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New PoC Exploit released for telnetd CVE by SafeBreach Labs

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 26, 2026 by itnerd

Happy Monday. You may want to keep an eye on CVE-2026-24061 which is a critical telnetd authentication bypass flaw that attackers are actively exploiting to gain root access: New research from SafeBreach Labs deepens the story with the first full root cause analysis and proof-of-concept exploit that explains exactly how this vulnerability works—and why it’s highly dangerous and easy to exploit. 

The researchers have also released tooling and simulation artifacts that allow organizations to test exposure. 

The full research blog available here.

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Hammerspace Promotes Tony Asaro to Lead Sales and Business Development Organization 

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 26, 2026 by itnerd

Hammerspace today announced the promotion of Tony Asaro to Chief Business Officer. In this expanded role, Asaro will lead Hammerspace’s global revenue organization — including sales, alliances, channel and go-to-market strategy — to meet rapidly growing demand from enterprises, governments, hyperscalers and Neoclouds to build AI infrastructure and data strategies around data sovereignty, high-performance training and agile inference. 

Asaro previously led Hammerspace’s strategy and alliances teams, driving revenue and market expansion through technology partnerships spanning cloud platforms, systems providers and GPU ecosystem leaders. His appointment reflects increasing market demand for infrastructure architectures that deliver high-performance storage to feed GPUs wherever they are — across sovereign regions, on-premises environments, and public cloud — supporting production inference and agentic AI without compromising compliance or operational simplicity. 

Alliance Momentum: Oracle Highlights Hammerspace for Sovereign + Hybrid AI 

Hammerspace’s expanding partner momentum was recently underscored by Oracle highlighting the Hammerspace/Oracle OCI Dedicated Region.  Enterprises can deploy OCI services inside their own data centers to meet sovereignty requirements — and use Hammerspace as a unified, policy-driven data layer to present a global namespace and orchestrate data placement across sites and clouds based on performance, cost and compliance. 

This combination supports regulated, hybrid AI strategies by enabling teams to run compute near data, reduce unnecessary movement, avoid unmanaged copy sprawl and accelerate AI pipelines that demand consistent, high-performance data access. “The result,” says author Riley Burdon, “is an operating model that can help address residency requirements, simplify hybrid operations, and let you run AI where your data lives — without proliferating unmanaged copies or rewriting workflows.” 

Continuous Sales Momentum and Coverage 

Hammerspace enters 2026 with strong sales momentum, driven by strategic partner expansion, substantial VAR channel growth (with just under 200 resellers), and international expansion. Over the past year, the company launched its Asia headquarters in Singapore and scaled engagement across China and South Korea, while building new regional coverage for India and the Middle East from Dubai—extending field capacity, partner reach, and customer delivery for sovereign AI and GPU-intensive deployments. 

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Powerful “Stanley” browser-based MaaS guarantees Chrome Store approval 

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 23, 2026 by itnerd

Varonis has uncovered a powerful new proof-of-concept MaaS toolkit called “Stanley” which is actively promoted on Russian cybercrime forums. Stanley follows recent, widespread browser-based attacks such as DarkSpectre and CrashFix, suggesting active interest in exploiting this attack vector.

What sets Stanley apart:

  • A turnkey MaaS for browser-based attacks. Attackers get an array of tools at their fingertips. After quietly infecting victims, it uses real Chrome notifications to redirect to spoofed sites while leaving genuine URLs intact.
  • Low cost. Stanley starts at 2,000 USD, and for a few thousand more, it’s guaranteed to pass Google’s review process. Its low price point places it within reach of solo scammers to organized crime groups alike.
  • Chrome seal of approval. Stanley masquerades as a humble note-taking browser extension (“Notely”), that’s approved and available for download in the Chrome Web Store.

According to researcher and author Daniel Kelley:

“Extensions that do something useful while hiding malicious functionality are hard to spot. They pass store reviews, they work as advertised, and users have no reason to question them. The permissions needed for legitimate features are often the same ones needed to steal credentials or hijack sessions. Only install extensions you actually need, and regularly audit your browser to remove any you’re no longer using.”

Varonis just published a report on this: Stanley — A $6,000 Russian Malware Toolkit with Chrome Web Store Guarantee

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Samsung Canada Launches 11th Annual Solve for Tomorrow Contest

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 23, 2026 by itnerd

Samsung Electronics Canada Inc. has announced the launch of the 2025/2026 Solve for Tomorrow Contest, a nationwide initiative challenging Canadian students in grades 6 –12 to use STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) to develop real-world solutions that make a meaningful impact in their communities. 

Canadian youth are eager to develop STEM skills, yet classrooms are not resourced to support in a meaningful way. Solve for Tomorrow aims to address this gap by creating hands-on, applied experiences that help students develop the skills they need for the future. 

State of STEM in Canada: Data Snapshot 

  • 98 per cent of Canadians say it is important for youth to develop STEM skills 
  • Only 40 per cent believe schools have the resources to prepare students for STEM careers, with nearly two in three expressing that schools are not well equipped with the tools needed 
  • 90 per cent say hands on experiences spark student interest in STEM* 

Now in its 11th year, Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow offers a unique opportunity for youth to engage further with STEM concepts. The contest has reached over 40,000 students across Canada and contributed more than one million dollars in technology and grants to empower future leaders through innovation. 

Even as career pathways expand, many young people face hard limits on access. 40 per cent of Canadians feel schools are not well equipped to provide youth with the tools and knowledge needed for future careers, while 47 per cent of Canadians point to the cost of higher education as the biggest barrier to pursuing STEM studies.* Concerns around confidence, inclusivity, and equitable access compound the challenge, narrowing the number of students who feel able to participate in these fast-growing fields. 

Solve for Tomorrow encourages students to explore STEM in new ways by offering a challenge that sparks creativity and real-world problem-solving.  

Canadians are calling for applied STEM and AI education that connects classrooms with real-world problem solving. 89 per cent of Canadians support partnerships that make STEM education more practical, and many see them as essential preparation for future careers.* 

Designed to put a spotlight on STEM, the Solve for Tomorrow contest will help do the following: 

  • Integrate STEM with practical real-world applicability, helping to create long-term educational impact 
  • Inspire diverse student participation, helping to highlight opportunity gaps in STEM education 
  • Accelerate community-led problem solving, challenging students to turn local insights into broader solutions 

Key Highlights  

The annual competition is designed to foster STEM-based innovation to solve real-world problems. 

  • Who: Canadian students in grades 6-12 (teachers submit applications on their behalf). 
  • When: Teachers can register their teams’ interest and learn more about the program, with opportunities for early recognition and prizes, through submitting via this link. The official submission period for student-written applications will open on January 12, 2026.  

Prizes:   

  • Eight finalist schools will each receive a $5,000 E-Voucher (taxes not included) that they can use towards the purchase of Samsung technology.  
  • The top three winning schools will be awarded a $50,000 (first place), $20,000 (second place), and $10,000 (third place) E-Voucher (taxes not included) that they can use towards the purchase of Samsung technology. An additional $5,000 will be given to the Fan Favourite winner.  

*Disclaimer:  
Based on a 2025 randomized quantitative online survey conducted by Edelman Public Relations Worldwide Canada Inc. of 1,510 individuals across Canada comprised of adults who are 18+, 390 parents of children under the age of 18, and 259 elementary school educators/professionals. 

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Attackers Reverse‑Engineer Patch to Exploit SmarterMail Admin Bypass in the Wild 

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 23, 2026 by itnerd

It is being reported that a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in SmarterTools SmarterMail is actively being exploited in the wild by attackers. 

We did not plan to publish this blog post today – Wednesdays are meme days – but that changed when an anonymous reader reached out to us with a tip – somebody is currently exploiting SmarterMail and resetting admin passwords.

This same reader was kind enough to point us to a seemingly related SmarterMail forum thread, where a user is claiming that they cannot access their admin account anymore and provided log file excerpts of potentially related and suspicious behaviour

Commenting on this news is Martin Jartelius, AI Product Director at Outpost24:

“This incident highlights a growing reality in cybersecurity: the real risk often starts after a patch is released. Zero-day vulnerabilities are difficult to defend against, but once a fix becomes public, attackers quickly reverse-engineer it to understand and weaponize the flaw. What used to take weeks now takes days, or even hours, especially with logic-based vulnerabilities like this one, where exploitation requires little sophistication. The defender’s only advantage is speed. Organizations need immediate visibility into what software is running in their environment and the ability to map new vulnerability intelligence against it in real time. When attackers can move from patch to exploit in hours, rapid awareness and response are critical.”

This illustrates how crafty the bad guys can be. Which means you need to be on top of patching all the things so that attackers don’t have an advantage over you.

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149M harvested credentials exposed in data breach 

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 23, 2026 by itnerd

Cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler recently discovered a non-password-protected database containing over 149 million unique credentials. These records were collected from victims of malware worldwide and include everything from social media and streaming services to sensitive financial logins.

In a few words, the publicly accessible database:

  • Exposed 149,404,754 unique logins and passwords (96GB of raw data);
  • Revealed user credentials for major platforms (including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, dating sites, and OnlyFans, affecting both creators and customers);
  • Included high-risk financial credentials (such as crypto wallets, trading services, and banking logins).

Because this data was likely collected by malicious third parties, there is a heightened risk of widespread credential-stuffing attacks, identity theft, and financial fraud. 

Jeremiah published his detailed findings on the ExpressVPN blog here: https://www.expressvpn.com/blog/149m-infostealer-data-exposed/

UPDATE: I have commentary on this starting with Paul Bischoff, Consumer Privacy Advocate at Comparitech: 

“The data is a gold mine for cybercriminals launching credential stuffing attacks. Cybercriminals can use stolen username and password combinations to log into a wide array of accounts under the assumption that many people use the same password across multiple accounts. This process is automated, so a hacker can attempt to use a single set of credentials across dozens or even hundreds of accounts in a matter of seconds.

This data exposure highlights the importance of setting unique passwords and using two-factor authentication when available. If you don’t reuse passwords, then you are immune to credential stuffing attacks. Even if a cybercriminal tries to log into your account with the correct password. two-factor authentication will prevent them from doing so in the vast majority of attacks.”

Chris Hauk, Consumer Privacy Champion at Pixel Privacy:

“The report indicates the harvested login credentials were the results of “Keylogger” and other types of “infostealer” malware underscores the need for computer users to run Antivirus and ant-malware protection on their machines. Whether they use Windows or macOS, there are risks to not keeping your machine safe by running security apps in the background. 

The exposure of such a huge number of credentials poses a significant risk to users that are not aware of the breach and to what extent they are exposed. While it may be too soon to have this information included in the “HaveIBeenPwned” (https://haveibeenpwned.com/) website’s extensive database, I still strongly recommend that users visit the site and enter their email address(es) to determine whether their information has been exposed in previous data breaches. I also recommend that they take advantage of the website’s option to notify them when their email address was exposed in future data breaches.

Last but not least, everyone should use a password manager. In addition to keeping track of login information for multiple sites, password managers often offer warnings about password reuse or if a login has been exposed in a breach. This makes it easy to guard against password reuse, and to update passwords when they need to be changed.”

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Celebrate connection this Valentine’s Day with Samsung Galaxy

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 22, 2026 by itnerd

Valentine’s Day is more than one moment; it’s the connections that shape everyday life. From late-night calls to shared playlists and weekend adventures, Samsung Galaxy devices are designed to help people stay connected, capture memories and keep life in sync long after February 14.

Whether your readers are shopping early for a partner or looking for something they can enjoy with their Galantines, here are some Valentine’s Day gift ideas from Samsung for everyone: 

  • For the Everyday Love Story: Galaxy S25 FE 
    The Galaxy S25 FE makes it easy to capture and share everyday moments. With Galaxy AI features like Circle to Search and intuitive photo editing, it helps partners stay organized, connected and present, all in a sleek, thoughtfully designed device. 
  • For Shared Wellness Goals: Galaxy Watch8 Series and Galaxy Ring 
    The Galaxy Watch8 Series and Galaxy Ring support healthier routines built together, with advanced sleep tracking, wellness insights and fitness monitoring. They’re meaningful gifts for couples or friends prioritizing well-being.. 
  • For Shared Soundtracks: Galaxy Buds3 Series 
    From favourite playlists to workouts and travel, the Galaxy Buds3 Series delivers immersive sound with active noise cancelling and seamless Galaxy connectivity. Features like Live Translate and Interpreter add extra value for those on the go. 
  • For Cozy Nights In: Galaxy Tab A11+ and Galaxy Tab S11 
    The Galaxy Tab A11+ and Galaxy Tab S11 are ideal for winding down together. With large displays and Galaxy AI tools like Circle to Search, they’re perfect for streaming, planning trips, browsing or getting creative at home. 
  • For the Productivity-Focused Person: Galaxy Z Fold7 and Galaxy Book4 Edge 
    Perfect for couples and friends who create and collaborate, the Galaxy Z Fold7 and Galaxy Book4 Edge combine power and flexibility. The Z Fold7’s expansive screen, Galaxy AI multitasking tools and Samsung DeX mode keep you productive anywhere, while the Galaxy Book4 Edge delivers AI-driven performance for work, streaming and planning together at home or on the go. 

All products are available for purchase at Samsung.com/ca.

Model Link Price 
Galaxy Buds3 Buds3 Lifestyle Image $179 → $149 CAD 
Galaxy Buds3 Pro Buds3 Pro Lifestyle Image $249 → $179 CAD 
Galaxy Buds3 FE Buds3 FE Lifestyle Image $149 CAD 
Galaxy Watch8 Watch8 Product Image $499 CAD 
Galaxy Watch8 Classic Watch8 Classic Product Image $699 CAD 
Galaxy S25 FE S25 FE Product Image $999.9 CAD 
Galaxy Z Fold7 Galaxy Z Fold7 Product Image $2499.99 CAD 
Galaxy Tab A11+ Galaxy Tab A11+ Product Image $449.99 CAD 
Galaxy Tab S11 Galaxy Tab S11 Product Image $1,349.99 CAD 
Galaxy Book4 Edge Galaxy Book4 Edge Product Image $999.99 CAD 
Samsung Galaxy Ring Ring Product Image $549.99 CAD 

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New Research: The evolution of online casino spam

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 22, 2026 by itnerd

Today, Forcepoint’s X-Labs Threat Research team released a new blog highlighting a central topic: “Online Casino Spam: How Fake Gambling Sites Steal Financial Data.”

The research uncovers a new type of online casino scam gaining prominence in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Turkey. It outlines the tactics spammers are using, how the scam is carried out, tips for identifying legitimate activity and a statement on how Forcepoint customers are protected.

A few quick takeaways that may be helpful for anything you are working on tied to this emerging topic:

  • Deceptive lures: Use of high-reputation domains and legitimate cloud services to bypass email filters.
  • Data harvesting: Stealing personal info and credit card details via fake registration forms.
  • Multi-stage scams: Casino hooks frequently lead to fraudulent investment schemes or “pig butchering” scams.
  • Infrastructure sharing: Attackers use the same backend servers for various types of financial fraud.
  • Dynamic redirection: Links use geo-targeting to show victims localized scams based on their IP address.
  • Evasion tactics: Use of URL shorteners and HTML smuggling to hide malicious destinations from security tools.
  • Lead generation: Active users are logged and sold to other cybercriminal groups for future targeting.

The piece is available at:https://www.forcepoint.com/blog/x-labs/online-casino-spam-financial-scams.

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Sage partners with Augusta Labs to accelerate the build out of its AI Center of Excellence

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 22, 2026 by itnerd

 Sage today announced a global partnership with Augusta Labs, the applied AI lab that helps enterprises build and scale AI transformation. The partnership accelerates the development and delivery of Sage’s AI Center of Excellence by embedding Augusta Labs’ applied AI engineering teams directly into Sage’s product organization. This expands Sage’s AI and data engineering capacity and strengthens its shift toward becoming an AI first company. 

Businesses now expect more from the software they rely on, including faster insights, smarter automation, and experiences that feel effortless. Delivering that level of performance depends on how quickly AI can be designed, engineered, and deployed into real workflows. McKinsey’s latest The State of AI report notes that companies capturing the most value from AI are those able to move from experimentation to production at speed and scale intelligence across their products.
 
To meet this rising expectation and push its own high-performance goals, Sage is growing its applied AI engineering capacity through its new partnership with Augusta Labs. With Augusta Labs’ multidisciplinary teams working directly inside Sage’s product organization, Sage can build and deploy production ready intelligence faster, deepen automation across its solutions, and bring the benefits of AI to customers at a pace that matches how businesses operate today. 

Scaling Applied AI Across Sage’s Global Product Ecosystem

Through this partnership, Augusta Labs’ multidisciplinary teams are working directly on key global workstreams including Sage Payroll, Sage Active, and Sage 300. Operating as an extension of Sage’s internal engineering organization, these teams help deliver:

  • Agentic workflows that automate end-to-end tasks
  • High-performance data pipelines for real-time insight
  • Production-ready AI features delivered at pace

By working in Portugal’s thriving startup ecosystem, these teams bring a level of agility and high-velocity engineering that strengthens Sage’s global AI delivery model. This helps Sage develop and deploy agentic and applied-AI capabilities at a pace rarely matched in the industry, while maintaining the reliability and governance expected by millions of customers. The result is faster iteration, quicker movement from prototype to production, and real value delivered to businesses far sooner than traditional development models allow.

This integrated execution model ensures AI is built consistently across Sage’s portfolio, aligned with the Sage Platform, and embedded where customers work every day. It brings startup-level velocity to Sage’s product delivery, while maintaining the scale, reliability and governance expected by customers and partners.

To find out more about visit Sage Ai.

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Hackers Exploit Training Apps to Breach Fortune 500 Firms

Posted in Commentary with tags on January 22, 2026 by itnerd

Hackers are exploiting securing training applications, including open-source projects such as OWASP Juice Shop, DVWA, and Hackazon, to breach the customer managed cloud environments of Fortune 500 companies and security vendors.

More details can be found here: https://pentera.io/press-release/cloud-training-environments-exploited-crypto-miners/

Martin Jartelius, AI Product Director at Outpost24, provided the following comments:

“In security, it is important to refrain from victim blaming. However, when something is designed to be inherently unsafe, deployed as-is, and exposed directly to the internet, it is not even hacking in the traditional sense. Someone simply built a scanner to look for these applications, just as they do for regularly vulnerable ones, and deployed crypto miners.

What can we deduce from this? Attackers go where the value is—and today, that value is primarily in data. When attackers instead revert to deploying miners, it suggests that these systems sit in isolated networks of little value, most likely test beds for tools or teams. Embarrassing, annoying, and somewhat costly—but, even against my own principle of not blaming the victim, this should not come as a surprise to whoever put it there when it happens.”

This illustrates how quickly the bad guys can pivot in terms of finding new and creative ways to pwn their victims. Which means defenders need to find new and creative ways to match those pivots in order to not get pwned.

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