identified the specific systems affected by the attack. The incident also raises questions about information stored on the affected systems. IMO operates services used by meteor observers and members across the world, but it has not confirmed whether user or contributor information was exposed. At this stage, there is also no information from the organization indicating whether data was encrypted or stolen.

IMO Yet to Disclose Attack Details

The International Meteor Organization cyberattack remains limited in publicly disclosed details. IMO has not said who was responsible, when the intrusion occurred, or what method was used to compromise its infrastructure. The organization has also not disclosed whether it has identified any potential attackers or determined whether data was accessed during the incident. The Cyber Express contacted IMO seeking additional information about the timing of the attack, the systems affected, whether any data was compromised, and whether the organization has identified those responsible. No response had been received at the time of publication. For now, IMO's fireball reporting service has been restored, while other website functions remain offline. The organization expects the wider recovery process to take several weeks as it transitions away from its affected infrastructure. The incident leaves the full impact of the attack unclear, with further details dependent on IMO's ongoing investigation and infrastructure recovery.

Nearly four in 10 UK small firms were hit by a successful cyberattack in the past year, according to the latest Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report. The UK cyberattack rate reached 38%, significantly above the 29% global average recorded among nearly 7,000 smaller businesses surveyed worldwide.

The 10th annual report surveyed cybersecurity decision-makers at smaller firms, including 1,000 respondents in the UK. Britain recorded the highest attack rate among the markets included in the research. Globally, businesses that experienced an incident reported an average of four attacks during the past 12 months.

UK cyberattack Rate Outpaces Global Average

The findings place UK small businesses at greater exposure to successful cyberattacks than their international counterparts. While 29% of organisations globally reported a successful attack, the figure rose to 38% among small UK businesses.

The report also found that cyber incidents are creating measurable financial and operational costs. Globally, each incident cost organisations an average of $52,000 and resulted in around 32 hours of operational disruption.

In the UK, the average cost per cyberattack was $35,908, equivalent to £26,650. Although that figure was below the global average, the higher frequency of attacks means UK firms are more likely to encounter those costs.

The global attack rate also fell from the 59% figure reported in Hiscox's previous annual report. However, the two figures are not directly comparable because last year's research surveyed a broader group of 5,750 businesses across seven markets, while this year's report focuses specifically on almost 7,000 smaller firms.

Cyber Incidents Affect Business Growth

Cyber incidents are also influencing business decisions beyond immediate recovery costs. Globally, 32% of affected firms said cyber incidents delayed growth and expansion plans.

Other reported consequences included higher staffing costs for 31% of businesses, direct financial damage for 30%, and lost business opportunities for 29%.

Reputation and customer trust ranked as the most significant cyber-related risk, cited by 48% of businesses surveyed. Operational downtime or business interruption followed at 46%, while supply chain or third-party disruption was identified by 44%.

Among firms that experienced an incident, 28% faced financial penalties and 26% experienced damaging publicity.

UK Firms Increase Cyber Resilience Spending

Businesses are responding to the continuing threat by increasing spending on cyber resilience. The global average investment reached $51,000, with firms directing spending toward new technology, specialist staff and employee training.

New technology was adopted by 51% of firms, while 55% invested in specialist staff and 62% updated employee training.

UK businesses reported considerably higher spending, averaging $59,700, or £44,294, on cyber resilience. That placed the UK third among the markets surveyed for resilience spending.

The report also identified a growing connection between cybersecurity performance and executive compensation. Globally, 32% of firms said executive pay is now linked to cybersecurity performance. Among UK small firms, the figure was 25%.

Cyber Insurance Gap Remains

The findings also highlight a continuing gap between cybersecurity exposure and insurance uptake in the UK. Government data from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology shows that 10% of UK businesses and 5% of charities hold a dedicated cyber insurance policy.

Separate research cited in the report found that just over 40% of UK SMEs hold cyber insurance, compared with around 63% of medium-sized firms and approximately 70% of FTSE 100 companies.

The latest Hiscox findings therefore show a combination of high cyberattack exposure, substantial investment in cyber resilience, and relatively limited cyber insurance uptake among UK businesses.

This weekly roundup covers a bounty offer targeting an alleged Iranian cyber official, a massive data-exposure incident affecting airline travelers, a breach of an education platform used by students, a flaw exposing ChatGPT users' Gmail data, and a new EU compliance deadline for connected-product manufacturers.  From nation-state attribution efforts to AI-model exploitation and airline record exposure, this week's developments show how identity data, cloud misconfigurations, and AI infrastructure all remain prime attack surfaces — while regulators tighten disclosure timelines. 

The Cyber Express Weekly Roundup 

US Offers $10 Million for Alleged Iranian Cyber Chief 

The State Department is offering $10 million for information on Amir Yaryab, accused of directing the IRGC-CEC's Cyber Operations Command and overseeing groups including CyberAv3ngers, which has previously claimed attacks on industrial control systems and critical infrastructure in the US, Israel, and elsewhere, including exploitation of default credentials on Unitronics PLCs. Read more… 

Mathspace Breach Exposes Data on Over 1 Million Users 

A vulnerability in a self-hosted Metabase reporting tool let attackers gain administrator access without logging in, exposing names, emails, and account metadata for more than 1 million students, parents, and teachers in Australia and New Zealand. Passwords and authentication tokens were not affected, and Mathspace has notified regulators in both countries. Read more… 

220 Million Airline Passenger and Crew Records Exposed 

A misconfigured, inconsistently secured Elasticsearch cluster left roughly 220.8 million passenger and crew records — including passport numbers and full itineraries spanning nine years — reachable over the internet before researchers helped get it secured in June. The server's origin remains unconfirmed, though it was linked to Vietnamese IP space. Read more… 

ChatGPT Sandbox Flaw Let Attackers Read Victims' Gmail 

Check Point Research found that a shared internal package-caching system let separate ChatGPT sessions pass messages to each other, allowing a planted prompt to instruct a victim's session to fetch Gmail data and hand it to an attacker's account — without any visible confirmation step. OpenAI has since decommissioned the affected instance. Read more… 

EU's 24-Hour Vulnerability Reporting Rules Take Effect 

Manufacturers of connected products sold in the EU must now report actively exploited vulnerabilities within 24 hours under the Cyber Resilience Act, more than a year ahead of the law's full 2027 rollout. Non-compliance can draw fines up to €15 million or 2.5% of global revenue. Read more… 

AI Just Broke Crypto: What's Next for Defenders and Attackers Alike

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXtwaaxnq_0

Weekly Cybersecurity Takeaway 

This week's developments show attackers and regulators converging on the same weak points: identity data sitting in exposed or under-secured systems, and AI platforms whose infrastructure — not their models — created the exploitable gap. The Mathspace and airline incidents both trace back to unpatched or misconfigured backend systems rather than sophisticated intrusion techniques, while the ChatGPT flaw shows that shared infrastructure underlying AI services can become a cross-account attack surface even when the model itself behaves correctly.  Meanwhile, the Yaryab bounty and the EU's new reporting clock reflect a parallel push on the policy side — attribution efforts aimed at raising the cost of state-linked attacks, and regulation aimed at compressing how long vulnerabilities can sit unreported. Organizations should treat backend admin tools and internal caching layers with the same scrutiny as customer-facing systems, and multinational manufacturers should confirm their incident-response playbooks account for the new EU timelines now in effect. 

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Springfield Public Schools remains in recovery mode following a cyberattack that shut down district operations and forced schools to close for the second half of the week, and the local teachers union says too many questions remain unanswered as students prepare to head back to class.  The Springfield cyberattack hit just one week into the new school year, leaving parents suddenly without childcare or the school meal programs many families depend on. District officials have said students are expected to return to classrooms on Monday, but the disruption caused by the incident has rippled well beyond the classroom. 

Classrooms Closed After the Springfield Cyberattack 

To help ease the burden of the Springfield cyberattack, the district arranged grab-and-go meal service at six locations across the city on both Thursday and Friday, with each stop providing a lunch as well as a breakfast for the following morning. The YMCA of Greater Springfield also stepped up, opening its doors to full-day care for any family already enrolled in its before- and after-school programs.   YMCA CEO Dexter Johnson told 22News, "We opened our doors to all of our families we serve in our before- and after-school programs for full-day care until the school system is able to reopen its doors." The organization's downtown location alone has taken in more than 100 children since the closures began, and Johnson said spots remained available for families needing full-day coverage on Friday. 

Officials Address the Cyberattack on Springfield 

Mayor Domenic Sarno and Superintendent Dr. Sonia Dinnall led a Thursday news conference alongside other district officials to update the public on recovery efforts and the plan for reopening. Sarno repeatedly referred to the incident as a "cyber attack" throughout the briefing and placed blame squarely on the "cyber attack hackers" behind it. 

Union Says Key Questions Remain Unanswered 

Riley Hernandez, president of the Springfield Education Association — which represents roughly 2,700 educators and other school employees — said the union is still waiting for clarity from district leadership on how the cyberattack on Springfield schools may have affected staff and students. We are in the midst of a severe cyber attack. In this trying time, on behalf of the 2700 educators we represent in Springfield Public Schools, I want to acknowledge the stress and confusion this moment of uncertainty and emergency closure has caused students, families, Springfield Education Association members, and all staff in Springfield Public Schools," Hernandez said in a statement Thursday.  Hernandez said he has requested a formal meeting with Dinnall and her cabinet but has yet to receive a response. "I still have not received an invitation to meet with Dr. Dinnall and her cabinet. Many unanswered questions still remain. It is not clear where the District is at in fully resolving this cyber incident or what sensitive information the breach has compromised," he said.  In a letter sent to district officials Wednesday, the union laid out a list of demands ahead of educators' return to the classroom. Among them: what categories of employee data — including health, financial and Social Security information — may have been exposed; whether the breach triggers mandatory legal reporting obligations; and what support the district will offer staff affected by compromised personal information. The union also wants answers on the status of lesson plans and curriculum materials, how students who depend on assistive technology will be served, and how the district will keep buildings secure without functioning phone systems and other safety infrastructure.  Despite the unresolved questions, Hernandez said teachers are ready to get back to work. "As educators, we will be expected to deliver instruction in the midst of an unresolved technological shutdown of Springfield Public Schools. We will rise to the occasion with integrity to provide high quality public education that the students and families of Springfield truly deserve," he said. 

A Day to Regroup 

The union welcomed the district's decision to designate Friday as a professional development day, giving staff time to figure out which systems are still functioning, identify materials that need to be rebuilt from scratch, and prepare for students' return. Hernandez said a smooth transition back to class will depend on educators getting real time to coordinate with administrators and each other.  The SEA's executive committee was set to meet Thursday afternoon to map out next steps. Hernandez said he still intends to press district leaders for a formal sit-down to discuss the return-to-work process, how alternative instruction will be handled, and how the district plans to make up instructional days lost to the cyberattack on Springfield schools. 

The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) has released new guidance on Agentic AI Harnesses, highlighting the security, governance and operational risks organisations need to consider as they adopt agentic AI systems. The publication shifts attention beyond large language models (LLMs) to the software layer that connects models with organisational data, tools and systems. According to ASD, the AI harness is a critical component of an agentic AI system because it determines what information an agent receives, which tools it can access, what actions it can perform and what controls are applied.

Why Agentic AI Harnesses Matter

An agentic AI system combines an LLM with external tools, data sources, memory and planning workflows. While the LLM processes information and proposes actions, the harness provides the surrounding infrastructure needed to execute those actions and enforce permissions. ASD said many significant organisational risks emerge when an LLM is connected to enterprise systems through a harness. Security, privacy, governance and operational risks can depend on what an agent can access, the actions it can perform and how it interacts with connected systems. The publication also notes that some risks, including prompt injection, cannot be reliably addressed within the model alone. Additional controls are required across the harness, connected systems and organisational governance processes.

Harness Becomes a Long-Term Security Focus

ASD describes the harness as the component organisations can most directly govern, secure and control. While LLMs can be replaced as models evolve, the harness and its surrounding integrations are expected to represent a longer-term organisational investment. The harness can manage context and memory, provide access to tools, enforce execution privileges and record activity for monitoring and evaluation. Its components can include a user interface, policy layer, context manager, model interface, tool registry, permission system, execution environment, connector layer, memory and session store, and audit and observability capabilities. [caption id="attachment_114032" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Image Source: ASD- https://www.cyber.gov.au/[/caption] This makes the harness a key configuration surface for agentic AI security, particularly where organisations need to control tools, permissions, approvals and system integrations.

ASD Highlights Key Agentic AI Risks

The guidance identifies five broad risk categories associated with agentic AI systems: privilege, design and configuration, behavioural, structural and accountability risks. Excessive privileges can allow a compromised agent to have far-reaching access, while insecure architecture or configuration can introduce weaknesses before deployment. Behavioural risks include unintended actions and manipulation through techniques such as prompt injection and data poisoning. Structural risks can emerge when failures cascade across interconnected components and workflows. Accountability risks may arise when complex agentic systems make it difficult to trace decisions, audit actions or assign responsibility. ASD also recommends treating multi-agent systems as a single agent for security purposes because a compromise in one component may propagate through shared context and trust relationships.

Security Controls for Agentic AI

The publication recommends established cybersecurity practices, including least-privilege access, identity and access management, secure design, monitoring and incident response. Organisations are also advised to require human oversight for high-impact actions, control access to external data and tools, validate agent outputs, maintain audit logs and apply supply-chain assurance. ASD recommends a phased approach to deployment, beginning with approved use cases, appropriate data classification and security validation before broader adoption. The guidance also stresses that no harness is inherently secure. Organisations should select harnesses appropriate to their tasks, understand their capabilities and permissions, and apply controls across multiple layers rather than relying solely on model behaviour or prompts. For executives and CISOs, ASD recommends asking what data and systems an agent can access, what actions require human approval, how AI-specific attacks are mitigated, whether significant actions can be monitored and audited, and what could happen if the harness were compromised or misconfigured. As agentic AI adoption expands, ASD's guidance positions the harness as a central part of managing the technology's security, governance and operational risks.

Microsoft's Patch Tuesday September 2026 rollout has broken previous records, with the company addressing 974 CVEs across its product lineup in a single release. Two of these vulnerabilities were already being exploited in the wild before fixes became available, prompting quick action from federal cybersecurity authorities.  The sheer volume of this month's Patch Tuesday September 2026 release dwarfs recent months. Windows accounted for 723 of the fixed flaws, while the Office suite received patches for 222 issues, 111 of which affected Office 2016 specifically.  

Scale of Patch Tuesday September 2026 

SQL Server products saw 62 CVEs resolved, Developer Tools had 22, SharePoint Server received 16 fixes, Azure had 12, Skype for Business had 10, and Exchange Server accounted for 9. More than 110 of the vulnerabilities patched carry a critical severity rating, and nearly 90% of the total fall into three categories: privilege escalation, remote code execution, and information disclosure.   Factoring in fixes for 25 non-Microsoft CVEs, the combined total for this Patch Tuesday September 2026 cycle reaches 999 resolved vulnerabilities.  This release continues a pattern of escalating patch volumes from Microsoft in recent months — 457 CVEs were addressed in August, 663 in July, 220 in June, and 161 in May, making September's numbers a significant jump even against that backdrop. 

The Two Exploited Zero-Days 

Central to this month's Patch Tuesday September 2026 update are two CVEs that Microsoft confirmed had been exploited before patches were issued.  The first, CVE-2026-85880 (CVSS 7.8), is a heap-based buffer overflow in the Windows Advanced Local Procedure Call (ALPC) component. It allows an attacker with local access to escalate privileges and obtain SYSTEM-level control. Microsoft's advisory states that an attacker who can execute code in a low-privilege AppContainer could exploit this vulnerability locally to escape the sandbox and elevate privileges on the affected system, with no additional user interaction required.  The second actively exploited flaw, CVE-2026-81963 (CVSS 7.8), stems from improper link resolution within the Windows Update Stack. Like the ALPC bug, it enables a local, authorized attacker to escalate privileges and gain SYSTEM access.  Both CVEs have since been added to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog maintained by the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Federal Civilian Executive Branch agencies now face a September 22, 2026 deadline to apply the relevant patches. 

Other Notable CVEs Worth Tracking 

Beyond the zero-days, several other CVEs patched in this Patch Tuesday September 2026 batch carry high severity scores and warrant prompt attention from Microsoft administrators: 

• CVE-2026-55007 (CVSS 8.1) — a double-free flaw in Microsoft Exchange Server enabling remote code execution 

• CVE-2026-80097 (CVSS 8.6) — improper authentication in Microsoft Authenticator allowing local privilege escalation 

• CVE-2026-69465 (CVSS 8.8) — missing authorization in Microsoft Office SharePoint permitting remote code execution 

• CVE-2026-65669 (CVSS 9.6) — an injection flaw in SQL Server enabling remote privilege escalation 

• CVE-2026-69525 (CVSS 9.8) — use-after-free in Windows Remote Desktop Services allowing remote code execution 

• CVE-2026-69595 (CVSS 9.8) — use-after-free in the Windows Services for NFS ONCRPC XDR Driver 

• CVE-2026-69730 (CVSS 9.8) — use-after-free in the Windows DNS server 

• CVE-2026-69829 (CVSS 9.8) — heap-based buffer overflow in Windows Shell 

• CVE-2026-72979 (CVSS 9.8) — use-after-free in the Windows DHCP Server 

Alongside the CVE fixes, Microsoft's Patch Tuesday September 2026 release also included new Servicing Stack Updates (SSUs), classified as critical, covering Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows 10 Version 1607/Server 2016.  Given the number of critical-severity CVEs and the confirmed exploitation of two privilege-escalation bugs, security teams are expected to prioritize this Patch Tuesday September 2026 rollout above routine monthly cycles, particularly for internet-facing Windows and Exchange deployments. 

The Liquid Network security incident has taken an unusual turn after the unidentified actors behind the theft of nearly 4,000 BTC offered to return “most” of the funds — but only after the vulnerability that enabled the exploit is fixed across the network.  The purported white-hat hackers communicated their condition through an ongoing exchange with Blockstream, according to Galaxy Research head Alex Thorn. The incident involved roughly $320 million worth of BTC and has raised questions over whether the attackers are genuine security researchers or simply exploiting the language and behavior associated with white-hat hacking.  The episode began on Sunday, when approximately 4,000 BTC was withdrawn from the Liquid Federation wallet. The amount represented about 95% of the Bitcoin that had been pegged into the Liquid sidechain.  Following the withdrawals, Liquid disabled its bridge nodes and paused the network. The stolen funds were subsequently consolidated into a Bitcoin address containing a message that read: “we are whitehats. contact us on chain.”  Liquid, however, has continued to describe the individuals involved as purported white-hat hackers, reflecting the uncertainty surrounding their identity and intentions. 

Liquid Network Security Incident Sparks On-Chain Conversation 

The unusual communication between the attackers and Blockstream has taken place through Bitcoin OP_RETURN messages and PGP-encrypted text.  Thorn reconstructed the exchange and reported that Blockstream attempted to contact the actors at Bitcoin block 965,822. The company sent 1,000 satoshis along with an OP_RETURN message intended to alert its security team and establish a communication channel.  A later transaction included encrypted material addressed to the holder of the relevant key, along with a PGP signature. According to Thorn, the signature could be verified against Blockstream’s published public key, providing an indication that the communication was connected to the company.  The purported white-hat hackers subsequently responded at block 965,869. They moved their own balance and sent 1,000 satoshis to the federation’s peg wallet. Alongside the transaction, they asked whether returning “most” of the withdrawn BTC to the federation address would be acceptable.  That proposal came with a significant condition: the vulnerability responsible for the Liquid Network security incident would have to be fixed first.  “Please fix the bug first,” the hackers told Blockstream. 

White-Hat Hackers Leave Questions Over Returned BTC 

The use of the word “most” has introduced another layer of uncertainty. The message does not specify how much BTC the actors would ultimately return, leaving open the possibility that they could retain a portion of the nearly 4,000 BTC taken from the federation wallet.  There is also no guarantee that the promised return will actually occur. Until the funds move back to the federation-controlled address, almost all of the Bitcoin remains under the control of the unidentified actors.  The incident initially prompted skepticism from Ledger Chief Technology Officer Charles Guillemet, who argued that conventional white-hat hackers generally do not drain hundreds of millions of dollars from a bridge.  Guillemet compared the situation with major cryptocurrency exploits such as Ronin and Euler, where attackers were responsible for substantial losses. His initial assessment suggested that the scale and method of the Liquid incident were inconsistent with the typical behavior expected from legitimate security researchers.  His position later softened after the hackers attempted to communicate with Blockstream. 

BTC Remains Under Hackers’ Control 

Guillemet noted that criminal groups do not typically make efforts to establish direct communication with their victims after carrying out an exploit. The willingness of the actors to communicate therefore created some hope that the funds could eventually be recovered.  “There’s hope,” Guillemet wrote.  He also argued that the vulnerability could potentially be researched using powerful AI systems to identify the underlying flaw without relying on proper disclosure procedures.  For now, however, the outcome of the Liquid Network security incident remains unresolved. The hackers have indicated that they are prepared to return “most” of the BTC, but only once the underlying bug has been fixed across the network.  The development leaves Blockstream and Liquid facing two immediate challenges: addressing the vulnerability that allowed the exploit and determining whether the unidentified actors will honor their commitment.  Until those steps are completed, the nearly 4,000 BTC involved in the incident remains largely outside the federation’s control. The on-chain messages provide a rare window into negotiations between an exploited crypto network and the people claiming responsibility, but they do not yet establish whether the purported white-hat hackers will ultimately return the funds. 

The Mathspace data breach has affected 1,079,819 people in Australia and New Zealand after unauthorized parties accessed an internal reporting system and downloaded user information. Mathspace confirmed the security incident on September 3, 2026, and said the affected records involve students, parents or guardians, teachers, and Mathspace staff.  The company said names, email addresses, and account details were exposed, but customer passwords, single sign-on (SSO) tokens, and other authentication credentials were not. There is currently no evidence that the information has been published, sold, distributed, or otherwise misused. The attacker’s identity remains unknown. 

How the Mathspace Data Breach Happened? 

The security incident resulted from a vulnerability in Mathspace’s self-hosted Metabase installation, which was used for internal reporting. The flaw allowed attackers to obtain administrator access without a legitimate login.  Metabase issued a critical security advisory and patched versions on August 6. Mathspace said its vulnerability-notification process failed to identify and escalate that advisory. The company later updated its Metabase instance on August 29 after seeing a subsequent notice.  An investigation found unauthorized access dating to August 10, Australian Eastern Standard Time. Information was downloaded from Mathspace’s Australian reporting database on August 27. Historical log reviews confirmed the unauthorized access on September 3, before the update had been applied. Mathspace also acknowledged that it did not complete additional compromise checks recommended for potentially affected systems at the time of the update. 

What Information was Exposed? 

The exported data included user IDs, usernames, first and last names, email addresses, country, time zone, user type, email-verification status, last-active date, last-login date and joining date. Not every field appeared for every affected person.  Mathspace said the exposure went beyond names and email addresses. User IDs are internal identifiers, including those linked to student accounts. However, no academic records, learning activities, results, assessments, password hashes, authentication tokens, SSO credentials or API credentials were exposed.  The data did not contain records directly linking accounts to schools, although Mathspace said school affiliations could potentially be inferred where identifiable email domains were used. Former or inactive users may also be affected because retained information could remain in the reporting database. 

What Users Should Know After the Security Incident? 

Names, email addresses, and account details could make phishing or impersonation attempts more convincing. Users have been advised to independently verify unexpected messages, avoid unfamiliar links and attachments, and never provide passwords or verification codes in response to unsolicited communications.  Mathspace is not requiring password resets because customer authentication credentials were not exposed. However, anyone who reused a Mathspace password elsewhere should change those reused passwords to unique ones and monitor accounts for unusual activity. 

Response to the Mathspace Data Breach 

After confirming the breach on September 3, Mathspace took Metabase offline, revoked its API keys, disabled Metabase database-access accounts in its Australian and US Snowflake environments, and changed passwords for its Metabase Cloud SQL databases. The company also copied the application database and exported access logs for investigation. Metabase remains offline while recovery and compromise checks continue.  Mathspace began notifying school contacts on September 4 and started notifying affected individuals on September 6, earlier than the date previously communicated to schools.  On September 4, the security incident was reported to Australia’s Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, the Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre, New Zealand’s Office of the Privacy Commissioner and National Cyber Security Centre, as well as Australian state and territory education departments.