RSnake Report 20250913

Hello, and thanks for reading! It has been a very interesting week in the news, and I’m out on a camping expedition as I write this, so it's probably best to just jump in so I can get back to the camping. Not to bury the lede, though, I have a lot to say about Charlie Kirk when we get to that section.

In Russian/Ukrainian news, Ukrainian forces may soon launch low-flying aircraft attacks on the western part of Crimea from the ocean, exploiting the natural cover provided by the mountain range to evade Russian radar. We saw some of this happening last week already, and it looks like drones launched from the ocean are having a real effect on the region, and there are not enough surface ships and air defense to stop them.

A Ukrainian drone successfully struck the Vtorovo oil pumping station in Russia's Vladimir region, despite Moscow's claim that the damage was caused by "just debris.” 🤡 The video is super clear; you can easily see the drone slamming into the facility. One has to wonder who exactly is being fooled by this, but it must be enough people in Russia that it’s worthwhile, and with their censorship software, Max installed on every mobile device in Russia, it can stop people from dissent.

Up in Suny, reports indicate Russia is preparing for a significant offensive, pulling rear area troops, including the disabled and wounded, to the front lines. I guess it is no surprise then that AWOL and desertion cases within the Russian army have surged, doubling and tripling in recent months. Between April 2023 and March 2025, 1,988 such cases were officially recorded, with battlefield desertions increasing more than tenfold since the summer of 2024.

In more bad news for Putin, Russia's fuel crisis has predictably escalated, with shortages now affecting over 20 regions. There are 85 regions or states, so that’s about 1/4th of the country, approximately. Initially limited to Crimea and the Far East, the crisis has spread to central Russia, impacting areas like Ryazan, Nizhny Novgorod, and others. The scarcity of 92 and 95 octane gasoline, coupled with several refinery shutdowns, has worsened the situation. Concurrently, Ukrainian drones targeted Primorsk, Russia's largest Baltic oil export terminal, damaging two Seychelles-flagged tankers and the port's pumping station, forcing a halt in operations that could cost Russia hundreds of millions of dollars daily.

A fire erupted at a Moscow microchip warehouse, following a loud explosion heard by locals. It is pretty amazing how easily Ukraine is penetrating Russian air defense.

Ukraine has deployed the "Prometheus" system, which mounts an Igla MANPADS on a UGV. It’s a pretty cool little setup that allows for moving MANPADS to open positions without risking ground troops in the process, and pushing forward air defense in the process. It also looks like it can be useful for many different variants, not just this one specific rocket they show in the video.

Ukrainian forces are increasingly using jet-powered drones that mimic cruise missiles in terms of speed and design. These drones, combined with regular drones and MALD decoys to exhaust Russian air defenses, have been used in strikes on Donetsk, Makiivka, and over the Black Sea. The MALD is a cool concept that has the same radar signature of HIMARS so it flips on all of the air defense systems that want to track these larger systems, and even scrambles interceptors, but it’s super low cost and allows Ukraine to see where these interceptors originate from and where the active radar systems are as well.

Ukrainian heavy drones are dropping containers equipped with surveillance cameras in strategic locations to monitor Russian positions. These devices use Starlink antennas for communication, enhancing Ukraine's intelligence-gathering capabilities. Super slick little devices that look dirt cheap to manufacture and probably provide a great deal of visibility to troop movements.

Russia is developing a riverine USV equipped with fiber optic communication, allowing operators on land to control the drone. Designed for kamikaze missions or as a carrier for radio FPVs, the boat's fiber cable sinks to the bottom in shallow waters, protecting it from damage. It’s an interesting design that allows for very precise movements with very low/no electronic signature while it lies in wait.

Briefly, I wanted to discuss the uptick in reports of Ukrainian suicide drones targeting railway substations in Russia's Bryansk region, intensifying efforts to disrupt Russian military rail logistics near the border. I think this is a super smart move. These are static targets; they deeply impact supplies for troops, and they are poorly defended. What this basically proves is that the combination of the two things Russians are always told isn’t true. The strength of Russia is not its size as a country and the size of its rail, at least not when the rail is under attack.

In typical kleptocracy fashion, Russian soldiers in Ukraine are reportedly stealing weapons from the battlefield and smuggling them back to Russia or selling their own weapons to arms dealers. A 300% increase in arms-trafficking cases since 2021 suggests a burgeoning black market and the potential for a mafia state in post-war Russia. I think the local mafias are going to end up being a stronger force than the government if they’re not careful, and may actually represent a real risk to Putin himself if their trade is hindered too far.

The Russian ruble is experiencing a sharp decline against the US dollar, which is on par with its low from 6 months ago, indicating economic instability and pressure on Russia's financial system, largely due to the new waves of attacks against oil and gas infrastructure. Can Russia really be expected to pay off its debts when it has virtually no economy? It’s clear that the market isn’t comfortable with the losses.

Bleeding over into European News, Russian drones violated Polish airspace during an attack targeting Ukrainian objects, prompting the Polish Armed Forces to launch an operation to identify and neutralize these drones. The affected areas include Podlaskie, Mazowieckie, and Lubelskie voivodeships, with the military urging residents to stay indoors. The bulk that I have heard of landed in open fields and didn’t do any damage, but they were EW hardened, so it was unlikely a jamming issue. Far more likely it was programmed incorrectly, but it has sent Poland on high alert. Ukrainian monitoring channels have released a map detailing the flight paths of Russian Shaheds.

In reaction, Poland has completely sealed its border with Belarus, deploying barbed wire and barricades to halt all movement. This action coincides with the start of the Russian-Belarusian "Zapad-2025" military drills, which are expected to involve up to 30,000 troops. I think Poland is reasonably thinking that if these drones had been meant as a first wave, they didn’t do enough to protect themselves.

France faces a deepening debt crisis, with its fiscal deficit being the widest in the euro area. The country's debt is rising rapidly, and the cost of servicing it is projected to hit €75 billion next year. French bond yields have spiked to their highest since 2011, surpassing those of Spain, Greece, and Portugal, signaling severe financial strain.

The UK’s development of jet engines with minimal heat signatures for drones could render heat-seeking air-to-air missiles like the AIM-9X Sidewinder obsolete. Radar-seeking missiles or missiles with hybrid targeting would still work, but with a much smaller heat signature; that’s a big improvement

In South East Asian News, DEEPRobotics has achieved mass production and delivery of its full-series quadruped robots. I think what stood out to me wasn’t the tech, but the volume that they’re already developing and are ready to start shipping. Who needs hundreds of off-road quadruped robots that can scramble down rocks and climb stairs? 🤔 Of course, this could be destined for dozens or hundreds of clients, but I suspect this will definitely be paired with small arms and be sold almost entirely to the CCP.

Taiwan has developed the "Chien Feng IV" cruise missile with a range exceeding 1,000 km, capable of reaching major Chinese cities like Beijing and Shanghai. Taiwan is also adopting a "high-low" drone strategy, pairing expensive missiles with low-cost, long-range drones to counter China's military capabilities and make them think twice about pre-positioning troops or un-hardened military equipment in any coastal cities.

Nepal is experiencing widespread unrest following the government's attempt to ban social media to control misinformation. Protesters stormed government buildings, set fire to the parliament and the Hilton hotel, and even chased ministers through the streets and into the rivers. The president has resigned, and the youth claim to have taken control of the country.

Some of these photos are pretty stunning. It’s clear that the youths in the country have absolutely had it with the Communist sympathetic regime in Nepal and have had it. Congratulations to them, because the government appeared to be very corrupt and in bed with the Chinese. That said, 20 people were killed and 300 were injured, so it was not exactly a peaceful situation.

They even set fire to a Hilton hotel, where apparently a lot of the royals and dignitaries stayed in Kathmandu. But the most amazing part of all of this is that when the dust settled, Nepal selected its new leader through a Discord poll of all things. One of the investors jokingly said that this was not what he had in mind when he told the team to prepare for weird use cases. No kidding. 😆 

Japan has successfully tested a naval railgun, firing over 120 rounds without barrel degradation. With a speed of 2,500 meters per second (1.55 miles per second) @ Mach 7.29, this technology marks a significant advancement in naval weaponry, surpassing efforts by the U.S. Navy. I have long thought that our railgun and hypersonic gun tech is lagging, and hopefully, this is the kick in the rear the US Navy needs to start purchasing in that direction. It’s honestly a little embarrassing that we defunded these programs.

In Middle East news, multiple international subsea cables in the Red Sea were cut, affecting the Azure Cloud platform, which could have broader implications for global internet connectivity. The CCP mouthpieces were quick to say that people will start looking for them or Russia to blame, but… I mean… It’s not like it was one, and I suspect it will be quite easy to figure out which ships were sailing in the region(s) at the time(s). Put my bet down for one of China, Russia, or Iran.

In other news, senior Egyptian officials are increasingly discussing the possibility of war with Israel, a sentiment not seen since before the 1967 war. It’s clear that things have escalated, but a meaningful conflict with Israel seems a bit foolish, even if the Palestinians are advocating for more intervention from the nearby nation-states. The real problem is that most of the actual politicians have backroom deals with Israel, so I think this possibility is low for the moment. But things change fast sometimes.

One thing I found that was very interesting was that Hamas has openly admitted to using the population of Gaza City as human shields, contradicting previous denials from so many loud pro-Palestinian voices, and confirming the tactic's use as a baked-in tactic to reduce military casualties. I mean, why wouldn’t they? It’s not like they care about the local population anyway.

However, Hamas leadership also had a very bad week. Unconfirmed reports suggest that Israel, with approval from Qatar, may have eliminated the entirety of Hamas's senior leadership in a strike in Doha. This accounts for the remaining remnants of Hamas’ leadership that planned the paraglider attacks against Israel. It was only a matter of time. Israel has a way of finding its targets eventually.

In south of the border news, and speaking of human shields, Venezuelan President Maduro is reportedly asking fishermen to accompany boats as human shields, a violation of international maritime law and indicative of the regime's desperation. It’s not like the US military doesn’t have precision munitions to destroy individual boats, so I am not sure this would have any positive impact, but either way, it’s pretty awful, and typical of these sorts of regimes.

The U.S. Coast Guard, as part of Operation Pacific Viper, conducted three interdictions in a single night, seizing nearly 13,000 pounds of cocaine and apprehending seven suspected drug smugglers. It is just a matter of time until a more serious conflict occurs.

In North American news, the Biden administration's job creation numbers were revised downward by 911,000 jobs between April 2024 and March 2025, revealing a weaker labor market than previously reported. This significant revision suggests a more stagnant job market, particularly in 2024.

Allegations of election interference have surfaced, with claims that Democrat activists within the Bureau of Labor Statistics inflated job numbers to influence the 2024 presidential election. These actions likely led to higher Federal Reserve rates, impacting housing affordability, and millions of Americans in the process. Also, evidence has emerged suggesting that former President Barack Obama led the manufacturing of intelligence assessments in 2016 and orchestrated an overthrow in 2020, prompting accusations of treason and conspiracy. Yep, more scandals. I tend to believe both of these happened, but to what degree and who exactly did what will be the big question. Politicians and bureaucrats tend to be fairly good at breaking up decision-making processes, making it more difficult.

You might have a weird shopping day on September 17th. Apparently a lot of liberals will attempt to disrupt the economy and impact President Trump's administration, by not showing up to work. I honestly don’t think much will happen here, but just a heads up.

Now for the news of the week. Conservative political influencer Charlie Kirk was fatally shot (another angle here - be careful who is around you) during a speaking event at Utah Valley University. The suspected assassin, 20-something Tyler Robinson, was apprehended after confessing to his father, a purported law enforcement veteran. Robinson's radicalization and the messages on his bullets reflect a broader trend of left-wing violence and ideological extremism.

People were quick to throw out conspiracy theories that he was right-wing, that he was a super-skilled assassin, and other ideas. His family has said that no, he was left-wing. Let’s start with that part. The writing on the bullets were (and I apologize if I get the spelling or capitalization wrong, this comes from the police report released by Stephen Crowder) "Notices Bulge OWO what's this?" which is a reference to the "Notices bulges" meme commonly used by furries and trans people who are surprised to see an erection in your pants, "hey fascist! CATCH! ↑→↓↓↓" which is anti-fascist (antifa) and a reference to the video game Helldivers and the 500kg bomb used in that game. Also was written, "O Bella ciao, Bella ciao, Bella ciao, caio Ciao ciao" which is a reference to anti-fascist song from Italy in the early 1900's. Lastly, "If you read This, you are GAY Lmao" which is puerile comedy and can be discounted as simply a joke. So, it is safe to say that this was violent leftist anti-fascist rhetoric printed on the bullet casings.

There were some rumors that this was trans-specific messaging, but it doesn’t appear to be the case, though these groups often do work in partnership. In this case, this feels and looks more like antifa, who, at this point, should be considered a domestic terrorism group, given the circumstances. If there is a conspiracy here, that is where it will be. Of course, the police are talking to his trans roommate. While I am not sure if there is a direct relation here, often antifa and trans movements run hand in hand, and it would not surprise me one bit if, at minimum, the ideology allowed one of these enclaves of safety to brew a lot of anti-social ideas.

With regard to Tyler being a pro-sniper… look, I have done a lot of shooting and at a very high level. I can hit an 8” target at 200 yards quite easily… and without a scope. He had a large scope mounted on his rifle. To say that he is some master shooter, with an old imported .30-06, which is not known for great flight ballistics, with probably a 3-5 MOA, and he aimed for and hit the neck sounds… implausible. It is much more likely that the assassin was aiming for Charlie’s head or chest and missed, but still managed to kill Charlie nonetheless.

Nothing about this feels professional to me, and now that we know who the likely attacker was, I tend to think I’m right, and it makes sense. The question I have is, where did he get the gun? In the police report, it mentioned that he had to retrieve it from a drop-point - did he drop it there earlier? Or did someone drop it off for him? Did he scout the area ahead of time, or was he given instructions on where to be and how to evade any security? Lots of questions left here.

Tyler wanted the coward’s way out and threatened suicide after he was confronted by his dad, who recognized him from the footage and then turned him in. But it does not seem to me that he was intrinsically suicidal, like the Minnesota church shooter I discussed last week. In fact, Tyler probably felt like he might be able to get away with it; initially refusing to turn himself in. In many ways, he was more like the Christchurch shooter - he had a method and means and did quite well in his morbid task, all things considered. By all accounts, Tyler was a brilliant man, with no external indications of mental illness or drug abuse reported yet, which all makes sense to me. This was an infection of ideas, not a disease. An infection by ideals pushed upon our youth by enemies of the United States. You do not have to look too hard to figure out who the purveyors are or to figure out their motives.

Tyler doesn’t strike me as someone who is insane, but someone who is corrupted and evil. Someone who believes in their convictions, even if they mean killing unarmed and non-violent people, to that end. It was born of hate, but not for himself like the trans Minnesota shooter. Tyler hated Charlie’s way of life, his successful debating method, and his convictions. When all else failed and the war of words failed, and Tyler lost, the only thing Tyler had left was murder. Isn’t it ironic that antifa goons are the first to murder the innocent in cold blood in front of their families?

I will be honest, though, folks, it hit me harder than I expected it to. Not the act itself, ironically. I have seen horrific deaths many times in the decades that I’ve been monitoring extremism. The thing that affected me was how far we have come… that this is what a huge chunk of the left thinks is acceptable. How do I know that? Following Charlie Kirk's assassination, threats of further violence have escalated on social media platforms like Bluesky, with users not just celebrating, as they were, but calling for the targeting of other conservative figures.

This has lead to a mass wave of people calling these people’s employers and getting them fired, and the backlash from that, which has lead to a lot of tears. But why those tears? The tears are there because these misguided individuals truly believed that calling for the death of American citizens and cheering on the cold-blooded murder of a fairly moderate American was within the Overton window of the average American. They were very wrong. The damage that social media has done to keep people in their own filter bubbles is incredible, where the radicalized can socialize and radicalize further in quiet, and no one interrupts their “safe spaces.”

This is all terrible, and the breakdown of society, and how we let people say and do things that are clearly wrong, is unsettling. Parents stopped telling their kids the difference between right and wrong. Church stopped being a part of people’s lives. Institutions have failed us. The Internet was invaded. And we let it happen. All of us. Me too. Maybe especially me. It’s frustrating and infuriating. The only upside here is that I see a huge wave of people suddenly realizing how incredibly dangerous the left’s rhetoric has been and how these ideas naturally unfold. If you call someone a Nazi and say, “It’s okay to punch a Nazi,” it doesn’t take much to guess how that will eventually play out.

Of course, people are quick to turn Tyler’s murder of Charlie into a gun debate, but if it were a bomb, we wouldn’t be having bomb debates. A knife wouldn’t be causing Pelosi to ban knives. Obviously, this is a mental health problem, and it’s long overdue to be dealt with head-on. If there is a conspiracy here, that is where it will be. Of course, the police are talking to his trans roommate. While I am not sure if there is a direct relation here, often antifa and trans movements run hand in hand, and it would not surprise me one bit if, at minimum, the ideology allowed one of these enclaves of safety to brew a lot of anti-social ideas.

I didn’t know Charlie Kirk, but I feel very bad for his family. I feel bad for our society, and I feel bad that I haven’t done even more to stand up against obvious falsehoods. But like many others, I suspect, Charlie’s death has hardened me to be a better person for those in my life, and beyond. I aim to be stoic, balanced, but truthful, even when the truth hurts. I’m not perfect. No one is! So I’ll make mistakes along the way, but I deserve grace, as do others. That said, I want you to hold me accountable. Yes, you, dear reader.

Because we have to be truth-telling machines first and foremost, or what even is society? For all that he has done in his life, his impact on me is this: I want to be a little more honest with myself about the situation we are in, and stop excusing mental illness as anything but what it actually is. I want to continue highlighting the corrupting forces that work against Western society as a whole. We have a lot of bad actors to root out and expose.

RIP, Charlie.

In related, and also terrible news, a shooting at Evergreen High School in Colorado left two students in critical condition, with the suspect, a male student, dying by suicide. It was reported as a mass shooting, but it was technically not. The definition of mass shooting is four or more people, not including the assailant. But that never stopped the media from misdirection! More than likely, this was a personal feud, not anything intended for a larger death toll. Also, another shooting was reported near East Hall at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. The pattern is growing…

In Tech News, Protesters, including Michaël Trazzi and Guido Reichstadter, are on hunger strike outside the offices of Google DeepMind and Anthropic, calling for a halt to the development of powerful AI systems due to potential risks to humanity. I will be curious how this plays out, or if it will even make any waves at all. It’s one of those things that may not turn into anything, but it’s also one of those things the press might start reporting on.

AI data centers are projected to require hundreds of gigawatts of energy by 2030. Given our current growth of electricity, it seems like an excellent investment for larger energy providers to start looking into nuclear and fusion reactors. I would not be surprised if we had a major energy race brewing against none other than China. However, on the flip side of that, census data indicates a slowdown in AI adoption among large companies, possibly due to the increasing number of copyright lawsuits targeting the generative AI industry.

SpaceX has acquired 50MHz in the 2GHz spectrum from EchoStar for approximately $17 billion in cash/stock, paving the way for Starlink's direct-to-cell 5G services. Some have said that if you want exposure to Starlink in the market, EchoStar has the largest percentage of its value tied to Starlink. So have it, day traders!

Tenable confirmed a data breach that exposed customer contact details and support case information, part of a broader data theft campaign affecting multiple organizations. It also affected Qualys. So that is two of the three big vulnerability management players in the market. If we were worried that attackers would get access to the vulnerabilities in companies, that ship has sailed.

A supply chain attack compromised the npm module "qix" with crypto stealer malware. This was an interesting case because it led to nearly zero losses even with possibly tons of projects that got infected, but the whole industry freaked out for a day or so about it. While it could have been much worse, it was more of a warning shot about how frail the software supply chain really is.

Huntress MDR successfully disrupted the operations of the hacking group SLH, forcing it into retirement. It was a pretty amazing and fast turnabout for the hacking group. But it’s a big question mark about what else Huntress can and should be doing for their own customers. Honestly, it’s cool, but not a good look. What if they are coopted, or decide they like some people but not others? We saw something similar happen with Cloudflare, which was censoring some websites, and the community did not like that at all, even if the websites were reprehensible.

Just a few quick things in Economic news, the UK's 30-year gilt yields have reached a high, raising concerns about potential societal and financial collapse. Also, housing supply in the US has reached its highest level since 2016, according to Bank of America. So it’s a great time to buy if you have liquid cash.

Okay, onto the articles!

Russia has been accused of multiple violations of arms control agreements, notably the New START Treaty, while continuing to develop and deploy new nuclear missile systems. President Putin's recent actions and demands in discussions surrounding the Ukraine conflict suggest a strategy focused on military domination rather than genuine peace negotiations. Additionally, tensions with the United States are escalating, with both sides taking steps to enhance their military readiness in light of these developments.

• Russia is actively violating arms control treaties to enhance its nuclear capabilities.

• Putin's demands in the Ukraine conflict indicate intentions for military conquest rather than peace.

• The U.S. is responding to Russian aggression with heightened military preparedness.

[RSnake: This seems like a crazy waste of cash, given what is going on in Ukraine, but it is likely meant to tell NATO to stay out of it.]

Source: https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2025/09/12/recent_evidence_of_russian_arms_control_violations_1134367.html

US military strike in the Caribbean kills 11 people on board, sparking international condemnation and criticism over lack of legal justification.

• The US military strike was carried out without congressional authorization or legal justification, according to critics.

• International human rights advocates and experts describe the strike as an extrajudicial killing and a dangerous escalation of the war on drugs.

[RSnake: It lacked legal backing, except that we kill terrorists all over the world all the time. I think people are just very critical of this action, due to it being a new form of attack.]

Source: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/09/12/experts-condemn-us-military-attack-caribbean-boat-premeditated-murder.html

Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City, has pledged to order the NYPD to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he sets foot in the city, citing an International Criminal Court warrant for his arrest.

• Mamdani will honor a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for Netanyahu's arrest and order the NYPD to make the arrest upon his arrival in the city.

• Experts say it is impractical and likely illegal for the NYPD to enforce such an arrest warrant.

[RSnake: It’s performative. Mamdani is a useful idiot for ultra-radical Islamists. Also, it’s easy for Bibi to avoid New York.]

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/12/nyregion/mamdani-arrest-netanyahu-nyc-mayor.html

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been convicted by Brazil's Supreme Court and sentenced to 27 years in prison for his role in a coup plot aimed at undermining the democratic process. The ruling marks a new legal precedent in Brazil, as it represents accountability for a former leader's attempt to disrupt constitutional order. In the wake of the conviction, tensions between Brazil and the United States have escalated, with the U.S. signaling potential retaliatory measures against Brazil's government.

• Jair Bolsonaro was found guilty of attempting to undermine Brazil's democracy.

• The conviction is causing increased tension between Brazil and the United States.

[RSnake: It’s hard to say this is unusual. If the reports become true about the above issue with Obama pushing false reports to derail Trump, it may not be the last time such a politician is held accountable long after they’ve left office.]

Source: https://foreignpolicy.com/?p=1206036

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has warned about a critical remote code execution vulnerability affecting the DELMIA Apriso software used in various manufacturing sectors. Enterprises worldwide are urged to apply security updates or stop using the software by October 2, 2025, due to reported exploitation attempts by hackers.

• CISA identified a critical remote code execution vulnerability in DELMIA Apriso software.

• Enterprises must take immediate action to mitigate the vulnerability by a specified deadline.

[RSnake: Probably doesn’t impact anyone reading this, but just an FYI.]

Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/cisa-warns-of-actively-exploited-dassault-rce-vulnerability/

Samsung has patched a critical remote code execution vulnerability that was exploited in zero-day attacks targeting its Android devices, and WhatsApp has also patched a vulnerability that was chained with an Apple zero-day flaw in targeted zero-day attacks.

• Samsung has patched a critical remote code execution vulnerability (CVE-2025-21043) that was exploited in zero-day attacks targeting its Android devices.

• WhatsApp has also patched a vulnerability (CVE-2025-55177) that was chained with an Apple zero-day flaw (CVE-2025-43300) in targeted zero-day attacks.

[RSnake: These issues, on the other hand, might. I have personally seen a few WhatsApp vulnerabilities for sale that haven’t yet been sold… I’ve been getting closer with the vulnerability broker groups out there, which has been enlightening. It’s like looking into the future.]

Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/samsung-patches-actively-exploited-zero-day-reported-by-whatsapp/

Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) is being targeted by attackers due to its protocol vulnerabilities, particularly when used over HTTP. Attackers can exploit WSUS to capture NTLM hashes from clients, allowing for credential theft through techniques such as ARP or DNS spoofing. Even when WSUS is configured over HTTPS, the potential exists for interception if unauthenticated certificates are misused.

• WSUS is vulnerable to credential theft through NTLM relay attacks.

• HTTP traffic from WSUS can be intercepted or relayed to capture sensitive authentication information.

[RSnake: I am not sure if it is widespread, or if this is more just research at this point, but it’s certainly possible. Cool research.]

Source: https://trustedsec.com/blog/wsus-is-sus-ntlm-relay-attacks-in-plain-sight

Roblox is facing a wrongful death lawsuit following the suicide of a teenager who suffered from online abuse while using the platform. The lawsuit alleges that Roblox's lack of adequate safety measures contributed to the tragic incident, prompting a broader legal scrutiny of child safety on online gaming platforms. As legal actions increase, several states are investigating similar child safety concerns related to Roblox and other social media companies.

• A teenager's suicide has led to a wrongful death lawsuit against Roblox, citing the platform's failures in protecting young users.

• The lawsuit reflects growing concerns over child safety in online gaming environments, prompting investigations and legal actions in multiple states.

[RSnake: It is so hard to monitor these platforms. I don’t even like kids going on these things at all. If you’re going to let your kids use these platforms, I hate to say it, but you’re going to have to eavesdrop and make sure that their conversations stay on the rails. They won’t, though, so you need to be prepared for that conversation and be prepared to pull privileges. Yup, time to be the bad-guy.]

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/12/technology/roblox-lawsuit-child-safety.html

A supply chain attack named 'GhostAction' has compromised 3,325 secrets from various repositories on GitHub, including tokens from PyPI, npm, and AWS. Attackers leveraged compromised maintainer accounts to introduce malicious code, affecting at least 817 repositories and potentially leading to broader data theft across different package ecosystems.

• The GhostAction attack has impacted multiple software development ecosystems, including PyPI and npm.

• Attackers stole critical access tokens and credentials, posing significant risks to affected projects and their maintainers.

[RSnake: I am always wary of using public repos for private code. This is just one example of why.]

Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hackers-steal-3-325-secrets-in-ghostaction-github-supply-chain-attack/

SpaceX is developing a next-generation vehicle for orbital missions, which will unlock the next phase of Starship's development and pave the way for missions to Mars.

• Orbital missions will allow SpaceX to test the performance of its heat shield, which is critical for the ship's reusable design.

• The next-generation vehicle will have a new experimental material called crunch wrap around the tiles to seal the spaces between them without using gap fillers.

• SpaceX plans to launch more powerful next-generation Starlink broadband satellites and demonstrate large-scale orbital refueling in 2026.

[RSnake: I am excited for this. We may actually see trips to Mars in my lifetime.]

Source: https://www.wired.com/story/spacex-targets-an-orbital-starship-flight-with-a-next-gen-vehicle-in-2026/

Mark Zuckerberg is suing Meta, claiming the company has repeatedly locked him out of his business and personal accounts because of their similar names, causing him significant financial losses.

• Meta's repeated mistakes with Mark Zuckerberg's accounts have cost him at least $11,000 in lost advertising funds.

• Zuckerberg claims that Meta mistakenly flags his name as impersonation, despite the fact that they are similar names.

[RSnake: What a mess. And god help you if you have the first name “Null”.]

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/us/mark-zuckerberg-sues-meta-facebook-suspensions-think

Apple is releasing a new iPhone model that will make vlogging cameras obsolete due to its improved camera sensor, video capabilities, and features like Genlock and Center Stage mode, making it a game-changer for content creators.

• The new iPhone's camera sensor is 56% larger than the previous model, resulting in better low-light capabilities, depth of field, and resolution.

• The phone supports 4K 120 fps video recording in Dolby Vision and features like Genlock and Center Stage mode for creators.

[RSnake: I watched the release, and while there is a lot of movement in the camera, battery life, and processors, there was not much in the way of AI-specific features, which I was a bit surprised by. Perhaps they’re waiting for WWDC next year.]

Source: https://techcrunch.com/?p=3044239

OpenAI has entered a $300 billion, five-year agreement with Oracle, significantly impacting the cloud computing and AI infrastructure sectors. The deal aims to enhance OpenAI's resource allocation and scaling advantages while raising questions about energy sourcing and the financial sustainability of its ambitions.

• OpenAI is committing around $60 billion annually for compute from Oracle, alongside other infrastructure investments.

• The energy demands from the expanding AI sector are projected to significantly increase electricity consumption in the U.S.

[RSnake: There is a lot of mockery about this. One of my readers sent this over, of which there are many similar memes.]

Source: https://techcrunch.com/?p=3045242

Tesla is considering a trillion-dollar compensation package for Elon Musk, despite the company's declining sales and profits under his leadership, and its board chair, Robyn Denholm, is campaigning to get shareholders to back the proposal.

• Elon Musk could receive a trillion-dollar compensation package if Tesla achieves certain ambitious goals, including deploying one million autonomous taxis and increasing profit by more than 24-fold.

• Tesla's board chair, Robyn Denholm, argues that Elon Musk deserves the compensation package because he is capable of delivering world-changing technology when driven by seemingly impossible goals.

[RSnake: You think he was outlandish before. Just wait. If that lands…? Lol]

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/12/business/tesla-elon-musk-pay-robyn-denholm.html

Klarna, a Swedish buy-now-pay-later fintech company, has gone public in the largest IPO of 2025, debuting at $40 per share and achieving a valuation of over $19 billion. This IPO raises about $1.37 billion, surpassing other companies in the current year's public offerings, and signals Klarna's focus on expanding its presence in the U.S. market, capitalizing on the growing trend of alternative payment methods among consumers.

• Klarna sold 34.3 million shares at $40 each, leading to a valuation exceeding $19 billion.

• The company's IPO is the largest in 2025 and highlights the trend of buy-now-pay-later services gaining popularity.

[RSnake: Congrats to them. That’s gotta be the biggest deal since Spotify, or nearly.]

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2025/9/10/buy-now-pay-later-company-klarna-goes-public-in-largest-ipo-of-2025?traffic_source=rss

Publishers Clearing House filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, listing liabilities between $50 million and $100 million while having assets ranging from $1 million to $10 million. ARB Interactive, which purchased the company, has announced that it will only pay out prizes to winners after July 15, leaving many past winners without compensation.

• Publishers Clearing House filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection due to significant financial liabilities.

• ARB Interactive, the acquiring company, stated that past winners will likely not receive the payouts they expected.

[RSnake: Lol, I am amazed that the scam lasted this long.]

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/12/business/pch-sweepstakes-bankruptcy-winners-unpaid.html

Merck has canceled its planned €1 billion investment in the UK, citing inadequate support from the British government for the pharmaceutical industry. The company will shift its operations back to the U.S. and close its UK laboratories by the end of 2025, despite having started construction on a new facility in London.

• Merck is abandoning a significant investment in the UK due to concerns over government support for the pharmaceutical industry.

• The decision will result in job cuts and the relocation of research operations to the U.S.

[RSnake: I don’t know how glad I am about this, but more manufacturing and R&D is good, even if it’s a pharma company. Not that we need a lot more of that noise polluting our health system.]

Source: https://www.supplychainbrain.com/articles/42486-us-pharma-giant-kills-planned-1b-uk-investment