News
- Google warns of ongoing captive portal hijack attacks
- Captive portals were being abused to redirect people to fake Adobe update sites
- The "updates" deployed different malware and backdoors
Google has issued a warning about a Chinese state-sponsored hacking attack targeting users in real-time.
The company’s cybersecurity arm, the Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG), published a new blog outlining how it saw “evidence of a captive portal hijack being used to deliver malware disguised as an Adobe Plugin update to targeted entities.”
Apparently, this campaign is the work of a group known as UNC6384, a Chinese state-sponsored actor, possibly tied to Silk Typhoon, a group known for cyber-espionage campaigns against government, critical infrastructure, and telco organizations in the West. The campaign, according to Google, targeted diplomats in Southeast Asia, as well as other entities around the world.
Fake security updatesA captive portal is essentially a login page. It usually pops up on public networks, such as on airports, or in coffee shops - right after connecting to the network, but before gaining access to the public internet. Sometimes it asks users to register an account, and sometimes viewing an ad and clicking “connect” is enough to be granted access.
Now, Google claims the Chinese compromised edge devices on those target networks (routers, firewalls, VPN gateways, and the such), and then used the instances to hijack the portals and redirect visitors to a malicious landing page.
Visitors are then prompted to download a “security update” for Adobe which is, in fact, malware. The initial payload, an MSI package, installs stage-two malware including CANONSTAGER and SOGU.SEC. The latter is a backdoor that connects to the attacker-controlled C2 server and grants unabated access to the target computer.
Google first observed this attack in March this year and sent out alerts to Gmail and Workspace users.
Whenever China is accused of engaging in cyber-warfare against its adversaries in the West, it denies any involvement and repeats its stance that the US is the biggest cyber-bully right now.
You might also like- Microsoft says Chinese Silk Typhoon hackers are targeting cloud and IT apps to steal business data
- Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app
- We've rounded up the best password managers
- Improvements are heading to the Google Home app
- Camera feeds should be more reliable and quicker
- The updates are rolling out for Android and iOS devices
It's not been the best of times for the Google Home ecosystem, what with a crescendo of user complaints rising about buggy devices and apps in recent weeks. Google is now at least bringing some improvements to the Google Home app for Android and iOS, connected to Nest cameras and doorbells.
In a somewhat apologetic post on the Google Nest Community message boards, a member of the Nest team outlines the improvements. While the reported bugs with Google smart home kit aren't addressed directly, they are alluded to.
"We also wanted to take a moment to thank you all," the post reads. "While we may not always hit the mark, we remain committed to listening to our users and building intuitive, reliable, and high-performing camera features for your home."
If you do own a Nest camera of some description, here are five of the most notable upgrades heading your way.
1. Faster previewsCamera previews will now show a cached image from a previous live view: while it means the view might be slightly out of date until it's fully loaded, it does mean you'll be able to identify which camera is which more quickly if you've got several set up in the app.
2. Improved gesturesGestures have been simplified, so you can now switch between the timeline and events views with a single swipe. Expanding and collapsing live views, and dismissing camera feeds, are also now controlled with one swipe, making it easier to get around the app.
Swipe gestures now work more intuitively (Image credit: Google)3. Better notificationsNotification previews have been improved as well, so on both Android and iOS you'll see a static thumbnail together with a large animated preview – the intention is that you get a better idea of what the alert is about without having to open up the Google Home app.
4. Accurate reportingGoogle says that the Google Home app is now better at reporting whether your cameras are online or offline, so you know the status of every camera at all times. The same under-the-hood optimizations should mean live streaming performance is better too.
5. Smoother performanceSpeaking of performance, further tweaks made by the Google Home team are going to reduce latency, reduce the likelihood of "no video available" errors, and ensure camera streams can be recovered more quickly when they're switched off and then back on.
These improvements come on top of previous upgrades added by the Google team, which they also mention in the same post: they include increased clarity for videos, a more seamless timeline experience, and a quick seek feature for jumping through video clips.
As well as these software enhancements, it looks very much like new hardware is on the way, as four new Nest devices have recently leaked. Despite lots of evidence to the contrary, it seems that perhaps Google hasn't forgotten about the smart home after all.
You might also like- NeoLogic raises $10 million to advance CMOS+ CPUs, reducing circuit complexity
- CMOS+ enables 6-32 input gates, reducing power use and die size
- First processors expected in 2026, targeting energy efficient AI data center workloads
NeoLogic has raised $10 million in in Series A funding as it works to change how processors are designed.
Founded in 2021, the Israel-based company (with a US presence planned for the future) is not focusing on transistor scaling, the traditional path of the semiconductor industry, but rather on reducing the complexity of circuits.
Its CMOS+ technology integrates standard CMOS gates with reduced complexity gates, cutting transistor counts by as much as three times at any process node.
Up to 50% lower energy useConventional CMOS is limited by fan-in, with gates typically handling no more than four inputs.
Designers rely on tree structures to handle higher inputs, which increases both chip area and power use.
NeoLogic’s CMOS+ enables single stage gates that handle between 6 and 32 inputs, shortening the critical path while reducing area and energy consumption.
The company says processors built with CMOS+ can lower power use by up to 50 percent and reduce chip area by up to 40 percent while keeping latency on par with current designs.
These improvements are compatible with existing CMOS manufacturing processes, from 130nm down to 2nm, as well as standard EDA tools, so adoption won’t require new infrastructure.
By cutting die size and improving yield, CMOS+ provides cost advantages at advanced nodes, where wafer costs and development expenses rise sharply.
It’s more than just gates, however, as CMOS+ also offers power efficient registers, buffers, and arithmetic blocks. Together, NeoLogic says, these elements give chip designers a new infrastructure that simplifies processor design while achieving better power and area tradeoffs.
“We are backing NeoLogic as they push the boundaries of computing with their breakthrough approach to energy-efficient processors," said Talia Rafaeli, Partner at KOMPAS VC, which led the latest funding round. "The team’s deep technical expertise and innovative CMOS+ technology position them to impact the AI data center space significantly.”
NeoLogic sees CMOS+ as a way to deliver more efficient computing without departing from established tools and processes. It has begun demonstrating its first processors to customers and expects deployment in data centers starting in 2026.
Via eeNews Embedded
You might also likeAsk anyone in the luxury business about what well-heeled Chinese customers demand and the answer is almost unanimously pointed towards technology. But Bentley’s CEO, Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, has just claimed that digital will never be luxurious.
"It will be maybe expensive, but not luxury," Walliser told Newsweek, going on to state that there will be always be a need for good craftsmanship.
While many modern luxury brands will agree, there has been a huge shift in what the next generation of wealthy individuals want, with Istituto Marangoni, a leading private school of fashion, art and design, claiming that China will account for 25% of the global personal luxury goods market by 2030.
Gen Z and Millennials, who account 70% of luxury spending, are looking more towards advanced AI assistants, immersive virtual reality and the latest innovations in technology, rather than overt displays of wealth.
Walliser doesn’t deny the need to embrace new and emerging technologies, seeing as the company is slated to launch its first dedicated EV next year. But he does go on to say in his Newsweek interview that luxury is linked to material and craftsmanship, like art.
"Digital art is not so successful. I will not say that it does not exist, but is it the breakthrough? No, it's not," he goes on to explain.
Bentley has recently been doubling-down on its efforts to deliver hand-crafted and highly bespoke vehicles to those willing to pay for it.
A recent ‘Ombre by Mulliner’ gradient paint finish, for example, is said to take 56 hours of handcraft to deliver and costs around £50,000 / $67,000 / AU$105,000, according to one CarWow configurator.
Similarly, its One plus One Batur convertible features an interior hand-finished by Bentley's Mulliner division with contrasting driver and front passenger seats, complete with a bespoke, two-piece luggage set at the customer’s request.
As a result, three in four Bentleys are leaving Bentley’s Crewe HQ with bespoke Mulliner content. More than ever, according to Newsweek.
Analysis: Ignoring digital is dangerous(Image credit: Bentley)While the luxury automakers continue to lean heavily on their brand history and traditional production methods, the market has seen a significant downturn in China, which was once considered a major source of sales for the likes of Rolls-Royce, Bentley and more.
There have been changes in luxury taxes and financial uncertainty that will have impacted trade, but the boom in the EV industry has also opened up a sizable technological chasm between the east and the west.
What’s more, younger generations across the globe are increasingly looking for the latest digital features, advances in AI and automated driving technology as key reasons to make a purchase.
Xiaomi, for example, sold more than 135,000 SU7 models in China last year, despite being its debut EV, while Porsche managed to shift just 56,887 units of all of its models during the same timeframe.
In fact, most of the major German luxury brands are struggling in China for this very reason. Although it is still to be seen whether the likes of Xiaomi, Yangwang and more will make an impact beyond their domestic market.
Despite the fact that ultra-luxury brands tend to feel the economic impacts to a lesser extent, navigating the digital world remains a tricky task, as they don’t want to lose their identity but also want to avoid alienating new buyers thanks to a lack of technology.
Aston Martin’s recent pairing with Apple CarPlay Ultra is an excellent example of this, as the software proved excellent and arguably what CarPlay users have been demanding for years, but the masses of Apple-controlled screens also made the vehicle feel less special.
You might also like- I’ve tried Apple CarPlay Ultra – it fixes everything that’s irritating about CarPlay, but there’s a catch
- The most powerful Rolls-Royce in history is electric and it’s here to boost performance – and the marque's luxury appeal
- Move over, Rolls-Royce – America’s first homegrown ultra-luxury vehicle in almost a century is here to steal its crown
- Nvidia’s H20 chip became collateral in a heated geopolitical clash
- Nvidia’s revenue stream risks serious disruption with the Chinese market tightening
- Chinese tech giants hesitate to abandon Nvidia hardware for weaker alternatives
China’s recent decision to tighten restrictions on Nvidia’s H20 chip sales has drawn attention not only because of the technology involved, but also because of the circumstances which triggered it.
Reports indicate comments made by U. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in mid-July 2025 were viewed as both “insulting” and brash by China's government.
In a televised interview, Lutnick stated Washington’s strategy was to ensure Chinese developers became “addicted” to the American technology stack.
Rising tensions after controversial remarks“We don’t sell them our best stuff, not our second-best stuff, not even our third-best,” Lutnick had told CNBC.
“You want to sell the Chinese enough that their developers get addicted to the American technology stack, that’s the thinking,” he added.
The Chinese considered this remark unnecessarily arrogant, and it is now engineering a move that presents sustained sales headwinds for Nvidia, a company that has long viewed the country as a major market.
The H20 chip, developed specifically for China after export controls restricted access to more advanced models, had become a key product for local AI firms.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang visited Beijing recently, and stressed the firm’s commitment to staying competitive in the region.
Still, with China accounting for at least 15% of Nvidia’s total revenue, any disruption to H20 orders represents a serious challenge.
Washington and Beijing had previously struck a framework agreement earlier in 2025 allowing H20 sales to resume in China while Beijing restored some rare earth exports.
That deal was interpreted as a step toward stabilizing relations. Yet by late July 2025, Chinese regulators such as the Cyberspace Administration of China and the Ministry of Industry and Technology began advising firms to halt new H20 orders.
This guidance, framed as a response to Lutnick’s remarks, highlights the fragility of recent progress.
Alongside the restrictions, Beijing has promoted the use of domestic chips, including those from Huawei.
However, doubts remain about their effectiveness, and DeepSeek had to delay the launch of its new R2 model after difficulties training with Huawei Ascend processors.
Chinese tech giants like Alibaba, Baidu, and ByteDance have also been reluctant to fully switch, citing stronger performance from Nvidia hardware compared with local alternatives.
The episode illustrates how political statements can rapidly alter corporate fortunes, especially when national security and technology leadership are at stake.
While Nvidia has disputed claims of security risks tied to its products, Beijing’s regulators appear determined to limit reliance on US-made chips.
Whether Chinese firms can scale up to fill the gap remains uncertain, but what is clear is that Lutnick’s words have accelerated a process of decoupling that may unfold far quicker than industry analysts initially expected.
Via Financial Times
You might also like- Microsoft restricts access to its cyber early warning systems for some Chinese firms
- Access powerful chips with the best cloud computing services
- Fancy an upgrade? Check out the best business laptops and best mobile workstations