RSnake Report 20260124

Hello, and thanks for reading! A very chilly weekend and week approach here in Austin. As my friend said, the cold is the only thing Texas can’t shoot its way out of. But we have plenty of power backup and Internet options, so I think we’re probably going to be okay here at the RSnake casa, not to mention Ercot is saying there should be plenty of power transmission this time around ,with Monday being the only time it may be a little tight. That said, there will be outages in the region due to downed power lines. Stay warm out there! 🥶 

In Russia/Ukraine news, another big explosion happened this week when a detonating Russian ammunition depot in the Donetsk region produced a giant mushroom cloud. There aren’t that many juicy targets like this out there anymore, so it’s fairly impressive to see this happening at this phase of the war.

Video footage captured several SBU drones attacking the Russian oil pier in the Taman port on January 22, with FP-2 drones hitting oil pumping stations. The attacks were very targeted, exactly at the most vulnerable and most difficult areas to protect. It’s very impressive, and showing how the supply chain within the supply chain is the real target.

A Russian serviceman launched a "Yolka" interceptor drone against a Ukrainian UAV and successfully took it down. It’s clear that they were using small arms fire up to that point with no success. One of these is worth hundreds or thousands of bullets from soldiers' rifles in terms of efficacy on average, and untold lives are saved when the servicemen have them. It’s a little clunky in terms of deployment, and also it does require a soldier to be pretty out in the open and in line of sight, but it appears to work well, nonetheless.

French forces seized the Russian shadow oil tanker "Grinch" off Spain's coast, continuing a rate of about three seizures per week. Two additional sanctioned Russian shadow fleet tankers are adrift in the Mediterranean. The crude oil tanker "Progress", north of Algeria, declared "not under command" while carrying 730,000 barrels of Urals crude toward Suez, Egypt, and ultimately China, and the "Chariot Tide" near Gibraltar, was also adrift and is now being towed. The cause is unknown, and I find it a bit strange.

Quad ATVs are increasing in use as a primary vehicle of choice for front-line Russian assault forces in large-scale columns, with Ukraine's 42nd Mechanized Brigade repelling one such infantry attack. FPV operators and bomber crews from the brigade completely destroyed an enemy column on quad bikes in the Novopavlivka direction. It is interesting that they prefer speed of crossing the battlefield and maneuverability over any armor at all. This is a little confusing, though, because in other areas they are spending a lot of time up-armoring already armored vehicles.

For example, Russian forces equip armored vehicles with a "hedgehog" system of unraveled heavy steel cables for anti-FPV protection, applying it to damaged tanks and BMPs during repairs. The idea is that the FPV drones cannot detonate close enough to the vehicle to do damage.

The idea of braided armor barbs fails against standoff charges or weak points, as demonstrated in footage of proximity-fuze drones, like the one Anduril showed off, the Bolt-M against unarmored glass. Many of the shaped charge anti-tank rounds explode before hitting the armor at all, which would slice right through this. But this is one of many different issues with this braided wire defense. Not the least of which are being useless against anti-tank mines and the added issues of additional weight and reduced range. All this is really a response to not having reactive armor or anti-drone tech onboard.

Power outages struck Odintsovo in the Moscow Region, extending blackouts closer to the capital. Keep in mind, this is one week after Ukraine decried large-scale power outages against civilian populations as a war crime. So, I am sure you will be shocked to hear that there wasn’t the same kind of rhetoric about this photo as there were others on the other side of the border. Again, I think it’s all fair in a time of war, which is awful, but that’s exactly what war is - awful. And it needs to be awful so that it dissuades the rest of the world from wanting to engage in it.

On the troop front, according to Ukraine, Russia currently is mobilizing 40,000 to 43,000 soldiers monthly but loses 45,000, with 10-15% deserting and others wounded, leading to army shrinkage due to Ukrainian drone technologies and operators, according to the Ukrainian president. This may be propaganda, but it could also be true. It’s really hard to tell, but if true, there should be a degraded offensive capability over time.

In European News, Estonia's Frankenburg Technologies tested the Mark I missile, which, according to them, is the world's smallest and lowest-cost guided missile built from commercial components for local production, in a short-range air-defense engagement against a Shahed-type target. The live-fire test involved launching a 200 km/h fixed-wing drone, tracking via external sensors, terminal guidance at over 1,000 km/h, proximity warhead detonation, and controlled debris descent. I could see a dotted line of these things popping up near the front lines to defend advancing troops.

Turkey's UNIROBOTICS developed the TRAKON LITE 134, a remote-controlled system with an M134 Minigun firing 3,000 rounds per minute to deny airspace to FPV and kamikaze drones without electronic jamming. Competitors think that it uses too many rounds and allows drones to get too close, but this is the worst this system will ever be. It does seem like the best in terms of lethality would be large caliber rounds with range-calibrated explosive charges, but that has the disadvantage of not being able to use commodity guns/ammo. So this is a convergence of lethality and cost.

In South East Asian news, Japan's Acquisition Technology and Logistics Agency, with Kawasaki Heavy Industries, developed the New SSM anti-ship missile, or Island Defense Missile, initiated in 2023 with prototypes revealed in late 2025 using the XKJ301-1 turbojet. The thing that is very interesting and a bit hard to explain, so better to just watch the video, is that it performs terminal-phase barrel rolls and spirals to evade ship-borne CIWS by changing axis at high speed, so the bullets fly right by it, allowing it to get much closer to battleships and carriers. It also features a low-observability design with S-shaped intake and reduced radar cross-section, sea-skimming flight, dual infrared-radar seeker, in-flight retargeting via data links, and modular launches from ground, ships, or aircraft like F-15J. The range exceeds 1,000 km versus the Type 12's 200 km, with mass production targeted for 2027 to support access denial in the East China Sea.

In Middle East news, Israel's new SPEAR ground robot was demonstrated on the ground. But one of the more interesting things about this, like we have started seeing in Ukraine, is that it is also weaponized with on-board Viper 300 kamikaze drones. This would give it really great operational visibility and strike capabilities all without putting their own personnel in harm’s way.

It looks like the riots in Tehran have all but been put down, and it was not by choice. It looks like footage from Tehran on January 8 has been slowly leaking out, showing Iranian security forces firing live ammunition at protesters. The casualty count has skyrocketed, but it’s anyone’s guess what the real number is. The number of executions will cause that number to increase.

Nevertheless, people are still at it, to some degree, though the streets appear to have been mostly cleared of protesters. Iran's state broadcaster IRIB was hacked, interrupting programming to broadcast a message from Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi urging Iranians to rise against the Islamic Republic. I don’t know if the Iranian people can do that, without external support, because the IGRC, with help from militias around the region, is simply more than a match against a largely unarmed population.

We have more backstory now. It turns out Israel urged the U.S. not to strike Iran, with Netanyahu telling Trump that depleted missile defenses from recent conflicts and lack of nearby U.S. carriers left Israel vulnerable without support. U.S. officials noted Israel's dependence on American naval and missile aid, influencing Trump's restraint. Meanwhile, the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group moved from the South China Sea to the Middle East, and the USS George Bush group from Norfolk heads there via the Mediterranean. White House officials seem to be intimating that there may be strikes on Iran in the coming weeks.

In a tone-deaf move, Iran tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile with a 10,000 km range, sufficient to reach the U.S., beyond what is needed for Israel. It’s almost like they are asking to have a regime overhaul.

So, predictably, U.S. assets position from within EUCOM and CENTCOM continue to accumulate, which does look a lot like the buildup to last year's 12-Day War and Operation Midnight Hammer, but a bit slower. We… shall… see.

In South of the Border news, a U.S. blockade halted Venezuelan oil exports to China and Cuba, reducing shipments by 75% and redirecting remaining oil to U.S. refineries in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, weakening China's global oil position. That’s a big boon for US oil refineries, which are designed for and prefer this exact type of oil.

U.S. Southern Command conducted its seventh boarding and seizure of a sanctioned crude oil tanker, the Liberian-flagged M/T Sagitta, in the Caribbean Sea on January 23, with U.S. Coast Guard support from the Navy and Marine Corps. So there is almost a full blockade of oil, which has got to be impacting Cuba as much as China.

At Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's direction, U.S. Southern Command's Joint Task Force-Southern Spear struck another narco-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific operated by a designated terrorist organization, killing two male narco-terrorists along a known cartel route. I am a little curious why the cartels keep trying, but perhaps more are slipping through than are getting stopped.

Most interestingly of all, out of this was leaked video from a closed-door meeting that showed Venezuela's Delcy Rodríguez telling pro-government influencers that U.S. forces threatened to kill senior officials unless they cooperated after Maduro's capture, giving 15 minutes to comply amid constant pressure and blackmail. So this tells us two things. First of all, they have dirt on these people and can kill them anytime they choose. Second, it’s working, and they are now US puppets.

In North American news, Raytheon's DeepFires Autonomous Launcher is a fairly interesting new autonomous MLRS. It provides fully autonomous driving, firing, and resupply for MLRS, reducing soldier exposure in high-risk areas. It no longer really requires the shoot and scoot ethos to the same degree as it does when you have human drivers. It also means that there are options for moving them into much more dangerous launch positions since there is no risk to human operators.

The United States exited the World Health Organization effective last week, fulfilling President Trump's executive order from one year ago due to WHO's COVID-19 mishandling and lack of reform, accountability, and transparency. This is good and bad. Clearly, having deep knowledge of virus research behooves the US. But there were so many things badly done, like the threat of the WHO deciding US policy, the funding of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the dubious mask mandates, the mandatory social distancing, the rushed vaccines, and claiming they were 100% safe, etc. So I can see why the US would no longer want to support this organization or the associated NGOs. The question is what the aftermath and unintended consequences will be.

In Tech News, SMS Blaster devices, mounted on vehicles in US cities, distribute thousands of SMS messages to nearby phones by mimicking stronger signals to downgrade 4G to 2G connections, bypassing operators and spam filters. It’s a pretty clever system and a nasty vulnerability that can use messages to impersonate banks, police, or authorities without needing phone numbers.

OpenAI plans revenue-sharing deals with enterprise customers in science, pharma, and finance for products created using its models, such as licensing portions of drug sales from breakthroughs; individual users remain unaffected, with agreements optional and negotiated by corporate clients. The approach addresses OpenAI’s rising infrastructure costs and computing shortages through IP-based or outcome pricing. It also caused a lot of backlash from people who assumed this applied to consumers. For the time being, it does not. I think this is a patently stupid idea and incredibly difficult to litigate, so probably not going to help OpenAI in the long run as much as they may think it will.

In other OpenAI news, they will further restrict their coding models from aiding cybercrimes like hacking banks and shift to defensive acceleration by helping patch security bugs quickly. The security community is pretty annoyed by this, because we researchers use these models to build attack packages and exploit code too.

Meanwhile, the researchers are also doing a crap job, it turns out. There was a pretty interesting site that popped up, which catalogued AI hallucinations that appear in bug reports, as detailed in a GitHub gist analyzing false positives. Pretty bad if this is the state of the art, and will almost certainly create a glut of incorrect CVEs.

VIGA, a multimodal agent from Berkeley AI, autonomously codes 3D/4D Blender scenes from any image without human input or training. This is a very cool thing that can take a photo out of, let’s say, Nano Banana, Majestic, or Sora, and then convert it into a 3d scene, including the style of the photo. Remarkable.

Lastly, and a bit out of left field, but still interesting for those who do bird watching. There is new software that can decode bird song. One take I found interesting is that decoding all animal communication and developing brain-computer interfaces for interspecies talk could occur within 10 years, connecting humans to 300,000 years of overlooked minds. What can the birds over Ukraine tell us about troop movements? What can squirrels tell us about the supplies of enemy troops? Fascinating to think about it if we can get there.

Okay, onto the articles!

North Korea has developed advanced nuclear capabilities over the past decade, transitioning from a minimal nuclear arsenal to potential threats against the U.S. mainland. This development occurred despite international sanctions and negotiations, with past U.S. administrations, particularly those of Obama and Trump, failing to effectively contain or reverse North Korea's nuclear program. With rising tensions and North Korea's growing cooperation with Russia, the U.S. may need to reassess its strategy regarding denuclearization and focus on immediate threat reduction.

• North Korea's nuclear arsenal has expanded significantly, posing a threat to global stability.

• U.S. administrations have struggled with effective policies to contain North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

[RSnake: I don’t think there are any great answers here. North Korea is going to be a problem for a very long time, and with friends like China, Iran, and Russia, it has lots of options available to it. The war in Ukraine was a bit of a windfall for them because Russia was deeply indebted to them for the artillery and soldiers.]

Source: https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2026/01/23/why_the_us_failed_to_contain_north_koreas_nuclear_threat_1160413.html

The United States is currently facing a challenging international security landscape characterized by competition with nuclear-armed adversaries like China and Russia. The existing governance structure for U.S. nuclear deterrence is misaligned with the current requirements, as it prioritizes a broad range of domestic issues over focused nuclear capabilities, causing inefficiencies in production and delivery. Calls for restructuring the National Nuclear Security Administration to enhance its focus on nuclear deterrence have intensified due to these strategic mismatches.

• The U.S. faces renewed competition from nuclear-armed states, necessitating a shift in its nuclear policy.

• Current governance of nuclear deterrence hinders effective response and modernization efforts.

[RSnake: Again, no clear solutions here. But we have made massive moves by removing Venezuela and Syria from the map of coalition countries.]

Source: https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2026/01/23/our_nuclear_weapons_need_a_new_home_1160419.html

Ukraine, Russia, and the United States are scheduled to hold trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, marking the first dialogue of this kind since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The meeting comes after a session between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. officials in Moscow.

• Trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. are set to take place in Abu Dhabi.

• This will be the first formal dialogue since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

[RSnake: Let’s hope that Russia comes to the table with honest intentions of stopping the war in Ukraine.]

Source: https://geopoliticalfutures.com/?p=423187

Protests in Iran have escalated into violent confrontations between demonstrators and security forces, with eyewitness accounts reporting the use of live ammunition by the authorities. An internet blackout has hindered communication and the spread of information about the scale of injuries and fatalities, with estimates of over 4,600 deaths amidst a crackdown on dissent.

• Eyewitness reports describe a chaotic environment where police opened fire on large crowds of protesters.

• The Iranian government has imposed an internet blackout to limit the spread of information about the protests.

[RSnake: I am afraid the real numbers of civilians killed are far, far higher. I have heard numbers in the low tens of thousands.]

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9dvvzzpwylo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

The G7+ has committed to providing substantial support for Ukraine's energy infrastructure as the country faces severe challenges this winter due to ongoing Russian attacks on power facilities. This includes thousands of generators and funding to help maintain electricity and heating amid critical shortages caused by deliberate damage to energy resources.

• G7+ pledges over 6,000 pieces of energy equipment and financial support to Ukraine.

• Ukraine's energy system is under significant strain due to consistent Russian strikes.

• Major commitments include generators and funding from multiple nations, including the EU, the US, and Japan.

[RSnake: That will make a dent. That’s a lot of generators. Still likely not enough, but still, it’ll help a lot.]

Source: https://euromaidanpress.com/?p=388316

Iranian security forces are deploying unidentified chemical substances against protesters during violent crackdowns, resulting in severe health effects among demonstrators. The Iranian government has intensified measures to suppress dissent, including mass arrests and internet blackouts, while conflicting reports suggest a high death toll among protesters, significantly exceeding official figures.

• Eyewitnesses report that Iranian forces used unknown chemical agents, causing severe physical reactions among protesters.

• The Iranian government is implementing a militarized crackdown to prevent documentation and reporting of the protests and associated fatalities.

• Human rights organizations estimate that the number of protesters killed could exceed 20,000, amidst governmental efforts to control the narrative.

[RSnake: It’s still not clear what this was that they used. I hate to theorize.]

Source: https://www.iranintl.com/en/202601235991

Opposition leaders in Venezuela and Iran are calling for increased international pressure on authoritarian regimes that cooperate to maintain control while suppressing dissent. In Iran, protests led to widespread violence and a severe crackdown, resulting in a high death toll and systematic abuses against journalists. The situation reflects a broader trend of repression in both countries, with activists urging democracies to take more decisive actions against human rights violations.

• Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado emphasizes the need for democratic governments to impose costs on Iran's authoritarian regime.

• Iran has faced unprecedented protests and a violent crackdown, resulting in thousands of deaths and severe human rights abuses.

• Activists from both nations highlight the interconnected struggles against geopolitically supportive authoritarian regimes.

[RSnake: The problem is that Europe can’t or won’t step in militarily to help Israeli interests, even if it means overthrowing dictators and stabilizing the Middle East. So appealing to the UN won’t do much.]

Source: https://www.iranintl.com/en/202601236855

Australia has received its first MC-55A Peregrine aircraft, an advanced electronic warfare and intelligence platform, aimed at strengthening its defense capabilities against regional security threats, particularly from China. The acquisition is part of a larger move by the Royal Australian Air Force to enhance its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities as tensions in the South Pacific escalate.

• Australia's first MC-55A Peregrine has arrived to bolster its electronic warfare capabilities.

• The aircraft will enhance Australia's monitoring and operational capabilities in response to increasing Chinese influence in the region.

[RSnake: I find articles like this a bit strange because they will likely need a lot more than just one if an actual regional conflict begins with China. Lower cost ISR is really the name of the game so that they can add a lot of them to their roster.]

Source: https://www.eurasiantimes.com/?p=262980

Denmark's Prime Minister reiterated that the country's sovereignty over Greenland is non-negotiable after U.S. President Donald Trump's comments about military access and potential deals concerning the territory. Denmark emphasized that any decisions regarding Greenland's future are for its own people and government to make, while also expressing a willingness to engage in discussions about security and investment in the region.

• Denmark firmly stated that its sovereignty over Greenland cannot be compromised.

• U.S. President Trump mentioned seeking military access to Greenland amid discussions on Arctic security.

[RSnake: Yes, and Trump said that they are working on a deal. So it remains to be seen who is correct on this point.]

Source: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2026/01/22/denmark-says-its-sovereignty-not-negotiable-after-trumps-greenland-about-turn.html

A Filipino journalist, Frenchie Mae Cumpio, has been sentenced to at least 12 years in prison after being found guilty of financing terrorism, while also being acquitted of other charges related to illegal possession of weapons. Her conviction follows years of accusations that the charges were fabricated in retaliation for her critical reporting on military and police abuses in the Philippines. Press freedom organizations are condemning the ruling as a troubling development for journalism and free expression in the country.

• Frenchie Mae Cumpio has been sentenced for terrorism financing after being accused of fabricating claims due to her journalism.

• Community journalists in the Philippines face significant risks, and this case has raised alarm about the state of press freedom in the country.

[RSnake: I am curious how this will play out in the public eye, because the public doesn’t like corruption.]

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr7jjnl49nro?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

The United States appears to be experiencing geopolitical upheaval as its leadership takes actions that undermine longstanding alliances and global trust. Key moments include President Trump's controversial statements and policies regarding Greenland and growing tensions with NATO, indicating a potential shift in the balance of global power and the United States' role in international relations.

• President Trump's actions are jeopardizing the United States' standing and relationships with key allies.

• There is a noticeable decline in global trust towards the U.S. as it shifts away from established international norms.

[RSnake: And now WHO… these are big changes. It changes how we are seen and how we see the rest of the world. I have heard a number of people say we have a lot less in common with Europe than we used to.]

Source: https://www.wired.com/story/donald-trump-has-fully-set-fire-to-what-made-america-great/

In Belarus, three HAM radio operators have been arrested and face the death penalty for alleged espionage and treason linked to their hobby of amateur radio. The Belarusian government claims these individuals formed part of a larger network accused of intercepting state secrets, amidst a broader crackdown on independent communication technologies.

• Three HAM radio operators in Belarus are at risk of execution following their arrests for alleged espionage.

• The Belarusian government has accused these operators of being part of a larger network involved in intercepting state secrets.

[RSnake: Bad day to be a HAM radio operator. It’s really not clear what the government thinks they did, or how this is an appropriate punishment.]

Source: https://www.404media.co/ham-radio-operators-in-belarus-arrested-face-the-death-penalty/

Palestinian residents of the village of Ras Ein al-Auja in the West Bank are facing intense violence and displacement due to Israeli settler attacks, which have increased in recent months. Approximately 450 out of 650 inhabitants have fled their homes, marking a drastic loss of community and livelihood as settlers expand their presence in the area, leading to the dismantling of homes and restricted access to essential resources like water.

• Israeli settlers have engaged in violent attacks against the Palestinian community in Ras Ein al-Auja, driving out a significant portion of its residents.

• The displacement of these residents is part of a broader pattern of increasing settler violence and land seizure in the West Bank.

[RSnake: Settlers have always felt a bit dangerous for both sides. I am a little surprised the Israeli government allows it, since it does create undue tensions.]

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/1/22/if-you-sleep-settlers-will-burn-your-house-fear-in-the-west-bank?traffic_source=rss

ICE is planning to establish a new privately run detention network in Minnesota, with the capacity to transport detainees across five neighboring states. The initiative is part of a broader operation aimed at increasing detention capacity amid ongoing protests and legal challenges against federal immigration enforcement actions in the region.

• ICE's new detention network will involve significant investment to transport detainees across hundreds of miles.

• The initiative has faced public backlash and legal scrutiny, leading to protests in affected cities.

[RSnake: This will be a short-term layover location while the immigrants’ backgrounds are known and return flights are identified.]

Source: https://www.wired.com/story/ice-detention-network-minnesota-5-states/

A zero-day vulnerability in Cisco's Unified Communications products, identified as CVE-2026-20045, has been actively exploited, potentially affecting millions of users. Cisco has developed a patch to mitigate the risk, but mass scanning for vulnerable instances is already underway, prompting warnings from cybersecurity agencies about the implications of this critical flaw.

• Cisco's Unified Communications Manager has a user base of 30 million, making the impact of the vulnerability significant.

• The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has added the vulnerability to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, indicating its critical nature.

[RSnake: Time to patch up! When we talk to reinsurers, they say that having or not having a firewall doesn’t appear to move the needle on whether a company will or won’t get hacked. We think the reason is that so many of these external devices are now targets.]

Source: https://www.darkreading.com/endpoint-security/exploited-zero-day-flaw-cisco-uc-affect-millions

CISA has reported active exploitation of multiple vulnerabilities affecting enterprise software, including serious authentication bypass and improper access control issues. The agency mandates that federal agencies must implement security updates or cease the use of vulnerable products by February 12, 2026, to mitigate risks associated with these vulnerabilities.

• CISA warns of exploitation of vulnerabilities in enterprise software.

• Federal agencies must apply security updates or stop using affected products by February 12, 2026.

[RSnake: CISA usually does a good job of identifying the issues that are in use by state actors… as long as there is an easy patch available.]

Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/cisa-confirms-active-exploitation-of-four-enterprise-software-bugs/

Hackers are actively exploiting a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in SmarterTools' SmarterMail server, which allows them to reset administrator passwords without authorization. This flaw, which has a CVSS score of 9.3, provides attackers with full control over the system, enabling remote code execution. Users are advised to upgrade to the latest software version to address this serious security risk.

• An authentication bypass vulnerability in SmarterMail allows unauthenticated attackers to reset admin passwords.

• Exploitation of this flaw grants full remote code execution access to hackers.

[RSnake: I always wonder why the CNAs don’t revise the CVSS scores to 10 when they know they are in active use by attackers.]

Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/smartermail-auth-bypass-flaw-now-exploited-to-hijack-admin-accounts/

Elon Musk's Grok AI chatbot generated over 4.4 million images in just nine days, with estimates indicating that at least 1.8 million were sexualized images of women and children. This rapid production of disturbing content has prompted investigations by several governments worldwide to determine if local laws were violated.

• Grok AI chatbot created a significant number of sexualized images in a short period.

• Governments are investigating potential violations of laws related to the generated content.

[RSnake: I am sure laws were broken. That is probably the wrong question. The question is whether there is a path to automatically detect broken laws and alert the authorities. It’s gross to have AI rating your users out, but that is likely the only real solution if you want it to work for all people and not be overly censored.]

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/technology/grok-x-ai-elon-musk-deepfakes.html

A new advanced cloud-first malware framework, named VoidLink, has been developed primarily by artificial intelligence, marking a significant advancement in malicious software capabilities. This framework, linked to suspected Chinese actors, demonstrates an unprecedented level of sophistication and maturity, enabling faster and more complex cyber attacks than previously possible.

• VoidLink represents the first case of wholly original malware being created by AI.

• The framework is designed to maintain persistent access to Linux systems and automate evasion tactics.

[RSnake: This is what OpenAI was warning about - in this case state sponsored attackers using models to build up malware.]

Source: https://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/voidlink-linux-malware-ai

Microsoft and Anthropic's Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers contain serious cybersecurity vulnerabilities, including those that allow for remote code execution and potential data breaches. Research indicates that nearly 36.7% of MCP servers may be susceptible to these high-risk issues, raising alarms about the security of widely used AI services.

• MCP servers from Microsoft and Anthropic are found to have severe vulnerabilities that could be exploited.

• Researchers identified that 36.7% of the MCP servers online may carry the same vulnerabilities, posing a significant risk.

[RSnake: I am sure that virtually all of them have some flaw. These are not well-crafted pieces of software for the most part.]

Source: https://www.darkreading.com/application-security/microsoft-anthropic-mcp-servers-risk-takeovers

During the Pwn2Own Automotive 2026 competition held in Tokyo, hackers earned a total of $1,047,000 by exploiting 76 zero-day vulnerabilities in automotive technologies. The event showcased various attacks on in-vehicle infotainment systems, electric vehicle chargers, and car operating systems, leading to significant financial rewards for the participating teams.

• Hackers earned over $1 million by exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities during a competitive event.

• The event focused on automotive technologies and included demonstrations of attacks on various car systems.

[RSnake: That is a nice payday for those researchers!]

Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hackers-get-1-047-000-for-76-zero-days-at-pwn2own-automotive-2026/

Malicious browser extensions, known as GhostPoster, have been discovered affecting Chrome, Firefox, and Edge browsers, capable of tracking user activity and compromising privacy. Users are advised to remove 17 identified extensions, which may have been active for up to five years and collectively installed over 840,000 times, as they contain malicious JavaScript code that can hijack traffic and modify security settings.

• Malicious browser extensions under the GhostPoster campaign have been found to track user activity.

• Users are recommended to uninstall 17 specific extensions due to their malicious capabilities.

[RSnake: Yes, if you use any extensions that claim to give you free VPN access, the trick is that you are also acting in the VPN network too.]

Source: https://lifehacker.com/tech/delete-malicious-ghostposter-browser-extensions?utm_medium=RSS

A lunar-based radio telescope named LuSEE-Night is set to launch in early 2027 to explore cosmic phenomena from the moon's far side, an area shielded from Earth's electromagnetic interference. The telescope aims to gather data about dark matter, dark energy, and the early universe by detecting faint signals that are otherwise obscured on Earth.

• LuSEE-Night will observe the cosmic dark ages, providing insights into the universe's early history.

• The mission involves overcoming significant technical challenges of operating a telescope on the moon's far side.

[RSnake: Pretty cool idea. I am excited to see what sort of science this produces. Even with just this and earth-based arrays, we now have a much wider stereoscopic vision.]

Source: https://spectrum.ieee.org/lunar-radio-telescope

China is experiencing rapid advancements in humanoid robotics, with production by companies like Unitree, which is preparing for a $7 billion IPO. The US is facing challenges in keeping up with China's lead in robotics manufacturing, which is supported by a tightly integrated supply chain. Analysts predict that by 2050, a significant portion of the world's humanoid robots will be produced and utilized in China.

• China is leading in humanoid robotics production, largely due to its advanced manufacturing capabilities.

• Companies like Unitree are becoming significant players in the global robotics market, indicating a shift in the industry balance between the US and China.

[RSnake: They will kick our butts for the foreseeable future. But we can sanction them to keep the robots off our shores and allow US companies to catch up, cutting them out of US markets, which is probably wise anyway, because they are likely chock-full of malicious software/hardware.]

Source: https://www.wired.com/story/china-humanoid-robot-coworkers/

OpenAI has announced the release of a new software agent called Codex, which is designed to produce high-quality software changes efficiently. This agent utilizes AI to interact with users and execute tasks by generating and modifying code based on user prompts. The development focuses on optimizing the agent's architecture for performance and functionality in software development environments.

• Codex is a new AI software agent designed to create reliable software changes.

• It facilitates user interaction by generating code and executing tasks based on user input.

[RSnake: Just don’t use it if you’re a security pro!]

Source: https://openai.com/index/unrolling-the-codex-agent-loop/

A new web browser called FastRender has been developed using thousands of autonomous coding agents working in parallel. This project explores the capabilities of advanced AI models and demonstrates how they can coordinate to complete complex tasks, achieving significant development milestones in a short timeframe.

• FastRender is built from scratch with the involvement of around 2,000 autonomous coding agents.

• The project aims to explore AI's ability to tackle complex software engineering challenges through multi-agent coordination.

[RSnake: Very cool how far agentic coding has come.]

Source: https://simonwillison.net/2026/Jan/23/fastrender/

TikTok has struck a deal to continue its operations in the US while addressing national security concerns tied to its Chinese ownership. The arrangement involves the creation of a new joint venture, TikTok USDS, which will oversee user data and the app's content algorithm, ensuring it complies with American regulations.

• TikTok has entered a joint venture to secure US user data and content recommendations.

• The deal is a response to ongoing national security concerns regarding user data privacy linked to its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.

[RSnake: This is not much different from how it was already structured, where Oracle ran their datacenters and they didn’t have direct access to the code to run queries against it, and those queries were anonymized.]

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3edd1l328lo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

Tesla has discontinued its Autopilot driver-assistance system to promote its Full Self-Driving software amid legal challenges regarding overstatements of its capabilities. A California judge ruled that Tesla misrepresented Autopilot's functionality, leading to a temporary suspension of its manufacturing licenses. The company is transitioning customers to a subscription model for the Full Self-Driving software, with existing customers no longer being charged a one-time fee.

• Tesla discontinues Autopilot to fend off legal issues and boost Full Self-Driving adoption.

• A judge's ruling has led to a suspension of Tesla's licenses in California due to misleading claims about its driving systems.

• Customers will now access the Full Self-Driving software through a monthly subscription rather than a one-time payment.

[RSnake: I’m not in love with subscription models for cars for all kinds of reasons, but I do think FSD is a miracle of a kind and likely far safer than human drivers.]

Source: https://techcrunch.com/?p=3085445

Khaby Lame, the most-followed TikToker, has completed a business deal valued at nearly $900 million, marking one of the largest by a social media creator. The acquiring company will have exclusive commercial rights to the Khaby Lame brand for three years, indicating a significant trend in which individual creators are achieving valuations comparable to those of traditional media studios. Additionally, the deal includes the development of an AI-powered digital avatar of Khaby, which will allow for the creation of advertising content without his physical presence.

• Khaby Lame sold his operating company for nearly $900 million.

• The deal includes the use of an AI-powered version of Khaby for advertisements.

[RSnake: Mr. Beast had a much larger deal offered, and he turned it down. That remains to be seen if it was a wise decision or not.]

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us-streamers/worlds-most-followed-tiktoker-khaby-lame-closes-nearly-900m-business-deal/articleshow/127328336.cms

Netflix has acquired Warner Bros. and its associated assets, including HBO and HBO Max, in a deal valued at approximately $82.7 billion. This acquisition aims to consolidate significant film and television franchises under Netflix, amidst ongoing regulatory scrutiny and concerns over potential impacts on the industry and consumers.

• Netflix's acquisition includes major franchises like Game of Thrones and Harry Potter.

• The deal has sparked regulatory scrutiny due to concerns about market power and potential price increases for consumers.

[RSnake: Trump allegedly made a million-dollar investment in this, which likely greased some wheels, or at least has the appearance of possibly being the reason he made the investment.]

Source: https://techcrunch.com/?p=3085519

A high-speed rail crash in southern Spain has resulted in at least 43 fatalities, marking the country's worst rail disaster in over a decade. Investigators are focusing on a gap in the track as a potential cause, while a second train incident near Barcelona has led the Spanish train drivers' union to call for a strike amid ongoing concerns regarding railway safety.

• The collision involved two high-speed trains, causing multiple casualties.

• Families of victims are demanding answers amid ongoing investigations and further rail incidents.

[RSnake: It’s a bit of a miracle there weren’t more deaths. Scary.]

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c75xvg3ypexo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

The world is facing a critical water shortage, with nearly 75% of the global population living in areas experiencing severe water scarcity. The United Nations has declared this situation as 'global water bankruptcy,' warning that many water sources are irreparably damaged and urging immediate action for sustainable water management.

• Humans are consuming more water than the planet can replenish.

• Urgent measures are needed to implement sustainable water systems globally.

[RSnake: Yes, and getting worse with a growing population and bad water management. Desalination programs and better water management really are critical long-term.]

Source: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/world-has-entered-an-era-of-global-water-bankruptcy-un-warns/

Farmers across the U.S. are experiencing financial losses due to rising production costs and low commodity prices, with estimated net losses exceeding $50 billion over the past three crop years. Despite federal assistance programs, many operations continue to struggle with covering their costs, leading to concerns about the viability of planting in the coming years.

• Farmers are projected to incur significant losses, with operating costs increasing and market returns failing to cover expenses.

• Federal assistance programs provide limited relief, leaving many farms under financial strain.

[RSnake: We can’t let the farmers fail. Even if food is cheaper to import, it’s too much of a national security risk.]

Source: https://www.fb.org/market-intel/significant-farm-losses-persist-despite-federal-assistance

Generative artificial intelligence is increasingly being used to populate medical records with synthetic content, leading to the potential erosion of diagnostic reliability and differentiation in healthcare. As AI-generated datasets become more prevalent without mandatory human verification, critical diagnostic features may disappear from the data, resulting in a significant decrease in the accuracy of AI-model-generated medical documentation.

• AI systems face risks from uncurated generative data, which may degrade medical diagnostic reliability.

• The absence of human oversight can lead to life-threatening conditions going undetected in AI-generated reports.

[RSnake: Dear lord, what an awful idea. Diseases you don’t have, and drugs you don’t need. AI just isn’t good enough for this task.]

Source: https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.12946

The Gates Foundation and OpenAI have announced a $50 million initiative named 'Horizon1000' aimed at improving healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa through the integration of artificial intelligence. This program will begin in Rwanda and aims to equip 1,000 primary healthcare clinics with AI tools by 2028 to address the severe shortage of healthcare workers in the region.

• The Horizon1000 initiative is a joint effort to integrate AI in healthcare systems across Sub-Saharan Africa.

• The aim is to equip 1,000 clinics by 2028 to support healthcare workers amid a critical shortage.

[RSnake: This is actually one of the few places where AI in healthcare starts making sense because SOME healthcare is better than none, even if it gets it wrong 5% of the time. That’s still 95 patients who would have otherwise been neglected entirely in some cases. But what an awful situation overall.]

Source: https://fortune.com/2026/01/21/gates-foundation-openai-50-million-partnership-africa-rwanda-horizon1000/