Short Takes – 12-3-24

Code found online exploits LogoFAIL to install Bootkitty Linux backdoor. ArsTechnica.com article. Pull quote: ““LogoFAIL was a theoretical vulnerability, and the PoC was not weaponized,” Binarly founder and CEO Alex Matrosov wrote in an interview, referring to the proof-of-concept code released by Binarly as part of the company's earlier disclosure. “This discovery shows the issues, which are hard to fix around the ecosystem, could be exploited in the wild and weaponized. The funny part is it's almost a year since we disclosed it publicly, and this happens now when threat actors have adopted it.””

Saturn’s rings will ‘disappear’ next year: Here’s why. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: ““Unfortunately, Saturn will be very close to the Sun in the sky in March, so it will be difficult to catch this from small telescopes,” she said. “However, because the Earth’s orbit is short, a similar geometry will occur in November, when Saturn is easier to view, but it won’t be quite as edge-on as in March, so the rings may be barely visible.””

Trump Labor pick surprises unions, rattles business. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: ““Trump has been very transactional,” Arthur Wheaton, director of labor studies at the Cornell School of Industrial and Labor Relations’s Buffalo Co-Lab, said in an interview. “Labor, in some small part, helped him get across the finish line, and he took the advice from Sean O’Brien [Teamsters President]. … I think that’s who was whispering in his ear.””

Raw milk producer optimistic after being shut down for bird flu detection. ArsTechnica.com article. Pull quote: “According to a November 27 alert by the California health department, officials in Santa Clara County found evidence of bird flu virus in retail samples of a batch of Raw Farm's milk, which has been recalled. It is the second time that retail testing has turned up positive results for the company and spurred a recall. The first contaminated batch was reported on November 24. The two recalled batches are those with lot codes 20241109 ("Best By" date of November 27, 2024) and 20241119 (Best By date of December 7, 2024).”

China Bans Rare Mineral Exports to the U.S. NYTimes.com article (free). Pull quote: “The United States could be somewhat less vulnerable to China’s measures now than Japan was then. Many chemical factories in the United States have closed in recent decades, so the country already buys semi-processed materials from countries other than China.”