Microsoft’s ‘Patch Tuesday’ Includes 129 Security Updates, Mostly to Windows

This week Krebs on Security reported that Microsoft “released updates to remedy nearly 130 security vulnerabilities in its Windows operating system and supported software.” None of the flaws are known to be currently under active exploitation, but 23 of them could be exploited by malware or malcontents to seize complete control of Windows computers with little or no help from users….

Messier 11 is the Wild Duck Cluster

Messier 11 is a faint cluster of stars in a star-rich region of the night sky, in the direction of the heart of our Milky Way galaxy. Source: https://earthsky.org/clusters-nebulae-galaxies/wild-duck-cluster-deep-sky-gem-by-eagles-tail…

Slick New ‘Dream Chaser’ Space Plane Set For Launch in 2021

Syfy reports:
Soaring into the wild blue yonder and beyond, the planet’s only non-capsule, private orbital spacecraft, Dream Chaser, is slated to make its first flight sometime next year shuttling supplies and cargo to the International Space Station for NASA. This stylish unmanned space plane was recently given its official name, Tenacity, and a pair of exotic composite material wings to complete…

750 Million Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Approved For Release In Florida Keys

A plan to release over 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes into the Florida Keys in 2021 and 2022 received final approval from local authorities, against the objection of many local residents and a coalition of environmental advocacy groups. The proposal had already won state and federal approval. CNN reports: Approved by the Environment Protection Agency in May, the pilot project is…

Researcher Discovers New ‘HTTP Request Smuggling Attack’ Variants

Some scary new variants of “HTTP request smuggling” have been discovered by Amit Klein, VP of security research at SafeBreach, reports Security Week:
Specifically, an HTTP request smuggling attack, which can be launched remotely over the internet, can allow a hacker to bypass security controls, gain access to sensitive data, and compromise other users of the targeted app. While the attack method…

Millions of Android Phones At Risk Due to ‘Achilles’ Flaw in Qualcomm Chips

“Researchers have found that Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chip, one of the most widely used in Android phones, has hundreds of bits of vulnerable code that leaves millions of Android users at risk,” reports Gizmodo:
To back up a bit, Qualcomm is a major chip supplier to several well-known tech companies. In 2019, its Snapdragon series of processors could be found on nearly 40%…

Firefox Gets Fix For Evil Cursor Attack

Firefox has fixed a bug that was being exploited in the wild by tech support scammers to create artificial mouse cursors and prevent users from easily leaving malicious sites. From a report: The bug was discovered being abused online by UK cyber-security firm Sophos and reported to Mozilla earlier this year. A bugfix was provided and has been live in Firefox…

AI Distinguishes Birds That Even Experts Can’t

Slashdot reader sciencehabit quote Science magazine:
It’s a fact of life for birders that some species are fiendishly difficult to tell apart — in particular, the sparrows and drab songbirds dubbed “little brown jobs.” Distinguishing individuals is nearly impossible. Now, a computer program analyzing photos and videos has accomplished that feat. The advance promises to reveal new information on bird behaviors… The…