December 2023 watercooler topics

At Zetier, throughout the month we share news and articles of interest over Slack. This serves as a virtual watercooler for us as our team is spread around the country. This post is the first of an occasional series in which we share those articles that captured our attention. These tend to be on technical topics, such as articles about relevant tools or new security research. Some of them are just fun quirks that we find, like the discovery of an engine from the Concord available on eBay. Visit our website’s blog page regularly to see what gems we have been talking about.

Tech and Cybersecurity Focused:

1. Hardening Cellular Basebands in Android: Enhancing Android’s defense-in-depth strategy, including the use of integer overflow and array bounds sanitizers. Read more.
2. NTLM Hash Lookup Database: Over eight billion hashes in a handy tool for resolving NTLM hashes to plaintext passwords. Explore the tool.
3. New ICBM Technologies: The integration of modern technology into ICBMs raises cybersecurity questions in national defense. Read the article.
4. Mystery of iPhone’s Computational Photography: An unusual iPhone photo phenomenon explained. Read on PetaPixel.
5. Google’s Critique: A look at Google’s efficient and developer-friendly internal code review tool. Learn more about Critique.
6. GDlog: GPU-Accelerated Deductive Engine: A paper on a GPU-based deductive analytics engine, significant for data processing and security. Read the paper.
7. PoolParty: Process Injection Techniques: Techniques that exploit Windows Thread Pools, crucial for cybersecurity strategies. Check out PoolParty.
8. Sourcegraph: Code Intelligence Platform: An innovative platform for code search and analysis. Read about Sourcegraph.
9. Kythe: Google’s Code Indexing System: A language-agnostic ecosystem for building tools that work with code. Explore Kythe.
10. V8’s Garbage Collector Developments: Improvements in memory management and its security implications. Read the article.
11. Bluetooth Security Vulnerability CVE-2023-45866: A critical flaw affecting multiple devices. Read the report and see the original announcement.
12. PostgreSQL and FIPS Mode: Insights into PostgreSQL’s compatibility with FIPS mode. Read the blog post.
13. Using NeRF to Rebuild Rooms from Eye Reflections: A novel use of NeRF technology with privacy implications. Read the paper and watch videos.
14. Terrapin Attack on SSH: Breaking SSH channel integrity by manipulating sequence numbers. Learn more.
15. AI Cyber Challenge Event: DARPA’s AI Cyber Challenge (AIxCC) and its impact on cybersecurity. Watch the event.
16. Operation Triangulation: iPhone Security Mystery: Exploring attackers’ methods to bypass iPhone’s hardware-based security. Read the Securelist article.
17. Intentionally Buggy Commits and Ethics in Code: A discussion on the ethical implications of intentionally buggy commits in the Linux kernel. Read on LWN.net.

Lighter Discussions and Finds:

1. Amazon Driver Tip Feature: A feature to tip Amazon delivery drivers without any cost. Read on X (formerly Twitter).
2. Blackstone’s 2023 Holiday Video: A fun watch for the holiday season. Watch the video.
3. Ikon Pass Discounts at Steamboat: For those planning a skiing trip, here’s a way to save. Check the offer.
4. Range Rovers as Theft Magnets: How theft rates impact car values. Read the article.
5. Concorde Turbo-Jet Engine for Sale: A unique find for aviation enthusiasts. See the eBay listing. (Note from the Editor: Listing has expired)
6. Guide to Tackiest Holiday Homes: A fun holiday lights drive near our Arlington office. See the guide.
7. Bicycle Cyberpunk-Inspired Playing Cards Deal: A slick deal for fans of the cyberpunk aesthetic. Find the deal.
8. Who is Satoshi Nakamoto: Two theories were discussed, one proposing he could have been the late hacker Len Sassaman. Read the Medium article. However, the coincidences regarding the NSA outlined in a Bitcoin News article also were intriguing. Explore the Bitcoin News article.

We hope you found a few of these topics as interesting as we did. They not only reflect our professional interests but also our diverse personalities and hobbies. Stay tuned for our next watercooler installment. If there is something you think we’d find interesting, let us know at hello@zetier.com.