Decipher Security Podcast

Episodes

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  PHP2Shell Bugs and The Impact for Defenders | Ben Harris 21.10.2026 11m

  The newly disclosed PHP2Shell vulnerabilities (CVE-2026-109618 and CVE-2026-109619) are as serious as everyone feared, and Ben Harris of watchTowr joins Dennis Fisher to discuss their long-term impact.Timestamps00:00 - Introduction and why the PHP bugs are a big deal00:22 - The disclosure process starts to unravel01:04 - Why the two PHP vulnerabilities are so severe02:07 - Why the embargo mattered and why the leak was dangerous02:49 - PHP’s massive footprint across the internet04:08 - What mitigations can and cannot do05:35 - Comparing this to Log4Shell06:32 - Why sysadmins outside security are suddenly paying attention07:22 - Why old assumptions about disclosure may no longer hold08:48 - How LLMs accelerate reproduction from tiny clues09:13 - Why even partial screenshots and leaked video can be enough10:33 - A rough six to twelve months ahead for security teamsLinksPHP blog: https://thephp.foundation/blog/2026/10/21/todays-php-security-release-and-how-were-strengthening-php-security/Our story: https://decipher.sc/2026/10/20/critical-php-flaws-disclosed-patches-out-now/
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  When Hackers Meet Policymakers | Beau Woods 20.10.2026 38m

  Cybersecurity policy can stall when technical experts and lawmakers speak different languages. Beau Woods, CEO and founder of Stratigos Security joins Lindsey O’Donnell-Welch to explain how Hackers on the Hill brings cybersecurity researchers and policymakers together to build understanding and move ideas forward.Timestamps0:05 Introduction to Beau Woods1:46 The Origins of Hackers on the Hill5:48 Bridging Cybersecurity Research and Policy9:43 Misconceptions in Cybersecurity Legislation13:47 Growing Technical Literacy in Government19:46 Applying Security Across Critical Sectors25:47 Mock Hearings and Policy Conversations28:36 Cyber Policy Shark Tank31:58 AI, Cybersecurity, and Public Policy36:57 Societal Goals Over Technology37:33 Closing Thoughts
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  Hacked Fridges, North Korean Laptop Farms, and Mercenary Spyware 16.10.2026 43m

  This week, we're talking about hacked refrigerators, the FBI disrupting a North Korean laptop farm run by Famous Chollima, and a stealthy network of ads used to deliver mercenary spyware via a zero-click exploit. imestamps0:00 Intro & new video bumper2:00 Hacked supermarket refrigerators3:39 Default credentials and exposed controllers6:47 Food losses, overheating, and real-world impact9:47 The risk of “smart” connected devices15:29 Why security warnings don’t reach operators22:09 Spyware delivered through targeted ads27:17 The scale of modern mercenary spyware33:10 North Korean fake IT-worker operations37:56 Inside the laptop-farm scheme42:57 What’s coming next on DecipherLinksCitizen Lab report: https://citizenlab.ca/research/how-di...FBI advisory on Famous Chollima: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justic...
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  The ClickFix Epidemic and AI-Enabled Attacks | John Hammond 13.10.2026 46m

  John Hammond of Huntress joins Dennis Fisher to dive into the ClickFix attack episdemic, how these attacks work, what the payloads are, and what individuals and organizations can do to protect themselves against them.
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  Why Patching Faster Doesn't Work, Ransomware Negotiation War Stories, and the NSA View of AI Threats 11.10.2026 42m

  This week we talk about all the news from THREATCON1, including why the idea of just patching faster doesn't work, how analysts handle threat actor communications in ransomware incidents, and what the NSA thinks of AI threats.
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  Catch Me If You Can with Shea Serrano! 06.10.2026 51m

  Bestselling author, podcaster, and all around great guy Shea Serrano joins Dennis Fisher and Lindsey O’Donnell-Welch to explore why Catch Me If You Can is more than a con-artist story: it’s a hacker classic and master class in social engineering, confidence, and deception. We unpack Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance, Spielberg’s tension-building, and the film’s memorable cast and scenes. Along the way, the conversation connects the movie to hacker culture and cybersecurity, and asks why Frank Abagnale’s cons still fascinate us today.LinksSubscribe to Shea's Good Movie newsletter: https://substack.com/@sheaserrano
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  Edge Devices Under Attack, a Threatcon Preview, and Communication Breakdowns 02.10.2026 31m

  Today we have for you a buffet of zero days being exploited in edge security products, including Citrix and Fortinet, then we discuss the importance of communications from vendors when bad things happen, and finally we preview VulnCheck's THREATCON1, which takes place next week.
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  The Citrix NetScaler Zero Day Saga | Ben Harris 02.10.2026 22m

  Ben Harris of watchTowr joins Dennis Fisher to walk through the Citrix NetScaler zero days that emerged over the weekend, from first detection of exploitation to reporting to finally some patches and why vendor communication is so vital in these cases.
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  The Malware That Asks AI What to Do Next | Ryan Fetterman 29.09.2026 30m

  Ryan Fetterman from Cisco Talos sits down with Decipher’s Lindsey O’Donnell-Welch to talk about ClosedQuorum, the first reported malware binary with an autonomous command-and-control. They talk about the wide range of ways threat actors are using AI, and useful detection strategies for AI-assisted attacks. LinksTalos analysis: https://blog.talosintelligence.com/th...
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  FBI Hack Fallout, EvilTokens Takedown, and the F5 Zero Day 27.09.2026 32m

  This week we dig into the ShinyHunters hack of the FBI and what it means not just for the FBI personnel but for the attackers, then we discuss the disruption of the EvilTokens phishing operation by Microsoft, and finally we talk about the F5 BIG-IP zero day and some odds and ends from LabsCon.LinksFBI hack: https://x.com/FBI/status/210280781969...EvilTokens disruption: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/secur...F5 zero day: https://decipher.sc/2026/09/24/f5-cve...watchTowr Labs post: https://labs.watchtowr.com/is-this-a-...
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  Assessing AI Model Security From the Outside In | Matt Fredrikson 22.09.2026 37m

  The security and reliability of the code in AI models is a huge question mark, because the models are black boxes that aren't accessible to outsiders. Matt Fredrikson, professor at Carnegie Mellon University and founder of Gray Swan AI, joins Dennis to talk about the challenge of assessing these models and how a community of red teamers is trying to meet it.
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  The Real Story on AI Security Live From LabsCon! 18.09.2026 29m

  Dennis joins from the last LabsCon conference, which featured amazing keynotes from Prof. James Mickens on AI reality and myths, Katie Moussouris on why humans are more vital than ever in security, and Dino Dai Zovi on using hardware to break attack chains,
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  The Vulnpocalypse Myth | Jeremiah Grossman 15.09.2026 52m

  You've heard all of the hysteria around the vulnpocalypse caused by AI-assisted bug hunting and the shrinking time to exploit window. Now Jeremiah Grossman dispels those myths and shows exactly what the data reveals about how many bugs are actually exploited and how long it takes for attackers to target them.
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  Anthropic's Threat Report, AI's Effect on Cybercrime, and How 9/11 Changed Cybersecurity 11.09.2026 58m

  This week we dive into Anthropic's new threat intelligence report, how cybercriminals are using AI in their campaigns, and the profound effect that 9/11 had on the cybersecurity industry. Then, Dennis is joined by Ryan Naraine to preview LabsCon and talk about the keynotes by Katie Moussouris, Dino Dai Zovi, and James Mickens. Anthropic report: https://www.anthropic.com/threat-inte...LabsCon agenda: https://events.sentinelone.com/event/...Mickens essay: https://www.usenix.org/system/files/1...
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  Securing Communications in an AI-Assisted World | Christine Gadsby 07.09.2026 45m

  Christine Gadsby of BlackBerry, a longtime security executive, joins Dennis to talk about her extensive experience in cybersecurity, the evolution of security practices, the challenges of securing mobile communications, and the impact of AI on the security industry.
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  Microsoft Teams Phishing, a Botnet Takedown 23 Years in the Making, and The Cuckoo's Egg's Lessons 04.09.2026 1h 2m

  It's our one year anniversary! This week we talk about the highlights of the last year, a new high-level phishing campaign that uses Microsoft Teams as an initial access vector, and the takedown of the ancient Sality P2P botnet. Then we offer some book and TV recommendations for the long weekend. LinksOne year of the new Decipher: https://decipher.sc/2026/09/02/one-ye...Microsoft Teams phishing: https://decipher.sc/2026/09/03/new-ca...Sality botnet takedown: https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/...
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  Cybercrime Disruption: Making a “Real Impact” | Ken Bagnall 01.09.2026 27m

  Ken Bagnall, founder and CEO of Silent Push, talks about the August National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM) on transnational cyber-enabled crime, how organizations can make “real impact” with cybercriminal disruption, and the challenges of measuring success in disrupting the cybercriminal ecosystem.
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  TeamPCP Arrests, the QTFY Attacks, and the OpenAI Post-Mortem 28.08.2026 40m

  This week we discuss the two arrests in Australia of alleged members of the TeamPCP cybercrime group that has targeted the open source ecosystem, the US government's disclosure of intrusion activity by the Chinese QTFY threat actor, and finally the long report from OpenAI on the Hugging Face incident.
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  The Future of Surveillance and Privacy in the Age of AI | Nicole Ozer 25.08.2026 36m

  Nicole Ozer, who took the helm this year as the new executive director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), talks to Lindsey O’Donnell-Welch about the fine line between AI empowering us and undermining our rights and privacy – and where the tipping point is.
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  The Politics of Hacking Back, the Origins of ExploitGym, and Water Plant Attacks 21.08.2026 44m

  This week we discuss the new White House memo on using private sector operators in offensive cyber operations, Lindsey's deep dive into the origins of the ExploitGym AI benchmark, and the rash of attacks on water utilities in the U.S.LinksInside ExploitGym: https://decipher.sc/2026/08/20/inside...White House memo: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidenti...OpenAI post: https://openai.com/index/the-defender...