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Received β€” 8 June 2026 ⏭ Biz & IT - Ars Technica

For the 2nd time in weeks, Microsoft packages laced with credential stealer

8 June 2026 at 18:34

Dozens of cryptographically verified open source packages from Microsoft were compromised late last week to add advanced credential-stealing code that was triggered when developers opened them in AI coding agents.

In all, multiple researchers said, 73 packages were flagged as malicious when automated systems on GitHub blocked them on the platform. Rather than noting they are maliciousβ€”and that developers who used AI agents to work with them should assume their systems are compromisedβ€”the Microsoft-owned GitHub said it disabled the packages β€œdue to a violation of GitHub's terms of service.” The text went on to encourage the package owner to contact GitHub.

Devs: Assume compromise and proceed accordingly

It wasn’t until Monday that Microsoft even raised the possibility the packages were infected. In an email, the company stated: β€œWe have temporarily removed some repositories as we investigate potential malicious content.”

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Received β€” 5 June 2026 ⏭ Biz & IT - Ars Technica

How a USB-connected speaker can infect a PC without ever being touched

5 June 2026 at 21:00

Operating system makers take many steps to prevent their wares from accepting commands from remote devices. The safeguards, designed to thwart malicious attacks, typically require hackers to jump through all kinds of hoops to bypass the measures. But what if remote code execution were as simple as being within Bluetooth range of a speaker connected to the targeted device?

It turns out it can, at least when the speaker is a Sound Blaster Katana V2X sold by Singapore-based Creative Technologies. The speaker, which sells for $283, is widely acclaimed with numerous reviews showering praise on the sound and performance of it and its predecessor, the Sound Blaster V2.

A PC-pwning proxy

Researcher Rasmus Moorats stumbled on the hack by accident, after he purchased a Katana V2X, a soundbar that connects to PCs, Macs, and Linux devices over USB or Bluetooth. Moorats was curious if he could create a Linux tool that communicated with his speaker. He discovered he could do so through CTP, a proprietary mechanism he guesses is short for Creative Transport Protocol.

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Β© Creative Technologies

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