Daily Tech News 2 May 2026

Top Story

Just five days ago I wrote this:

It's been a while since we've had a big tech news story. No disasters, no miracles. Things haven't suddenly gotten better - or at least, not much, and they haven't gotten drastically worse.

Well.

A Linux exploit has been found that instantly grants root access to local users on most Linux versions released since 2017. (Tom's Hardware)
Although it's not a zero-day and the kernel has already gotten a patch, the short disclosure window gave distro makers relatively little time to react. Affected variants include (but aren't limited to) Ubuntu 24 (version 26 was just released last week), RHEL 10, Suse 16, and Amazon Linux 2023. Even Windows' WSL2 is affected, and all it takes is 732 bytes to do it.
Fortunately for me, only one server was potentially vulnerable, and that one didn't have the affected module loaded, and I've now disabled it completely.

But even more sysadmins are having a bad day.
Like the ones at Canonical - the company behind the popular Ubuntu Linux release - whose corporate servers are mostly dead right now thanks to a massive ongoing DDOS attack. (Tom's Hardware)

If you've already installed Ubuntu you are still able to load updates - like the patch for the so-called CopyFail bug mentioned above - from the numerous mirrors, which don't seem to be affected at all.
My other server - not this one, but where my own blog and many others are hosted - decided to drop dead, completely unrelated to all the other drama going on in the Linux world.

Fortunately I set it up years ago to make migrations easy - and to keep backups separate from the system disk. But it still took a few hours to get it all working smoothly.

The silverfish lining is that I've wanted to do this for months but it never hit the top of my to do list. I already had a new server, twice the size of the old one and actually cheaper. So that's where those sites are running now.

Tech News

The Pentagon has reached deals with all the major AI providers except one. (Reuters)

You probably won't guess which one, but it rhymes with Banthropic.
Spotify meanwhile is adding "verified organic human" badges to artist pages. (BBC)

Because a majority of music being uploaded is already AI-generated.

But not a majority of music people listen to.
The Oscars have also declared war on the clanker menace. (Hollywood Reporter)

If the skinsuit doesn't fit you might as well quit.
Apple's Mac Mini and Mac Studio are disappearing fast at both the high and low ends. (WCCFTech)

The Mac Studio with 512GB of RAM was first to go, and now the 256GB Mac Mini has disappeared as well.

That's 256GB of SSD, mind you, which was not a lot even in 2017.

Musical Interlude

Disclaimer: Blerk.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:30 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 w00t

Posted by: m at May 02, 2026 04:31 AM (8rTNG)

2 Mornin'

Posted by: Puddleglum at work at May 02, 2026 04:32 AM (jrKun)

3 Glad I got my MacBook when I did then.

Posted by: Puddleglum at work at May 02, 2026 04:36 AM (jrKun)

4 Just five days ago I wrote this:

It's been a while since we've had a big tech news story.

just had to jinx it ...

Posted by: Adriane the Critic Just Being Critical, Again . . . at May 02, 2026 04:37 AM (3ZUWJ)

5 Morning, Tech Peeps

Posted by: fluffy at May 02, 2026 04:39 AM (V0/Sp)

6 Australian Crawl - Errol

That was fun.

Posted by: m at May 02, 2026 04:39 AM (8rTNG)

7 >>> Fortunately I set it up years ago to make migrations easy - and to keep backups separate from the system disk. But it still took a few hours to get it all working smoothly.

The silverfish lining is that I've wanted to do this for months but it never hit the top of my to do list. I already had a new server, twice the size of the old one and actually cheaper. So that's where those sites are running now.

Go Pixy!

Posted by: fluffy at May 02, 2026 04:40 AM (V0/Sp)

8 "The silverfish lining"

?

Posted by: m at May 02, 2026 04:40 AM (8rTNG)

9 8 "The silverfish lining"

?
Posted by: m

We have silver at home.

Silver at home:

Posted by: Pixy Misa at May 02, 2026 04:46 AM (BLOW1)

10 Hi ho, Silver!

Posted by: m at May 02, 2026 04:50 AM (8rTNG)

11 >>> Australian Crawl - Errol
That was fun.

Sounded rhythmically complex. Or maybe I have simple ears.

Posted by: fluffy at May 02, 2026 04:58 AM (V0/Sp)

12 9 8 "The silverfish lining"

?
Posted by: m

We have silver at home.

Silver at home:
Posted by: Pixy Misa at May 02, 2026 04:46 AM (BLOW1)

Sounds fishy.

Posted by: m at May 02, 2026 05:02 AM (8rTNG)

13 G'Day everyone

Posted by: Skip at May 02, 2026 05:03 AM (Ia/+0)

14 Silverfish are best paired with a green mango chutney.

Posted by: Rev. Wishbone at May 02, 2026 05:15 AM (Fbc0I)

15 Correct me if I am wrong, but i take the "local privilege escalation" aspect of copyfail to mean that some meat popsicle with physical access and an account on the system must run the exploit code for copyfail to succeed.

Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at May 02, 2026 05:46 AM (dK+Kv)

16 Guten morgen, horde.

Posted by: clarence at May 02, 2026 05:46 AM (pFqNV)

17
g'mornin', 'rons

Posted by: AltonJackson at May 02, 2026 05:55 AM (2/MrR)

18 are silverfish the new gerbils?

Posted by: Ray's Cyst at May 02, 2026 05:56 AM (jrgJz)

19 Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.

Rejoinder: Grempht.

Posted by: Captain Obvious, Laird o' the Sea at May 02, 2026 06:04 AM (xvhJH)

20 https://moonbattery.com/open-thread_260501/#disqus_thread

Posted by: Ray's Cyst at May 02, 2026 06:04 AM (jrgJz)

21 Yesterday I walked at the park and saw and smelled an Oleaster plant , which looks rather like honeysuckle. It is probably an invasive plant but it smells and looks very nice. Then a very small iridescent blue butterfly landed on my landed on my pants leg. It was lovely. What kinds of beautiful things do you see near where you live?

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at May 02, 2026 06:15 AM (Yl2Ob)

22 Man from MI writes a reflection on Matthew 6:25-34 and "Beat the Train":

https://tinyurl.com/58ykp5dz

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at May 02, 2026 06:19 AM (2sfNr)

23 Fell back asleep

Posted by: Skip at May 02, 2026 06:19 AM (Ia/+0)

24 18 are silverfish the new gerbils?
Posted by: Ray's Cyst at May 02, 2026 05:56 AM (jrgJz)

ewwww

Posted by: m at May 02, 2026 06:21 AM (8rTNG)

25 Mornin' Horde. Just got up. Sipping hot coffee...

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at May 02, 2026 06:22 AM (O7YUW)

26 15 Correct me if I am wrong, but i take the "local privilege escalation" aspect of copyfail to mean that some meat popsicle with physical access and an account on the system must run the exploit code for copyfail to succeed.
Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon

Correct. That's become a lot less common in paid services over the years, partly because problems like this keep cropping up.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at May 02, 2026 06:26 AM (BLOW1)

27 Evening and morning for this first Saturn's Day of May to all the far-flung satellites of AoSHQ! Oddly nippy for here this morning, 56, with yesterday's afternoon rain blown out and a brisk west wind. I may go out to breakfast a little later!

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 02, 2026 06:26 AM (wzUl9)

28 20 https://moonbattery.com/open-thread_260501/#disqus_thread
Posted by: Ray's Cyst at May 02, 2026 06:04 AM (jrgJz)

Sounds like a threat!!!

Posted by: m at May 02, 2026 06:30 AM (8rTNG)

29 Correct. That's become a lot less common in paid services over the years, partly because problems like this keep cropping up.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at May 02, 2026 06:26 AM (BLOW1)

For my purposes (home user), it's not as high a priority as for sysadmins to patch then.

Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at May 02, 2026 06:30 AM (dK+Kv)

30 Sounds like a threat!!!

Posted by: m at May 02, 2026 06:30 AM (8rTNG)

Sounds like a bunch of losers and loser talk.

Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at May 02, 2026 06:32 AM (dK+Kv)

31 30 Sounds like a threat!!!

Posted by: m at May 02, 2026 06:30 AM (8rTNG)

Sounds like a bunch of losers and loser talk.
Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at May 02, 2026 06:32 AM (dK+Kv)

That, too.

Posted by: m at May 02, 2026 06:33 AM (8rTNG)

32 Good morning. May 2nd and we're enjoying the spring weather.

No, wait. Ohio weather says, "Hold on there, Sparky." It's 35 this morning.

Posted by: Biergood at May 02, 2026 06:48 AM (PwgSL)

33 Nearly 7am and only a coffee in hand to show for it

Posted by: Skip at May 02, 2026 06:49 AM (Ia/+0)

34
Bonchie
@bonchieredstate
1m

Narrator: An amendment from 1982 was not born of the literal blood of Union soldiers and civil rights marchers.

The New Republic
@newrepublic
20h
The Voting Rights Act “was born of the literal blood of Union soldiers and civil rights marchers,” Justice Elena Kagan wrote in her dissent. “Only [the American people] have the right to say it is no longer needed—not the members of this Court.”

Posted by: m at May 02, 2026 06:51 AM (8rTNG)

35 Birdbath status?

Posted by: Just Wondering at May 02, 2026 06:51 AM (2Ez/1)

36 32 Ohio weather says, "Hold on there, Sparky."
Posted by: Biergood at May 02, 2026 06:48 AM (PwgSL)

; )

Posted by: m at May 02, 2026 06:52 AM (8rTNG)

37 Skip, are you feeling ok?

Posted by: Ben Had at May 02, 2026 06:53 AM (Cif43)

38 The Voting Rights Act “was born of the literal blood of Union soldiers and civil rights marchers,” Justice Elena Kagan wrote in her dissent. “Only [the American people] have the right to say it is no longer needed—not the members of this Court.”

Posted by: m at May 02, 2026 06:51 AM (8rTNG)

Look at the retard go.

Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at May 02, 2026 06:54 AM (dK+Kv)

39 Sheer luck means Anguilla’s domain is .ai - so many tech businesses are rushing to use it. The island is happy to shut up and take their money!

“In its draft 2025 budget document, the Anguillian government says that in 2024 it earned 105.5m East Caribbean dollars ($39m; £29m) from selling domain names. That was almost a quarter (23%) of its total revenues last year. Tourism accounts for some 37%, according to the IMF.

Posted by: SMOD at May 02, 2026 06:58 AM (O7XEN)

40 “ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16

Posted by: Marcus T at May 02, 2026 06:59 AM (KAa/S)

41
Stephen L. Miller retweeted
Margot Cleveland
@ProfMJCleveland
8h
This is literally an incorrect use of the word literal.

The Voting Rights Act “was born of the literal blood of Union soldiers and civil rights marchers,” Justice Elena Kagan wrote in her dissent. “Only [the American people] have the right to say it is no longer needed—not the members of this Court.”

Posted by: m at May 02, 2026 07:01 AM (8rTNG)

42 Time to feed the furry thugs on their new six am-six pm schedule! Linda reprogrammed them while I was gone. Now Stirling was sleeping next to me before I woke at five am. He hasn't done his "leaping over me and kicking me as he goes" at all since I got back at all.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 02, 2026 07:02 AM (wzUl9)

43 39 Sheer luck means Anguilla’s domain is .ai - so many tech businesses are rushing to use it. The island is happy to shut up and take their money!

“In its draft 2025 budget document, the Anguillian government says that in 2024 it earned 105.5m East Caribbean dollars ($39m; £29m) from selling domain names. That was almost a quarter (23%) of its total revenues last year. Tourism accounts for some 37%, according to the IMF.
Posted by: SMOD

I had to renew my .ai domain recently. They're not cheap, though it hasn't turned into a complete money grab so far either.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at May 02, 2026 07:03 AM (BLOW1)

44 mornin yall. Kagan is literally an idiot.

Posted by: fd at May 02, 2026 07:04 AM (vFG9F)

45 heh

@jrcunniff
45m
Replying to @ProfMJCleveland @redsteeze
A little hyperbole makes her dissent really *pop*.

Posted by: m at May 02, 2026 07:04 AM (8rTNG)

46 You probably won't guess which one, but it rhymes with Banthropic.

Misanthropic?

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at May 02, 2026 07:06 AM (ynpvh)

47 Good morning everyone.

Posted by: Rufus T. Firefly at May 02, 2026 07:08 AM (ZQ/FE)

48 44 mornin yall. Kagan is literally an idiot.

Posted by: fd at May 02, 2026 07:04 AM (vFG9F)

Well, she apparently didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night...

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at May 02, 2026 07:09 AM (ynpvh)

49 G'mornin' everyone!

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at May 02, 2026 07:10 AM (VyBeY)

50 The Oscars have also declared war on the clanker menace.

To show how out of mainstream I am, I had to look up what a clanker was...

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at May 02, 2026 07:11 AM (ynpvh)

51 42 Time to feed the furry thugs on their new six am-six pm schedule! Linda reprogrammed them while I was gone. Now Stirling was sleeping next to me before I woke at five am. He hasn't done his "leaping over me and kicking me as he goes" at all since I got back at all.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 02, 2026 07:02 AM (wzUl9)

I bet Stirling has quite the engine...

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at May 02, 2026 07:12 AM (ynpvh)

52 hmm

Margot Cleveland
@ProfMJCleveland
May 1
PSA: For those whose panties are in bunch over the prosecutions of the deep state thugs, just remember the threat of mutually assured destruction only worked during the cold war because we had already dropped nukes.

Posted by: m at May 02, 2026 07:12 AM (8rTNG)

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