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Brain cancer cells exploit normal nerve signaling to multiply and invade, new study finds

Gliomas are malignant brain tumors that originate from glial cells, which do not produce electrical impulses like neurons but instead support neurons by maintaining their structure and function. They are the most common form of brain cancer in adults and hijack normal neuronal signaling, especially the protein neuroligin-3 (NLGN3), released by active nerve cells, to fuel their own growth and spread into healthy brain tissue. Researchers wanted to uncover how NLGN3 interacts with glioma cells and healthy OPCs, and the role it normally plays in healthy brain cells.

The researchers isolated the outer membranes of brain cancer cells from pediatric and adult patients, extracted their proteins and passed them through a laboratory column containing purified NLGN3 to see which proteins stuck to it.

They discovered that NLGN3 binds directly to a cell-surface receptor protein called CSPG4 (also known as NG2) on both brain cancer cells and healthy oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), which eventually develop into oligodendrocytes that produce the fatty myelin sheath insulating nerve fibers.

Astronomers Caught a Star Exploding Almost the Instant It Began

Astronomers witnessed a star’s death almost from the instant it began, catching an extraordinarily rare X-ray flash as a supernova erupted 500 million light-years away.

Astronomers rarely get to watch a star die from the beginning. Usually, a supernova is discovered only after the explosion is already well underway.

SN 2026gzf was different.

Humanity May Soon Have the Technology To Reach Other Star Systems

Tiny spacecraft riding beams of light could put humanity within reach of another star system in a single lifetime.

The recent confirmation of an atmosphere around a rocky exoplanet called LHS 1140b has created a wave of interest within the astronomy community. The planet orbits within the habitable zone around its parent star—a red dwarf located some 48 light-years from Earth.

The habitable zone is the region around the star where temperatures are just right for water to remain liquid at a planet’s surface. Astronomers detected helium being lost from the upper atmosphere of LHS 1140b. But heavier chemical compounds, such as water, which is a key ingredient for life, could exist lower in its atmosphere.

AmnesiaStealer Hijacks Chromium Sessions to Give Attackers Live Browser Control on macOS

“In effect, the remote_stream command turns an infected host into a live, operator-driven browser running the victim’s authenticated sessions, which is a materially different level of access from file collection.”

While the overall objectives of the malware are consistent with other stealers like Atomic Stealer, MacSync, and CrashStealer, three different aspects set it apart: a builder-driven configuration, operating system version-branched logic that reaches for macOS bypasses already patched by Apple, and a remote-control second stage that allows attackers to steal user cookies and evade detection through a stealth script that patches browser fingerprinting APIs.

AmnesiaStealer gets its name from a login page located at the root of the C2 host with the name “Amnesia Panel.” A failed login returns an error message in Russian, urging users to provide a correct login or password to sign in to the operator.

Apple sends new ‘Threat Notification’ alerts over mercenary spyware attacks

You’re not alone if you just received an “Apple Threat Notification” saying it detected a “mercenary spyware attack targeted at your iPhone.”

Some users on Reddit are reporting that they received these alerts today after Apple sent out a new batch of threat notifications on August 13, but the feature itself is not new.

Apple has been sending these threat notifications multiple times a year since 2021, when it detects highly targeted mercenary spyware attacks.

Ukraine shuts down 94 fraudulent call centers, seize millions in cash

Authorities in Ukraine shut down 94 fraudulent call centers across the country that lured people into investment scams or tried to obtain access to bank accounts.

The operation occurred this week, and police officers conducted a total of 411 searches following an investigation that involved the National Police, Ukraine’s Security Service, the Prosecutor General’s Office, and the German police.

According to the Ukrainian police, the fraudsters ran various schemes to obtain money from victims or gain access to their bank accounts.

Akira hackers disable EDR with Safe Mode, steal data but fail to encrypt

An Akira ransomware affiliate disabled the endpoint detection and response (EDR) solution on a compromised system by restarting the machine into Safe Mode with Networking.

The attack occurred on August 4 after the hacker obtained initial access through an exposed SonicWall VPN device without multi-factor authentication (MFA).

Managed detection and response (MDR) services company Huntress says that roughly two hours after a successful VPN login, the attacker connected to the domain controller via RDP, enumerated Active Directory users and computers, and then moved to an application server.

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