
Show Notes
A website called "UK visa portal" has been quietly collecting passport scans, selfies, and personal data from thousands of travellers who thought they were applying through official channels. They weren't. And when a journalist tried to warn the company, it was lawyers who responded. Meanwhile, a paper from Cornell suggests that prompt injection - the technique malicious actors use to trick AI agents into doing things they really shouldn't - may be fundamentally unsolvable. Which is err... awkward, because everyone is rushing to plug AI agents into their email, files, and corporate networks. Plus don't miss our featured interview with Andrea Sivieri of CoreView, who tells us how hackers can lock your entire organisation out of its Microsoft 365 environment... without having to trick you into running a single piece of malicious code or handing over a password. All this and more in episode 470 of the "Smashing Security" podcast with cybersecurity expert and keynote speaker Graham Cluley, and special guest Tanya Janca.
EPISODE LINKS: Hackers Simply Asked Meta AI to Give Them Access to High-Profile Instagram Accounts. It Worked - 404 Media. Canon Printer Vulnerability Leaks Plaintext Credentials - Praetorian. Password manager Dashlane says hackers stole some customers' password vaults - TechCrunch. UK Visa Portal exposed thousands of applicants’ passports and selfies — then called the lawyers on us - TechCrunch. AI Agents May Always Fall for Prompt Injections - ArXiv. MCP Security Crisis: Systemic Design Flaws in AI Agent Infrastructure - Cloud Security Alliance. From Preventive to Reactive: How AI Coding Assistants Transform Developers' Security Awareness - ArXiv. Design details that feel like magic - Design Spells. Singing lessons. Smashing Security merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, stickers and stuff)
SPONSORS: Vanta - Expand the scope of your security program with market-leading compliance automation… while saving time and money. Smashing Security listeners get $1000 off! CoreView - How secure is your Microsoft 365 tenant? Find out with CoreView's free Microsoft 365 Tenant Security Scanner. ESET - 30 years of threat research behind unique global telemetry, AI-native technology, and human expertise working together to keep your business protected.
SUPPORT THE SHOW: Tell your friends and colleagues about “Smashing Security”, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser. Become a supporter! Join Smashing Security PLUS via Patreon or Apple Podcasts for ad-free episodes on our early-release feed!
FOLLOW THE SHOW: Follow us on Bluesky or Mastodon, or on the Smashing Security subreddit, and visit our website for more episodes.
THANKS: Theme tune: "Vinyl Memories" by Mikael Manvelyan. Assorted sound effects: AudioBlocks.
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
More from Smashing Security
Imagine buying a brand new hardware wallet for your cryptocurrency with the shrink-wrap still on... what could possibly be hiding inside? We break out a Geiger counter and a cat to find out. Meanwhile, malicious ads are targeting journalists with zero-click attacks. Plus, Origin’s Spencer Thompson reveals what AI agents are really getting up to on your employees’ laptops when nobody’s looking. All this and more in episode 489 of the “Smashing Security” podcast with cybersecurity expert and keynote speaker Graham Cluley, and special guest Lianne Potter.
A ransomware negotiator attended a cybersecurity conference, only to be arrested by the FBI in connection with its investigation into the ShinyHunters gang. Meanwhile, hackers get the keys to ASOS's app and the chance to message every single customer. What did they say? And how did the company respond? We have thoughts. All this and more is discussed in episode 488 of the "Smashing Security" podcast with cybersecurity expert and keynote speaker Graham Cluley, and special guest Paul Ducklin.
Microsoft's Twitter account, with its 13 million followers, was hijacked by a paperclip. There was no ransomware or data theft, just Clippy, a dodgy crypto coin, and a corporate apology that wasn't from Microsoft either. Meanwhile, UK losses from hacked email and social media accounts have rocketed by 417%, as scammers pose as your friends to flog you tickets to gigs that don't exist. Plus, Hack The Box's Christine Bartlett joins us for a featured interview to ask what happens when AI agents join your security team, and whether anyone has thought to give them a performance review. All this and more in episode 487 of the "Smashing Security" podcast with cybersecurity expert and keynote speaker Graham Cluley, and special guest Danny Palmer.
A store in Auckland vibe-coded itself a new website. Within hours, its inventory had somehow expanded to include a pair of crusty socks, an $850 banana, and all of New Zealand's national parks. What could possibly have gone wrong? Meanwhile, a hacker collective backed a truck into one of the license-plate-reading Flock safety cameras popping up on American street corners, and took a very close look inside. All this and more in episode 486 of the "Smashing Security" podcast with cybersecurity expert and keynote speaker Graham Cluley, and special guest Dave Bittner.
Researchers wanted to test if LG's smart TVs come with any security risks - but their lawyers noticed a snag: the terms and conditions would forbid it. So they came up with a solution. They got plastered before setting up the TV, on the reasoning that you can't be legally bound to a contract you agreed to while drunk. What they discovered will make you look at your TV rather differently... Meanwhile, awful Android malware with the audacious name "Awesome" (in Indonesian) is doing the rounds, stealing your data, demanding a ransom, and then giving you a "jump scare"... Plus, in our featured interview, Andy Hornegold of Intruder explains why the mid-market is where cybercriminals are having the most fun right now - and how AI is helping attackers get from "first foot in the door" to "full ransomware disaster" in less than a working day. All this and more in episode 485 of the "Smashing Security" podcast with cybersecurity expert and keynote speaker Graham Cluley, and special guest Lianne Potter.