They're ALL vulnerable!?

TechLinked delivers a fast paced roundup of security and tech news with a focus on real world vulnerabilities and ongoing responses. The episode opens by outlining a dangerous flaw in Bluetooth security known as the KNOB attack, which can coerce devices into using a one byte decryption key. This makes brute force attacks significantly easier, prompting device manufacturers like Intel, Apple, Blackberry, and Microsoft to roll out patches. The hosts emphasize urgency but balance the tone with a note that not all Bluetooth news is bleak, highlighting a UC Berkeley development of an app capable of detecting credit card skimmers at gas stations, identifying 64 skimmers across six states in a year. Throughout the segment, there is a cycle of caution about vulnerabilities and optimism about proactive defenses, culminating in a rundown of various ongoing tech privacy and security debates. The show shifts to other quick snippets, including Surface Pro 6 and Surface Book 2 firmware issues causing CPU throttling, and reports of inconsistent Wi-Fi connections after August firmware updates. The hosts then critique privacy mishaps by big tech, such as Facebook’s pop up privacy checkups, and segue into broader coverage of security topics like Google Play adware removal and Corellium’s iOS emulation dispute with Apple. The episode wraps with lighter content about a folding@home drive and a call to participate in the LTT Folding Month, while still weaving in reminders about ongoing security stories and the broader theme that everyone is potentially vulnerable, but not without solutions and preventative steps.

Topics · cybersecurity · technology · privacy · hardware