Modern C2 implants will use sleep obfuscation where the implant encrypts itself and stays dormant for a period of time before decrypting itself, fetching and performing operations, and then repeating the cycle by encrypting itself again. This makes detection difficult because it is unlikely that an EDR will scan the system while the implant is decrypted. This author explores how to utilize Time Travel Debugging to detect when an implant decrypts itself and makes network calls. They note that this method is very successful but can be bypassed by malware authors by extending the sleep period to make the manual analysis untenable or by unloading the attached debugging DLL.
Attackers leveraged a leaked AWS access key from an organization management account to establish multiple persistence mechanisms, including a "persistence-as-a-service" Lambda function triggered by API Gateway that creates new IAM users on demand. Previously unreported tactics included disabling trusted access for organization-level services, manipulating AWS Identity Center (SSO) to create backdoor users without MFA requirements, and operating from Telegram IP addresses. The attackers implemented comprehensive persistence strategies to survive credential revocation, demonstrating sophisticated knowledge of AWS services and security mechanisms.
2025.05.15·securitylabs.datadoghq.com·5 min read·TLDR InfoSec EntraFalcon is a PowerShell-based tool for pentesters, security analysts, and sysadmins to evaluate the security of a Microsoft Entra ID environment.
oneiromancer is a reverse engineering assistant that uses a locally running LLM fine-tuned for Hex-Rays pseudo-code to aid with code analysis. It can analyze a function or a smaller code snippet to return a high-level description of the code's actions, recommended function names, and variable renaming suggestions.
An AI wrapper for SQLMap that simplifies SQL injection testing. It features automated result analysis, step suggestions, and adaptive testing with DBMS optimizations for MySQL, MSSQL, Oracle, and PostgreSQL. It also includes adaptive WAF Bypass, which dynamically selects tamper scripts based on WAF detection.
This blog post provides an in-depth discussion of the new Microsoft Resilient File System (ReFS) and details how it differs from NTFS from a forensics perspective. It highlights the challenges during the transitional period, such as a gap in tooling maturity, no Master File Table, a lack of undo logs in ReFS' logging, changes in the Change Journal, and various removed NTFS features. However, ReFS also offers new forensics opportunities, including the ReFS Log and “First Events,” the potential for carving opportunities in superblocks and checkpoints, the potential for deleted data to persist if shared with another file, integrity streams traces, and other metadata.
Hardware wallet provider Ledger notified users that it has secured its Discord server following an attacker's compromise of a moderator's account. The moderator's account was used to notify Discord members of a bogus vulnerability that required users to verify their recovery phrases with a scam link. Ledger reported that after some delays in reporting the issue due to the compromised account muting and banning other Ledger moderators, the compromised account was removed, and the bot was deleted.
The author found a serious security flaw in ASUS's DriverHub software that could let hackers run code with admin rights. They explained how the system could be tricked using subdomains and a silent install trick. ASUS fixed the problem after it was reported, but credited someone else.
In August 2024, a Windows update disrupted Linux booting on dual-boot systems due to a Secure Boot modification, which Microsoft fixed by May 2025, advising users to install the latest updates.
Google Chrome is set to discontinue running with admin rights to enhance security by restricting harmful files from gaining full system access, similar to a recent update in Edge.
North Korean hackers stole $88 million by using fake identities for remote tech jobs in the U.S., creating fake companies, resumes, and job references to deceive employers.
Perplexity partnered with PayPal to enable agentic commerce through its Perplexity Pro platform. US users can shop, book travel, and buy tickets directly in-chat using PayPal or Venmo starting this summer. The integration streamlines transactions with secure, password-free checkout, shipping, and invoicing handled behind the scenes.
Pinterest has publicly apologized for the account bans and Pin removals that users said were unwarranted. While the company denied AI was at fault, it admitted to over-enforcement of content policies and has begun reinstating affected accounts. Many users are still frustrated with the delayed response and poor communication.
This file maps out the lifecycle journey of Graza olive oil. Graza's playful, educational design extends across all touchpoints, making even a two-SKU offering feel dynamic. To reduce churn, the brand offers flexible subscription options and discounts, and even lets users gift a shipment to friends. It also engages customers with content like recipes and product tips, using education and referral incentives to boost loyalty and encourage continued use.
Redesigns should be driven by significant changes in business strategy, not by trends, leadership changes, or vague dissatisfaction. Without a solid brand foundation, a redesign will fail to deliver results. In many cases, a focused update or content refresh is more effective than a full rebrand. Companies must clearly define the problem they're solving and choose external partners based on gaps in their internal team, not just budget. Web and brand overhauls can cost from $10K to over $500K, depending on stage and scope, and even with outside help, significant internal effort is still required. To avoid generic results, teams need alignment, strong brand strategy, and a willingness to evolve rather than overhaul when possible.
YouTube is rolling out a new shoppable TV ad format that places an interactive product feed on the right side of the screen during ads. Viewers can use their remote to scroll through featured items and choose a product to either scan a QR code for direct purchase or press a button to send the full shopping link to their phone. The format is designed to align with dual-screen behavior and convert passive ad viewing into active shopping.
This curated list of resources provides insights on brand strategy, cultural trends, AI, and marketing leadership. Podcasts include “How I AI” by Claire Vo and “Uncensored CMO” by Jon Evans. Newsletters include “Good Thinking” by Chris Danton and “Kids These Days” by Kim Lear.
Across thousands of SaaS tests, only 10% of revenue-focused A/B experiments deliver better results than the control. Tactics such as illustrated or semi-opaque backgrounds, reassurance subtext below CTAs, and linking customer logos to case studies consistently generate positive results, but brands continue to adopt other losing ideas. In high-profile cases like GoDaddy and Talkdesk, AI-heavy messaging lost in tests but was still adopted widely, showing strategic decisions can often be driven more by perception, internal alignment, or investor storytelling than by user response.
Marketing at Expedia Group has become increasingly data-driven. AI now supports everything from lifetime value modeling to large-scale content creation. Generative AI tools have boosted productivity and helped adapt to shifting consumer behaviors, especially as younger users move away from traditional search. The company is also exploring AI agents to simplify travel planning and strengthen customer relationships through programs like One Key. Cross-functional teams and a culture of experimentation have enabled faster content production and deeper AI fluency without needing machine learning expertise.
70% of consumers say they feel more connected to brands when their CEOs are active on social media.
E-commerce business JD.com is developing AI agents that can execute complex ad campaigns for its merchants via simple commands while reducing the platform's own costs.
TikTok has introduced AI Alive, an image-to-video creation tool available through the Story Camera.
Motion previously used CockroachDB for its scalability, but recently migrated to Postgres due to escalating costs and performance issues. Its single-region setup didn't fully use CockroachDB's distributed capabilities. The migration addressed problems with Prisma migrations timing out, slow ETL processes, and inconsistent query speeds, where CockroachDB's query planner often resulted in slower performance than Postgres. A custom ETL solution was built using Bun to migrate the data.
2025.05.15·engineering.usemotion.com·10 min read·TLDR Web Dev A consultant installed a NetBSD server to improve data management for a family business after the owner's death, but encountered resistance from a right-hand man potentially involved in embezzlement. This man attempted to sabotage the server, but the consultant had secretly backed up the data to an external device.
Using LLMs for coding, math, email writing, and problem-solving is potentially making this dev less capable. There's a trade-off between increased output speed and a decrease in depth of understanding. Devs need to actively preserve core abilities like critical thinking and long-term focus.
This dev's addiction to using AI coding assistants like Claude Code is driven by the unpredictable rewards of "vibe coding." These AI systems often generate verbose, over-engineered code, which paradoxically costs users more due to token-based pricing models. This creates a perverse incentive where AI companies benefit from inefficient code, and optimizing for conciseness could negatively impact their revenue.
Git-bug is a decentralized issue tracker that stores issues as Git objects, allowing for offline work and synchronization across remotes. It has native Git storage, versioning, speed, third-party bridges, and multiple interfaces (CLI, TUI, and web).
RightNow AI is an AI-powered platform that helps CUDA engineers automatically profile, optimize, and generate high-performance CUDA kernels, improving performance by up to 20x.
PptxGenJS is a JavaScript library for creating professional PowerPoint presentations programmatically in environments like Node, React, and web browsers. It has features like slide customization, chart creation, and HTML-to-PowerPoint conversion.
Blacksmith, a serverless CI platform, uses the economics of multitenancy to achieve profitability. CI workloads are spiky and chaotic, making a serverless model efficient, as customers borrow resources only when needed. Blacksmith smooths out individual spikes in demand by pooling resources across multiple customers, increasing overall fleet utilization, which leads to better gross margins.
Agentic coding assistants like GitHub Copilot introduce new security vulnerabilities to the software supply chain due to their ability to interact with developer environments and execute commands. Specific risks include context poisoning, privilege escalation, and new weak points in MCP servers and rules files.
HDR (High Dynamic Range) in photography is a feature designed to capture and display a wider range of light and dark than standard cameras and screens. There are two common understandings of HDR: the "HDR mode" in phone cameras, which uses computational photography to create an SDR image, and HDR displays, which can show more vibrant images.
Google Gemini Advanced users can now connect the chatbot to GitHub repositories to assist with code generation, debugging, and explanation.
Stack Overflow is facing a sharp decline in user activity due to AI alternatives, so it is pursuing a rebrand to address internal brand confusion and expand its focus beyond developer Q&A.
Databricks is acquiring Neon, a serverless Postgres company, to deliver an open, serverless database foundation for developers and AI agents.
AlphaEvolve, a Gemini-powered AI agent, designs and optimizes algorithms for math and practical computing applications, improving efficiency in areas like Google's data centers, chip design, AI training, and mathematical problem-solving.
Sponsored
New research by Google Cloud [4] validates what everyone is feeling: generative AI is now mainstream, and it's present at the vast majority of larger organizations.
2025.05.14·cloud.google.com·Sponsor·TLDR Apple is taking early steps to enable people to control their devices with brain-computer interfaces. It is working on a new standard with Synchron, a company that makes a stent-like device that is implanted in a vein on top of the brain's motor cortex to read brain signals. Early testers have been able to use the technology to control iPhones, iPads, and Vision Pro headsets. Synchron's device has been tested in 10 people since 2019.
2025.05.14·links.tldrnewsletter.com·3 min read·TLDR SpaceX's Starship has completed a long duration six-engine static fire and is undergoing final preparations for its ninth flight test. The company hasn't yet officially announced a target launch date, but there are signs the launch might happen as soon as next Wednesday. If everything goes to plan, Starship will enter space and fly halfway around the world, reentering in a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean. SpaceX will try to catch the Super Heavy booster again. The company was aiming for as many as 25 Starship test flights this year, but it will now likely fall short of that number.
2025.05.14·arstechnica.com·6 min read·TLDR Brain-computer interfaces are systems that allow direct communication between the brain and external machines. Precision Neuroscience has a device thin enough that it can be implanted into the motor cortex of the brain through an incision less than 1 millimeter wide. The device has been cleared by the FDA for commercial use in patients for up to 30 days. The approval will allow Precision to collect a lot more brain data, which will help the company develop the algorithms it needs to translate users' thoughts into commands for machines. Precision plans to start clinical trials for a fully implanted system in 2026.
2025.05.14·freethink.com·11 min read·TLDR Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot looks like it's catching up to the competition. CEO Elon Musk has been telling shareholders that the robot is a multi-trillion-dollar opportunity for the company. Tesla is already using robots in its factories. The company has released a new video showing an Optimus prototype dancing. The video is available in the article along with videos of another humanoid robot from Unitree, a competitor.
2025.05.14·electrek.co·3 min read·TLDR Sponsored
For the first time, _VS Code, Live!_ [10] is on-stage at Build, Microsoft's largest developer conference—hosted by Jason Lengstorf (CodeTV) & Burke Holland (VS Code).
A common problem when working with distributed systems on top of object storage is figuring out how to remove files from object storage that had been logically deleted either due to data expiry or compaction. This post looks at how to solve this problem using a delayed queue, async reconciliation, or both. It also looks at obvious ways to solve the problem that don't work well in practice, like bucket policies and synchronous deletion. The solution presented in the post is highly scalable, cheap, and easy to reason about.
2025.05.14·warpstream.com·16 min read·TLDR Google's new Material 3 Expressive will be integrated into Android OS before expanding across the full Google app ecosystem. The redesign is the result of numerous user studies. This article takes a look at the redesign to show readers what to expect from Material 3 Expressive. It includes screenshots and videos showing different aspects of the new UI. Material 3 Expressive is an open design framework, so any of Google's partners can implement it into their Android skins.
2025.05.14·arstechnica.com·4 min read·TLDR OpenAI wants to develop a subscription operating system for AI with models that ingest every experience users have in their lives. The company hasn't figured out what exactly that will look like, and it may take a few attempts before it gets it right. CEO Sam Altman says he hopes that whatever the company develops will enable an unbelievable amount of wealth creation. For now, OpenAI will continue building tons of AI infrastructure and keep making models better.
2025.05.14·theregister.com·3 min read·TLDR Airbnb has introduced a new feature that allows travelers to book services and experiences. The new offerings can be added to trips or booked independently. There are currently 10 categories of services available, including catering, photography, massages, personal training, and makeup. The services are available in 100 cities worldwide across eight countries. Airbnb is also launching exclusive experiences that involve celebrity partnerships. It has planned social features for release later this year.
2025.05.14·techcrunch.com·8 min read·TLDR Microsoft's largest round of layoffs since the elimination of 10,000 roles in 2023 is not related to performance, but aimed at reducing layers of management.