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Just 50°C decides whether an ultrathin magnetic film stays flat or falls apart

Magnetic storage technologies, which store information in the direction of magnetization, play an essential role in modern data storage. Hard disk drives (HDDs) are widely used for long-term storage, while nonvolatile magnetic random-access memory (MRAM) is emerging as a promising alternative to flash memory.

These devices rely on epitaxial ultrathin magnetic alloy films in which two atomic species are arranged in alternating layers along a single crystallographic direction. This structure creates a large magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy (MAE), making the magnetic state more stable and preventing stored bits from accidentally flipping.

The more perfectly ordered the atomic arrangement—measured by the degree of L10 ordering—the greater the MAE and thermal stability of each magnetic bit.

When security becomes a risk factor—privacy risks of public URL-scanning services

URL scanning services are now a common component of modern security workflows. They help detect phishing websites or malware early and warn users before they visit a URL. However, the practice of some of these services—publishing scanned URLs—can inadvertently expose sensitive user data. CISPA researcher Ali Mustafa, together with colleagues from the Max Planck Institute for Security and Privacy and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, conducted the first systematic investigation of the risks arising from this practice.

The researchers presented their paper, “LEAKYLINKS: Measuring the Security and Privacy Risks of URL Scanning Services,” at the IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy 2026.

URL scanning services such as URLScan, VirusTotal or Cloudflare Radar automatically analyze websites for suspicious content. “For example, they check network requests, site reputations or embedded scripts, thereby helping companies and individuals detect malicious websites early on,” Mustafa explains.

Nuclear Reactors Keep Emitting a Hidden Signal Long After They Shut Down

Long after a nuclear reactor goes dark, its radioactive fuel continues to whisper through matter, leaving behind a hidden signal that scientists have detected for the first time.

Turning off a nuclear reactor stops the chain reaction, but it does not make the reactor completely quiet. Long after the core goes dark, radioactive fragments left behind by fission continue to decay, releasing a faint stream of nearly undetectable particles known as antineutrinos.

Now, scientists have measured that lingering signal directly for the first time. Using the Double Chooz experiment in France, researchers detected antineutrinos emitted after two nuclear reactors had been shut down, revealing the subtle particle “afterglow” produced by partially used fuel in the cores and spent fuel stored nearby.

One of the Thinnest Transistor Interfaces Yet Could Reshape Future Chips

A sub-nanometer buffer improved atomically thin transistors, pushing future chips closer to silicon’s limits.

A transistor channel only one atom thick sounds like an ideal foundation for the next generation of computer chips. But surrounding that channel with the materials needed to control it can erase much of its advantage.

Researchers at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) and TSMC Corporate Research have now demonstrated a possible way around that problem. Instead of developing another semiconductor, they redesigned the tiny interface where the semiconductor meets its insulating layer.

Nearly 800 Malicious npm Packages Deliver CrossPlatform RAT and Infostealer

A cluster of nearly 800 malicious packages has been published to the npm registry as part of a new campaign designed to deliver cross-platform malware targeting Windows, Mac, and Linux systems.

“These packages appear to use AI slop squatted, or randomly generated typo-squatting package names, but all of them deliver a powerful RAT and infostealer payload,” OpenSourceMalware researcher Paul McCarty said.

Unlike other npm-oriented software supply chain attacks that make use of lifecycle hooks like preinstall or postinstall to trigger the execution of malicious code, the newly identified packages come with a README that instructs developers to load them with require, a built-in function to import modules, local files, and third-party packages.

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