Modern Cyber with Jeremy Snyder

Rich Mogull of Cloud Security Alliance

In this episode of Modern Cyber, host Jeremy sits down with Rich Mogull, the Chief Analyst at the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA). Jeremy and Rich dive straight into the realities of AI-powered engineering, dissecting the risks and rewards of developer tool integrations like code copilots. They walk through the core architectures of Large Language Models (LLMs), outlining how non-determinism and the collapse of traditional control and data planes trigger modern security threats like indirect prompt injection. Rich offers a detailed breakdown of the high-profile AWS Amazon Q outage, analyzing how over-automation and over-provisioned privileges can lead to catastrophic environment tear-downs when the "human-in-the-loop" goes for coffee. Finally, the conversation shifts to Rich’s recent concept of "Core Collapse"—an astrophysics analogy for how AI-fueled offensive velocity creates a math problem of combinatorial complexity that human defenders cannot match alone. Learn how to combat this threat through goal-based permissions, deterministic guardrails, Zero Trust architectures, and proactive technical upskilling. About Rich Rich is the Chief Analyst at the Cloud Security Alliance where he focuses on leading-edge cloud and AI security research and implementation. He has over 25 years of security experience, with over 15 years of focusing on cloud and emerging technologies. Prior to joining the CSA full time Rich frequently collaborated with CSA as the principle course designer of the CCSK training class, primary author of the Guidance, and developer of the Cloud Security Maturity Model, among other projects. As Researcher and CEO of Securosis, RIch taught cloud security and incident response at Black Hat for over 10 years, developed the free Cloud Security Lab a Week (CloudSLAW) project, and actively works on developing hands-on cloud security techniques. Rich also founded DisruptOps, a cloud security startup acquired by FireMon where he became the SVP of Cloud Security. Prior to founding Securosis and DisruptOps, Rich was a Research Vice President at Gartner on the security team. Prior to his seven years at Gartner, Rich worked as an independent consultant, web application developer, software development manager at the University of Colorado, and systems and network administrator. Rich is the Security Editor of TidBITS and a frequent contributor to industry publications. He is a frequent industry speaker at events including the RSA Security Conference, Black Hat, and DefCon, and has spoken on every continent except Antarctica (where he's happy to speak for free -- assuming travel is covered). Episode Links: * Rich Mogull's CSA Profile: https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/profiles/rich-mogull [https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/profiles/rich-mogull] * Rich Mogull's "Core Collapse" Blog Post: https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/blog/2026/02/26/core-collapse#_ [https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/blog/2026/02/26/core-collapse#_]

This Week in AI Security - 21st May 2026

In this episode for May 21, 2026, Jeremy looks at the rapidly compressing timeline of AI-driven exploits. From the first live confirmation of an AI-assisted 2FA zero-day to Microsoft's multi-agent "debate" system outperforming top frontier models, defenders are watching the offensive clock shrink in real time. Key Episode Highlights: * First Live AI Zero-Day: Google's Threat Intelligence Group (GTAG) confirmed the first in-the-wild exploitation of a semantic logic 2FA bypass discovered and weaponized entirely via an LLM. * Microsoft's M-Dash System: Microsoft revealed a framework utilizing over 100 specialized AI agents that scan code and debate each other's findings, scoring an unprecedented 88.45% on the UC Berkeley Cyber Gym benchmark. * TanStack Supply Chain Assault: Team PCP hit the TanStack ecosystem via token theft, successfully compromising two OpenAI employee devices and forcing a major code-signing certificate rotation. * Amazon Quick Bypass: Jason Kao of Fog Security uncovered a critical server-side authorization flaw in Amazon Quick that permits restricted users to bypass interface boundaries and access blocked AI chat agents. * PraisonAI Zero-Auth Exposure: A legacy configuration oversight in the PraisonAI framework left instances entirely unauthenticated, resulting in automated malicious scanning within four hours of disclosure. * The DBIR Vulnerability Milestone: The 2026 Verizon DBIR notes an extraordinary historical shift: vulnerability exploitation now accounts for 31% of confirmed breaches, completely lapping credential theft at 13%. Stop guessing where your models are exposed Unmonitored models, insecure framework defaults, and shadow AI workflows are scaling your enterprise risk faster than traditional tools can track. FireTail provides complete discovery, posture management, and behavioral visibility across your entire AI environment in 15 minutes. Book your FireTail demo: https://www.firetail.ai/schedule-your-demo [https://www.firetail.ai/schedule-your-demo] Episode Links * https://thehackernews.com/2026/05/hackers-used-ai-to-develop-first-known.html * https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ai-agent-prompt-injection/ * https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2026/05/12/defense-at-ai-speed-microsofts-new-multi-model-agentic-security-system-tops-leading-industry-benchmark/ * https://thehackernews.com/2026/05/openai-launches-daybreak-for-ai-powered.html * https://www.scworld.com/brief/anthropics-ai-finds-one-low-severity-vulnerability-in-heavily-audited-curl-codebase * https://decrypt.co/367883/openai-confirms-security-breach-ai-malware-campaign * https://www.csoonline.com/article/4171215/praisonai-vulnerability-gets-scanned-within-4-hours-of-disclosure.html * https://www.theregister.com/ai-ml/2026/05/13/google-users-fight-for-refunds-as-unauthorized-api-usage-bills-soar/5239160 * https://www.fogsecurity.io/blog/authorization-bypass-in-amazon-quick-ai-agents * https://tech.diegocarpintero.com/blog/the-zero-trust-gap-in-llms * https://www.securityweek.com/verizon-dbir-2026-vulnerability-exploitation-overtakes-credential-theft-as-top-breach-vector/

This Week in AI Security - 14th May 2026

In this episode for May 14, 2026, Jeremy breaks down a watershed moment in cybersecurity: the first confirmed case of hackers using AI to discover and weaponize a zero-day vulnerability in the wild. We also explore a major self-reported PII leak in the banking sector and the expanding attack surface of AI development environments. Key Episode Highlights: * The First AI-Generated Zero-Day: Google Threat Intelligence confirms hackers used AI to discover and weaponize a 2FA bypass in an open-source admin tool, marking a transition from theoretical risk to documented reality. * Banking Sector PII Leak: Community Bank (operating in PA, OH, and WV) filed an 8-K reporting that sensitive customer data, including SSNs and dates of birth, leaked into an AI application during training. * The "Beagle" Backdoor: Sophos uncovered a fake Claude-Pro website pushing trojanized installers that deploy a memory-resident backdoor targeting AI coding environments. * Framework Exploitation: Research reveals how prompt injection in popular frameworks like Semantic Kernel, LangChain, and CrewAI can escalate to full remote code execution (RCE). * Phonetic Obfuscation: New proof-of-concept research shows that LLMs can navigate phonetic misspellings to interpret malicious intent, effectively bypassing standard text filters. * Pixel-Perfect Phishing: Vercel’s v0.dev [http://v0.dev] tool is being used by attackers to generate nearly perfect brand impersonations for Nike, Adidas, and Microsoft, making phishing detection significantly harder. Secure AI Across Your Entire Organization Unregulated AI usage and data leaks are the biggest threats to your organization's reputation. Get full visibility into your AI environment and block sensitive data exfiltration in 15 minutes. Book your FireTail demo: https://www.firetail.ai/schedule-your-demo [https://www.firetail.ai/schedule-your-demo] Episode Links https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/identity-security/beyond-source-code-the-files-ai-coding-agents-trust-and-attackers-exploit https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2026/05/07/prompts-become-shells-rce-vulnerabilities-ai-agent-frameworks/ https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/fake-claude-ai-website-delivers-new-beagle-windows-malware/ https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/researchers-10-wild-indirect/ https://www.darkreading.com/cloud-security/hackers-ai-exploit-dev-attack-automation https://www.darkreading.com/ics-ot-security/worlds-first-ai-driven-cyberattack-couldnt-breach-ot-systems https://hackread.com/hackers-exploit-vercel-genai-phishing-sites/ https://bishopfox.com/blog/cve-2026-42208-pre-authentication-sql-injection-in-litellm-proxy https://securityaffairs.com/191888/data-breach/braintrust-security-incident-raises-concerns-over-ai-supply-chain-risks.html https://shape-of-code.com/2025/06/29/an-attempt-to-shroud-text-from-llms/ https://databreaches.net/2026/05/12/us-bank-reports-itself-for-revealing-customer-data-to-unauthorized-ai-application/

This Week in AI Security - 7th May 2026

In this episode for May 7, 2026, Jeremy reports from the sidelines of BSides Luxembourg. This week marks a significant shift in AI-driven vulnerability research, moving from source code analysis to the successful reverse engineering of closed-source compiled binaries. Key Episode Highlights: * GitHub Backend RCE: Researchers from Wiz used AI-augmented binary analysis to find an X-stat header injection vulnerability in GitHub’s Git push pipeline, achieving a CVSS score of 8.7 on closed-source code. * The "Copyfail" Crisis: A critical Linux security flaw dating back to 2017 was uncovered using AI-assisted tools. The story highlights the tension between automated discovery and the rise of "AI slop" in automated vulnerability disclosures. * CISA Patching Mandates: CISA is considering lowering the required "mean time to patch" from 14 days to just 3 days in response to AI’s ability to find vulnerabilities at an "apocalypse" scale. * Shadow AI Exposure: A study by Intruder found over 1 million exposed AI services via certificate transparency logs, with 31% of Meta Llama servers requiring zero authentication. * Google "Cosmo" Leak: A massive 1.13 GB system-level agent for Android briefly leaked on the Play Store, revealing an autonomous browser agent with deep system permissions. * The Criminal Skill Gap: New research from the University of Edinburgh suggests that while AI is boosting professional developers, most cybercriminals currently lack the skills to weaponize AI at a "weaponizable scale". Shadow AI and unsecured AI models are the new frontier of enterprise risk. 31% of exposed AI servers are operating with zero authentication. Don't let your infrastructure be the next headline. Get full visibility into your AI environment in 15 minutes. Book your FireTail demo: https://www.firetail.ai/schedule-your-demo [https://www.firetail.ai/schedule-your-demo] Episode Links https://www.wiz.io/blog/github-rce-vulnerability-cve-2026-3854 https://cyberscoop.com/copy-fail-linux-vulnerability-artificial-intelligence/ https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/us-officials-weigh-cutting-deadlines-fix-digital-flaws-amid-worries-over-ai-2026-05-01/ https://venturebeat.com/security/ai-agent-runtime-security-system-card-audit-comment-and-control-2026 https://thehackernews.com/2026/05/we-scanned-1-million-exposed-ai.html https://www.euronews.com/next/2026/05/05/cybercriminals-gave-ai-a-go-and-came-away-disappointed-study-finds https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/learning-from-the-vercel-breach-shadow-ai-and-oauth-sprawl/ https://azat.tv/en/google-cosmo-ai-leak-privacy-safety/https://www.wiz.io/blog/github-rce-vulnerability-cve-2026-3854

This Week in AI Security - 30th April 2026

In this episode for April 30, 2026, Jeremy breaks down a week where the "human-in-the-loop" failed spectacularly. From a production environment deleted in just nine seconds to "Abliterated" models providing kidnapping instructions to Congress, the risks of autonomous AI agents are no longer theoretical. They are live. Key Episode Highlights: * Abliterated Models on Capitol Hill: OpenAI and Anthropic briefed House lawmakers on "abliterated" models - versions with safety guardrails stripped - demonstrating how they can provide step-by-step instructions for criminal acts. * Entra ID Hijacking: Researchers at Silverfort discovered that the new "Agent ID" role in Microsoft Entra ID can be exploited to hijack service principals, leading to a full Global Admin takeover. * The 9-Second Disaster: An AI agent at PocketOS, attempting to fix a staging environment, fetched production credentials and deleted both the production environment and its backups in under ten seconds. * LiteLLM SQL Injection: A critical vulnerability in the LiteLLM gateway saw targeted exploitation within 36 hours of disclosure, specifically aiming for provider API keys. * Vercel Breach Update: The recent Vercel data breach is traced back to a "Luma Stealer" malware infection at a third-party AI analytics partner. Episode Links * https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/22/ai-chatbots-jailbreak-safety-00887869 [https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/22/ai-chatbots-jailbreak-safety-00887869] * https://security.googleblog.com/2026/04/ai-threats-in-wild-current-state-of.html [https://security.googleblog.com/2026/04/ai-threats-in-wild-current-state-of.html] * https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2026/04/06/ai-enabled-device-code-phishing-campaign-april-2026/ [https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2026/04/06/ai-enabled-device-code-phishing-campaign-april-2026/] * https://hackread.com/microsoft-entra-agent-id-flaw-tenant-takeover/ [https://hackread.com/microsoft-entra-agent-id-flaw-tenant-takeover/] * https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hackers-are-exploiting-a-critical-litellm-pre-auth-sqli-flaw/ [https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hackers-are-exploiting-a-critical-litellm-pre-auth-sqli-flaw/] * https://www.cbsnews.com/news/anthropic-investigates-mythos-ai-breach/ [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/anthropic-investigates-mythos-ai-breach/] * https://thehackernews.com/2026/04/vercel-breach-tied-to-context-ai-hack.html [https://thehackernews.com/2026/04/vercel-breach-tied-to-context-ai-hack.html] * https://x.com/lifeof_jer/status/2048103471019434248 [https://x.com/lifeof_jer/status/2048103471019434248] Is your organization part of the 82% with unknown AI agents running on your network? Don't wait for a "9-second deletion" event. Get full visibility into your AI agents today. Book your FireTail demo: https://www.firetail.ai/schedule-your-demo [https://www.firetail.ai/request-a-demo]