Explaining 'log4j' and Why it's a Serious Cybersecurity Threat

In early December a cybersecurity threat was discovered with the popular “log4j” utility. The Post has a good piece on the exploit, explained in non-jargon.

The fact that log4j is such a ubiquitous piece of software is what makes this such a big deal. Imagine if a common type of lock used by millions of people to keep their doors shut was suddenly discovered to be ineffective. Switching a single lock for a new one is easy, but finding all the millions of buildings that have that defective lock would take time and an immense amount of work.

Wi-Fi Gateway From Airangel Affects Hundreds of Hotels

Security researcher Etizaz Mohsin says that the Airangel HSMX Gateway, used by many hotels to offer Wi-Fi to guests, contains hardcoded passwords that are easy to guess.

With those passwords, which we are not publishing, an attacker could remotely gain access to the gateway’s settings and databases, which store records about the guest’s using the Wi-Fi. With that access, an attacker could access and exfiltrate guest records, or reconfigure the gateway’s networking settings to unwittingly redirect guests to malicious webpages, he said.

Change Is a Foot – Mac Geek Gab 906

Did you know Siri can record your voice and send that to someone? Did you know you could stream directly from Plex to Sonos? How about running your vacuum when you’re not home? These are the Quick Tips John and Dave share in the very first segment of the show… and then it grows from there! Your two favorite geeks help a few listeners solve their mesh Wi-Fi problems, the M1’s mouse-related memory leak gets a little clearer, and Mac mini wake-from-sleep issues are resolved…some of them, at least! Press play and enjoy learning at least five new things!

Ledger Adds Polygon (MATIC) Support in Ledger Live

Owners of a Ledger cryptocurrency wallet can now manage, buy, and swap MATIC through the Ledger Live app. Polygon (MATIC) is a full-stack Ethereum scaling platform allowing fast transactions and low fees.

You can now create a MATIC account in your Ledger Live app, buy MATIC with our partners (MoonPay), swap them (1inch or Paraswap) and send them through your Ledger Live app, with no need for another wallet! It’s convenient and safe.