The 404 Media Podcast 404 Media

Some weeks are just crazy. On Friday, Windows machines around the world went down due to a faulty update to CrowdStrike's security software. We discuss what happened, and why, and the impact. After the break, Sam tells us how she vaped the internet (yep). In the subscribers-only section, we describe some leaked Cellebrite documents we got, which show what phones Cellebrite can (and can't) unlock.

To Fix CrowdStrike Blue Screen of Death Simply Reboot 15 Straight Times, Microsoft Says

CrowdStrike ‘Deeply Sorry for the Inconvenience’

CrowdStrike Outage Impacted U.S. Government Agencies

I Tried to Vape the Internet

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Sometimes a hack just completely blows you away. Late last week we learned that hackers had taken the call and text records of "nearly all" AT&T customers. That's absolutely staggering! We break down why it matters in the first half of the show, as well as discuss one of the hackers linked to the incident. After the break, Emanuel tells us about what the new Vice President hopeful JD Vance could mean for the AI industry. In the subscribers-only section, we talk all about a site selling faces for fraud.

Hackers Steal Text and Call Records of ‘Nearly All’ AT&T Customers

American Hacker in Turkey Linked to Massive AT&T Breach

Dunking on J.D. Vance’s ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Is ‘Unusual Behavior,’ Goodreads Says

AI Maxers Thrilled with Trump’s Vice President Pick JD Vance

Inside the Face Fraud Factory


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So, the Ticketmaster hack got a lot, lot worse. Jason breaks down why in the first half of the show. After the break, we talk more Ticketmaster, and how scalpers have teamed up with hackers to liberate "non-transferable" tickets. In the subscribers-only section, Joseph explains the latest with sales of netflow data to the U.S. government.

Ticketmaster Confirms Hack in SEC Filing

The Ticketmaster Hack Is Becoming a Logistical Nightmare for Fans and Brokers

Scalpers Work With Hackers to Liberate Ticketmaster's ‘Non-Transferable’ Tickets

U.S. Nuke Agency Buys Internet Backbone Data

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We start this episode talking about some exciting updates for the podcast! For the first story, Joseph explains how an ID verification service for TikTok, Uber, and X exposed driver licenses, in a sign of what may be come as more sites demand to know our real identities. After the break, Jason breaks down what the FBI found when it investigated a specific Zoom Bombing ring. In the subscribers-only section, Emanuel and Joseph talk all about TLO, a powerful data tool that is being advertised on Fiverr to dox anyone for $30.

ID Verification Service for TikTok, Uber, X Exposed Driver Licenses

'Local Residents' Terrorizing City Council Meetings Were Actually Overseas, Feds Allege

Fiverr Freelancers Offer to Dox Anyone With Powerful U.S. Data Tool

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Here's a fun one: Emanuel made his own ChatGPT-powered news site that ripped off our work and that of WIRED, The Verge, and others to show just how easy spinning up one of these AI click farms really is. After the break, we listen to some of the AI-generated music that has major record labels suing some startups. In the subscribers-only section, Sam tells us all about how a bunch of chatbots suddenly changed personality overnight.

I Paid $365.63 to Replace 404 Media With AI

Listen to the AI-Generated Ripoff Songs That Got Udio and Suno Sued


‘No Bot is Themselves Anymore:’ Character.ai Users Report Sudden Personality Changes to Chatbots


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Joseph is out this week, so the leftover crew considers what it means for Google image search to be taken over by AI images, talks about #finance, and discusses how an already sensationalist NY Times article about internet in the Amazon rainforest got further sensationalized.

Articles discussed:

AI Images in Google Search Results Have Opened a Portal to Hell
You Probably Unwittingly Voted to Give Elon Musk a Huge Raise
First Google Search Result for Tiananmen Square “Tank Man” Is AI Generated Selfie
‘Remote’ Amazonian Tribes Have Been Using the Internet for a Long Time
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