Rogue OpenAI bot escaped lab and hacked rival

A powerful version of ChatGPT went rogue and hacked another technology company during internal testing, OpenAI has admitted.

The Silicon Valley AI giant admitted last night that one of its AI bots escaped from a supposedly secure IT system during a trial-run of its hacking capabilities.

OpenAI, the $850bn (£630bn) AI lab, said the “unprecedented” hack had seen its AI bot infiltrate another AI and coding business called Hugging Face and attempt to steal information.

The hack will raise fears that AI labs could struggle to contain their most advanced creations and revive concerns that new tools could be repurposed for unstoppable cyber attacks.

www.telegraph.co.uk

Hackers are exploiting recently patched WordPress bugs, putting millions of websites at risk

Hackers are breaking into websites that run vulnerable versions of the popular blogging software WordPress, according to several cybersecurity firms. One estimate puts the number of vulnerable WordPress websites at tens of millions as of Monday.

Last week, WordPress patched two critical security flaws, urging people who run its software on their websites to update it “immediately.” The vulnerabilities are so severe that WordPress enabled forced updates where possible. Since then, cybersecurity companies Patchstack, Hexastrike, and WatchTowr have all warned that hackers are exploiting the vulnerabilities in the wild, meaning they are taking over websites that are still running susceptible versions of WordPress. 

It’s unclear how many WordPress-powered websites on the internet are at risk, but it’s possible to make some educated guesses. The vulnerable versions of WordPress are 6.9.0 through 6.9.4, and 7.0.0 to 7.0.1. According to WordPress’ official stats, there are more than 400 million websites that run those flawed versions, although these statistics likely don’t reflect websites that have recently been patched.

www.techcrunch.com

Metropolitan Police to scrap roads policing division

Scotland Yard is planning to scrap its entire roads policing unit, prompting fears London will become even more dangerous for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.

The Roads and Transport Policing Command (RTPC) could be axed and the responsibilities spread across other teams as part of reforms across the Metropolitan Police to save money.

While the unit specialises in responding to and investigating road-traffic accidents, it also works alongside other departments to prevent and detect crime on the roads.

The unit is regarded as a first line of defence in the fight against serious and organised criminals who use the roads to transport illicit goods such as drugs and weapons around the capital. READ MORE...

www.telegraph.co.uk

Future of Superbike Factory unknown as used bike retail chain call in administrators

Used motorcycle dealership group Superbike Factory have appointed administrators amid ongoing financial difficulties.

“On 20 July 2026, Michael Lennon, James Saunders and Robert Halliday of KR8 Advisory Ltd were appointed as Joint Administrators of Superbike Factory Group Limited and Superbike Factory Limited,” a statement on the firm’s website read. “The companies have ceased to trade with immediate effect.

“All enquiries regarding the companies or the administration, including those from customers, should be directed by email to SBF@kr8.co.uk,” it continued. “The affairs, business and property of the companies are being managed by the Joint Administrators, who act as agents of the companies and without personal liability.”

Comments have now also been limited on the firm’s social media platforms, and MCN have so far been unable to make direct contact with the management for further information.

www.motorcyclenews.com

Microsoft Patches a Record 570 Security Flaws

 

Microsoft has just released software updates to plug at least 570 security holes in its Windows operating systems and other software, almost triple the number of vulnerabilities the software giant fixed in its record-smashing Patch Tuesday release last month. Microsoft attributed the burgeoning patch counts to vulnerability discoveries aided by artificial intelligence.

Nearly 60 of the bugs quashed in July’s Patch Tuesday earned a “critical” severity rating, meaning miscreants or malware could use them to seize remote control over a Windows device with little or no help from the user. Microsoft also addressed three zero-day flaws, including two that are already being exploited in the wild.

www.krebsonsecurity.com

England could copy Wales' 20mph default speed limit with MPs hearing evidence this week

A 20mph default speed limit could be heading for England, with MPs set to quiz experts this week on whether to implement the strategy already seen in Wales.

The Transport Committee’s third evidence session takes place on Wednesday, July 15, when members will question a panel of experts on the topic as part of an ongoing inquiry into the Government’s road safety strategy.

Setting local speed limits is currently the job of councils and National Highways, but the strategy commits to updating the guidance on how those limits are decided – and Wednesday’s session will look at whether England should go further and adopt 20mph as a national default in built-up areas.

The uncomfortable part for anyone hoping the numbers would knock the idea on the head is that a 2025 parliamentary briefing found the safety case broadly stacks up.

There is, it says, strong evidence that 20mph limits and zones are associated with reduced casualties and fatalities. In Wales, casualties on 20mph and 30mph roads fell by 24% in April to June 2024, compared with the same period the year before the new limits were introduced.

Motorcyclists have never warmed to blanket 20mph zones: holding a bike steady at such low speeds is awkward, demands constant attention to the speedo rather than the road, and does little for machine control. Many riders also question how much safety benefit the limits actually deliver once the novelty wears off.

Meanwhile, in other news: EU satellite speed limiter plans could see vehicles automatically slowed in 20mph zones. The technology already exists to warn drivers about speeding – now the EU is examining whether vehicles should actively prevent it. So much for the freedom of the open road...

www.motorcyclenews.com

The US government warns that Russia state hackers are coming after your router

The US federal government is warning users of home and small office routers to secure their devices as Russia state hackers continue to mass-compromise them for use in obscuring nefarious actions against sensitive organizations in the public and private sectors.

Both the Russian and Chinese governments have been compromising routers for years, sometimes in prolonged tugs-of-war to wrest control of devices the other has already commandeered. The US government has occasionally issued covert commands and taken other steps to disinfect routers. Google and other companies have also worked to disrupt the massive botnets that control compromised routers in lockstep. The actions to date are little more than whack-a-mole exercises as the operators simply replace their botnets with new ones.

When was the last time you checked your router settings, or to see if it's running up to date firmware? Need a hand: contact Donline.

www.arstechnica.com