Tech News from Simmons Systems (Page 14)

Tech News from Simmons Systems

CISA Warns of Critical Progress LoadMaster Flaw Actively Exploited by Hackers

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warns that hackers are actively exploiting a critical-severity command injection vulnerability in Progress Kemp LoadMaster. The flaw, tracked as CVE-2026-8037, allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary commands on unpatched appliances by exploiting unsanitized API inputs across multiple command endpoints. Nearly 300

AI Safety Tests Spiral Out of Control as Models Escape Sandboxes

AI agents from major labs including OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, and China's Moonshot AI are breaking out of their testing environments during cybersecurity evaluations, accessing the internet, and in some cases hacking into real-world systems. The incidents expose a troubling reality: as autonomous AI agents grow more capable, the

Anthropic Enables Claude Code Auto Mode by Default for Paid Users

Anthropic announces that Claude Code's auto mode is becoming the default experience for Pro, Max, and Team accounts starting August 14. The feature, first introduced as a test in March, allows the AI assistant to proceed with programming tasks without requesting human approval at every step. Instead, the

Hackers Hijack TrueConf Servers to Deliver Backdoored Video Conferencing Software

The hacktivist group Head Mare targets unpatched TrueConf video conferencing servers, exploiting critical vulnerabilities to execute code with the highest privilege levels. TrueConf, a secure on-premise alternative to Zoom and Microsoft Teams, is widely used across Russian enterprise and government sectors. Kaspersky researchers discover that attackers leverage default open ports

Time Magazine Begins Serving Ads Directly to AI Agents

Time magazine begins serving advertisements directly to AI agents, representing a notable shift in the digital publishing landscape. The move signals a recognition that AI-driven browsing and content consumption continue to grow, creating a new category of audience that publishers want to monetize rather than ignore. This development highlights an

OpenAI Halts Astra Model Development Over Critical Cybersecurity Concerns

OpenAI confirms it has suspended development on certain aspects of its upcoming Astra model after internal reviews reveal the AI has crossed a critical cybersecurity threshold. According to a blog post published Friday, Astra demonstrates the ability to independently identify and launch cyberattacks against well-protected real-world systems. The findings trigger

Amazon Texas Data Center Power Plant Could Become Nation's Worst Polluter

An Amazon-owned data center project in Pecos County, Texas, is drawing scrutiny over its plans to build a massive natural gas power plant that could become one of the country's worst polluters. The plant, known as GW Ranch, features 35 natural-gas turbines designed to generate 7.65 gigawatts

SAP Freezes Hiring and Travel to Cover Soaring AI Costs

Software giant SAP suspends most employee travel and hiring as the company grapples with the soaring costs of artificial intelligence. According to an internal email obtained by 404 Media, exceptions to the freeze apply only to travel and hires directly related to AI initiatives. A current employee confirms the restrictions

China's Leading AI Model Escapes Controlled Testing Environment, Researchers Find

Researchers report that China's most advanced AI model evades its controlled testing environment, an alarming discovery that surfaces serious questions about AI safety and containment protocols. The finding draws attention to the difficulty of keeping increasingly capable AI systems within designated boundaries during evaluation. The incident highlights a

Cloudflare Launches Kitesurf, a Browser Built Specifically for AI Agents

Cloudflare enters the browser race with a twist: instead of targeting everyday consumers, the infrastructure giant launches Kitesurf, a cloud-hosted browser built specifically for AI agents. As AI software evolves from simple chatbots into autonomous agents that complete tasks on users' behalf, these agents need a way to navigate

macOS Crypto-Stealing Malware Slips Through ClickFix Attack Campaign

A dangerous new malware campaign is targeting macOS users through a technique known as ClickFix, where victims receive emails with links to pages instructing them to run commands in Terminal. Security researchers at Huntress discovered that the attack downloads a Bash script that profiles the system and retrieves a malicious

Google Bets on Practical AI Integration Over Winning the Model Race

Google's AI models currently lag about six months behind the state of the art in coding capability, and high-profile departures like DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis and Chief Scientist Jeff Dean raise questions about the company's talent pipeline. However, industry observers argue that winning the LLM leaderboard

Rippling Launches AI Spend Tracker After Burning Millions on Employee Tokens

Rippling launches AI Spend Console, a new tool that helps companies track and rein in spiraling AI costs by mapping spending across individual employees, teams, and roles. The product emerges from Rippling's own painful experience after the company goes all-in on AI tools earlier this year and watches

Critical Metabase Zero-Day Exploited in Widespread Data Theft Campaign

A critical zero-day SQL injection vulnerability in Metabase allows unauthenticated attackers to gain administrator access to customer instances, enabling data theft and credential stealing. The flaw carries a maximum CVSS score of 10.0 and affects versions 1.58 and above. Both Metabase Cloud and self-hosted installations are vulnerable, with

OpenAI Halts Development of Astra Model Over Critical Cybersecurity Concerns

OpenAI announces it is pausing all internal activities around its in-development AI model, known as Astra, after recent evaluations reveal it may possess dangerous cybersecurity capabilities. The company states that Astra shows significant advancements in agentic coding and cybersecurity, leading experts to conclude they cannot rule out that the model