Source: CIA 2010 covert communication websites
Summary
The CIA used a network of 885 websites for covert communication from 2004 to 2013, disguised as legitimate news, sport, weather, and other sites. The websites were in 29 languages and aimed at 36 countries.
Facts
Source: The Asymmetry of Open Source — Matt Holt
Summary
Open source projects do not need users, leading to a sustainability problem. Open source work can be a hobby or a job sustained by serendipitous or reliant models. The majority of financed projects rely on open source for income, making sustainability an issue. Incentives for open source developers include warm fuzzies and sponsorships.
Fact
💰 Serendipitous open source projects, which are sustained by other means of livelihood, are the minority of financed open source projects.
Source: CS:GO: From Zero to 0-day
Summary
Three remote code execution (RCE) vulnerabilities were discovered in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, which were patched in the 04/28/2021 update. The post details the methodology used to discover the vulnerabilities and presents a proof of concept exploit that leverages four different logic bugs.
Fact
💻 The game is based on the source engine, which uses components from older engines not initially programmed with security in mind.
🔍 Obtaining information about the target, such as through official software development kits, is crucial before attempting to find security gaps.
🛡️ The game’s modding support and diverse file formats contribute to a large attack surface and increase the risk of vulnerabilities.
🔒 The game’s network implementation has been exploited in other attacks.
⚒️ Combining four different logic bugs led to the proof of concept exploit for the client-side RCE vulnerabilities.
Source: Ask HN: As a developer, do you consider the carbon footprint of your apps?
Summary
The carbon footprint of websites is a growing concern. Developers should take responsibility for the performance of their websites. The Website Carbon Calculator can help to test the environmental impact of websites. Reducing website energy consumption can make a positive impact on the environment.
Facts
Source: Can you trust ChatGPT’s package recommendations?
Summary
Attackers can use hallucinated packages recommended by ChatGPT to spread malicious packages into developers’ environments, using a technique we call “AI package hallucination.”
Fact