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Short summaries of the cyber-crime stories moving in India and globally. We link back to the original source — always.

macOS Audio System Vulnerability Exploited
Malware

macOS Audio System Vulnerability Exploited

A security researcher has detailed the exploitation of CVE-2024-54529, a type confusion vulnerability in Apple's CoreAudio framework affecting the coreaudiod system daemon on macOS. The flaw exists in the com.apple.audio.audiohald Mach service, where message handlers incorrectly assume object types without proper validation. This allows attackers to trigger crashes by manipulating virtual function calls on mistyped objects. The vulnerability was discovered through knowledge-driven fuzzing techniques. The researcher documented the technical process of converting the crash into a working exploit, demonstrating how improper type checking in system-level audio services can be weaponized. Apple users should apply security updates addressing this vulnerability. Source: Security Research Blog.

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Windows 11 Administrator Protection Feature Had Multiple Vulnerabilities
Malware

Windows 11 Administrator Protection Feature Had Multiple Vulnerabilities

Windows 11's latest version (25H2) introduced Administrator Protection to replace the older User Account Control (UAC) system. This new feature aims to provide stronger security by limiting administrator access only when needed. However, security researchers discovered nine separate vulnerabilities in the feature that could allow attackers to silently gain full administrator privileges. All reported issues were fixed by Microsoft before official release through security update KB5067036 and subsequent bulletins. UAC, introduced in Windows Vista, also faced similar security limitations as it didn't create a hard security boundary. Administrator Protection addresses these weaknesses with improved design. Note: Microsoft disabled the feature on December 1, 2025, due to application compatibility issues. Source: Security research blog.

via RSS: Google Project ZeroRead source
Android Security Gaps: Experts Warn on 0-Click Exploits
Malware

Android Security Gaps: Experts Warn on 0-Click Exploits

Security researchers have identified critical vulnerabilities in Android devices, particularly the Pixel 9, exploitable through 0-click attack chains that require no user interaction. The analysis reveals that audio decoding processes in Google Messages and text-to-speech features create unnecessary attack surfaces by supporting rarely-used codecs like Dolby UDC. These decoders are typically not used for regular messaging but remain active, increasing vulnerability risks. Experts recommend removing uncommonly-used decoders from automatic processing to reduce exposure. The report also warns that AI-powered mobile features, while beneficial, may inadvertently expand 0-click attack surfaces without proper security review. Vendors must carefully evaluate how new features impact device security before deployment to protect users from sophisticated exploitation techniques.

via RSS: Google Project ZeroRead source