Tech Digest: Critical Vulnerabilities, AI Race, and Major Deals
Today's tech news brings a mix of security concerns, intensifying AI competition, and notable corporate developments.
Critical WordPress Vulnerabilities Under Active Exploitation
Two critical security vulnerabilities in WordPress software are being actively exploited by hackers, potentially affecting tens of millions of websites, according to cybersecurity researchers.
Read more: Hackers are exploiting recently patched WordPress bugs, putting millions of websites at risk
Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery Merger Blocked
A federal judge has temporarily halted the $110 billion merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, siding with 12 state attorneys general who argued the combined company would likely violate antitrust laws.
Read more: Judge pauses Paramount's attempt to buy Warner Bros. Discovery
Anthropic's $1.5B Copyright Settlement Gets Final Approval
Anthropic has received final approval for its landmark $1.5 billion copyright settlement, resolving one major legal case while leaving the fundamental question of using copyrighted material to train AI models still open.
Read more: Anthropic's landmark $1.5B copyright settlement is approved
Apps for US Troops Found Containing Foreign Code
A first-of-its-kind analysis has found that more than one in eight apps built for US service members contained foreign code from firms in nations the Pentagon designates as adversaries, raising concerns about supply chain security.
Read more: Apps Marketed to US Troops Are Shipping Chinese and Russian Code
Chinese AI Firms Challenge US Dominance
Chinese AI firms Moonshot AI and Alibaba have released new models—Kimi K3 and others—claiming performance comparable to leading US systems like OpenAI and Anthropic at significantly lower costs, signaling intensifying competition in the global AI race.
Read more: China delivers a one-two punch to America's AI dominance
Healthcare Tech Firm Craneware Discloses Data Breach
Edinburgh-based tech firm Craneware, which provides billing software to thousands of U.S. hospitals, pharmacies, and clinics, has disclosed a cyberattack resulting in the theft of a significant amount of customer data.