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Adobe patches seven max severity ColdFusion, Campaign flaws

Adobe has released security patches for seven maximum-severity vulnerabilities in the ColdFusion web app development platform and the Campaign Classic marketing automation platform.

All these vulnerabilities can be exploited in low-complexity attacks that don’t require user interaction and were tagged with priority 1, indicating a high risk of being targeted.

“This update resolves vulnerabilities being targeted, or which have a higher risk of being targeted, by exploit(s) in the wild for a given product version and platform. Adobe recommends administrators install the update as soon as possible. (for example, within 72 hours),” Adobe says.

Microsoft accelerates quantum-safe roadmap as risks grow

Microsoft announced today that it is accelerating its quantum-safe security roadmap, saying advances in quantum computing are bringing the need to replace today’s encryption standards sooner than previously expected.

Although today’s quantum computers cannot crack modern encryption, security researchers have warned about “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks. In these attacks, encrypted data that is stolen today is stored until future quantum computers become powerful enough to decrypt it, exposing sensitive information.

As a result, companies including Apple, Google, and Signal have begun integrating post-quantum cryptography (PQC) to replace existing public-key encryption algorithms with quantum-resistant versions.

Young stellar activity drives galactic evolution across the universe

Astronomers have revealed new details about how young stars shape their galactic surroundings in a new study. Researchers analyzed about 18,000 star-forming regions in nearby spiral galaxies using data from powerful instruments like the James Webb Space Telescope, Hubble Space Telescope and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, whose observations were made as part of the PHANGS survey—a collaboration aimed at better understanding galactic evolution.

They found that in normal galaxies, pressure from ionized gas drives the expansion of young star-forming regions. However, whether these zones continue to grow or remain stagnant depends strongly on their surrounding environment, said Debosmita Pathak, lead author of the study and a graduate student in astronomy at The Ohio State University.

“When young massive stars are born, they’re very energetic and pump out a ton of photons into their surroundings,” said Pathak. “In that process, they disrupt their local environments and start to drive interstellar material out of the area.”

Sound waves reconstruct Alaska fireball path after cameras miss key details

When a bright fireball streaked across the Alaska sky last spring, the usual tools scientists rely on to track such events—cameras and satellites—did not provide a detailed picture. But the meteoroid left behind something else: low-frequency sound waves that traveled hundreds of miles and were captured by a dense network of earthquake and volcano-monitoring sensors on the ground.

Using those signals, a Sandia National Laboratories-led team of researchers, students and citizen scientists reconstructed the object’s path through the atmosphere, where it broke apart and where debris likely fell.

In a study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, the team showed how low-frequency sound waves, faint ground vibrations, weather radar data and publicly shared videos can be combined to reconstruct a fireball’s path even when optical coverage is sparse or incomplete.

LiDAR approach could change factory inspections for tiny hard-to-reach parts

Researchers have developed a new LiDAR approach that makes it possible to image small objects with much greater precision and accuracy than conventional LiDAR. The method could be useful for acquiring noncontact measurements of critical parts or features during manufacturing.

“LiDAR systems like the ones used in autonomous cars typically measure large objects like roads, cars and trees at large distances with an accuracy of a few centimeters,” said research team leader Derryck T. Reid from Heriot-Watt University in the U.K. “Our LiDAR imaging technique makes it possible to acquire measurements with much greater accuracy while maintaining fully electronic detection, which avoids the complexity and scalability challenges of some high-precision systems.”

In the journal Optics Letters, the researchers describe their new imaging technique, which is based on two-photon dual-comb ranging. They show that the approach can be used to create detailed 3D representations of small aluminum objects with micron-scale precision from 40 centimeters (16 inches) away.

Melatonin can be a safe and effective sleep aid for all ages but improper dosing leads to real harms

Melatonin—a go-to sleep aid for kids and adults alike in many households in America— continues to create media buzz, with conflicting messages that leave people uncertain about its safety.

Some headlines point to melatonin’s supposed immunity-boosting power, while others point to unestablished links between melatonin and heart failure.

I’m a pediatrician and sleep medicine doctor specializing in children, adolescents and adults.

New postnatal gene therapy offers hope for congenital hearing loss

Hereditary hearing loss affects millions globally, with mutations in the SLC26A4 gene among the most common genetic triggers, particularly across Asian populations. This condition leads to severe-to-profound deafness accompanied by inner ear malformations, such as an abnormally enlarged vestibular aqueduct and endolymphatic sac.

While gene replacement therapies have long held immense potential, experimental interventions have historically been restricted to the embryonic stage. Delivering genetic material before birth presents steep ethical and practical hurdles, creating a critical roadblock for real-world medical applications.

Brain aneurysm map reveals cell types tied to rupture risk

A new study from UC San Francisco shows how certain cells in the brain may cause aneurysms to weaken and rupture. It helps explain why some aneurysms burst while others do not and could lead to new ways of predicting and possibly preventing strokes.

Brain aneurysms are bulges in blood vessels that can go unnoticed for years. If they rupture, they can cause a severe and often deadly type of stroke. About one in 50 Americans has a brain aneurysm, but doctors still struggle to predict which ones are most dangerous.

The new study helps to unpack the biology behind these events by mapping the cells in artery walls and the interactions that weaken them.

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