Communications of the ACM
An edited collection of advanced computing news from Communications of the ACM, ACM TechNews, other ACM resources, and news sites around the Web.
From ACM TechNews
Vulnerabilities in Billions of Wi-Fi Devices Let Hackers Bypass Firewalls
A security researcher found 12 fragmentation vulnerabilities and aggregation attack exploits in Wi-Fi systems.
From ACM TechNews
96% of U.S. Users Opt Out of App Tracking in iOS 14.5, Analytics Find
U.S. users have opted out of application tracking nearly all of the time following Apple's release of iOS 14.5 in April.
From ACM TechNews
Google Play Apps Steal Texts, Pepper You With Unauthorized Purchases
McAfee mobile researchers have discovered malware hidden in eight Google Play apps that steals users' text messages and makes unauthorized purchases.
From ACM TechNews
Android Sends 20x More Data to Google Than iOS Sends to Apple, Study Says
A researcher says the Android operating system transmits about 20 times more information from smartphone handsets to Google than iOS sends to Apple.
From ACM News
New Android Malware Found with Full Range of Spying Capabilities
Despite its sophistication, the app can be easy for more experienced users to spot.
From ACM TechNews
The Bitcoin Blockchain Is Helping Keep a Botnet From Being Taken Down
Researchers found that a botnet they have been following disguised one of its IP addresses in the bitcoin blockchain to guard against a command-and-control server...
From ACM TechNews
Hackers Used Four Zero-Days to Infect Windows, Android Devices
Investigators with Google's Project Zero exploit research team uncovered a hacking campaign that used four zero-day exploits to install malware on Android and Windows...
From ACM TechNews
Telegram Feature Exposes Your Precise Address to Hackers
Hackers can exploit the Telegram messenger application employed in Android devices and iPhones to pinpoint users' precise locations.
From ACM TechNews
Hackers Exploit Backdoor Built Into Zyxel Devices
Niels Teusink, a researcher at Netherlands-based security firm Eye Control, found that hackers are attempting to exploit a backdoor built into several Zyxel device...
From ACM TechNews
Kazakhstan Spies on Citizens' HTTPS Traffic; Browser-Makers Fight Back
Google, Mozilla, Apple, and Microsoft are partnering to stop Kazakhstan's government from decrypting and reading HTTPS-encrypted traffic between citizens and...
From ACM TechNews
Up to 3 Million Devices Infected by Malware-Laced Chrome and Edge Add-ons
Researchers warned Wednesday that up to 3 million devices have been infiltrated by malware-impregnated Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge browser extensions that...
From ACM News
New RISC-V CPU Claims Recordbreaking Performance per Watt
Micro Magic's new CPU offers decent performance with record-breaking efficiency.
From ACM TechNews
Undocumented Backdoor That Covertly Takes Snapshots Found in Kids' Smartwatch
Researchers at Norwegian security company Mnemonic found an undocumented backdoor in the X4 smartwatch marketed by children's watch vendor Xplora.
From ACM TechNews
Conservative Unease With Science Is Global, but Extreme in the U.S.
A Pew Research Center survey of about 1,000 people from 20 countries immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic found widespread trust in scientists and a strong...
From ACM TechNews
One of This Year's Most Severe Windows Bugs Is Now Under Active Exploit
Microsoft warns a high-impact vulnerability that allows hackers to instantly take control of Windows' Active Directory is being actively exploited by malicious...
From ACM TechNews
Android Is Now World's Largest Earthquake Detection Network
Google says it has created "the world's largest earthquake detection network" by adding quake detection features to almost all Google Play Android phones.
From ACM TechNews
This Device Keeps Voice Assistants From Snooping on You
An international team of researchers has developed a Raspberry Pi-based device that eventually may be able to warn users when Amazon's Alexa and other voice assistants...
From ACM TechNews
Uncovered: 1,000 Phrases That Incorrectly Trigger Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant
Researchers have identified more than 1,000 word sequences that incorrectly trigger voice assistants like Alexa, Google Home, and Siri.
From ACM TechNews
Machine Learning Clusters in Azure Hijacked to Mine Cryptocurrency
Microsoft's Azure Security Center reported a cryptojacking scheme in which attackers hijacked machine learning clusters inside the Azure cloud computing service...
From ACM TechNews