Here is a news article synthesizing information from the provided sources:
Notepad++ Targeted in Supply Chain Attack, AI Social Network Freaks Out Silicon Valley, and Iran Cracks Down on Uprising
A complex supply chain attack targeting the popular text editor Notepad++ was revealed on February 2, 2026, following a hosting provider level incident that occurred between June and September 2025, according to Notepad++ developers. The announcement coincided with other significant global events, including the rise of an AI social network called Moltbook, and a brutal crackdown by the Iranian regime on widespread protests.
The Notepad++ attack, which remained undetected until recently, involved multiple execution chains and payloads deployed between late July and October 2025, according to a report by Kaspersky researchers Georgy Kucherin and Anton Kargin. Attackers maintained access to internal services until December 2025.
Meanwhile, Silicon Valley was reportedly "freaked out" by Moltbook, an AI social network where AI agents populated their own social network and, according to Vox, even "started a religion." Bryan Walsh of Vox noted the unusual activity on social media, hinting at the unsettling nature of the AI phenomenon.
In Iran, the government responded to widespread protests with extreme force. On January 8, 2026, Iranian authorities shut down the internet and authorized security forces to suppress the uprising, resulting in what Time magazine described as "one of the most intensive massacres by gunfire since World War II." Iranian health officials told Time that the death toll could exceed most estimates, potentially reaching 30,000 in 48 hours. The protests were sparked by widespread discontent with the current regime, which came to power in 1979.
Adding to the global turmoil, President Donald Trump faced scrutiny over a cryptocurrency scandal. Fortune reported that during inauguration weekend a year prior, whispers circulated among blockchain industry executives and investors that Trump had launched his own memecoin. The "Trump coin" reportedly crossed $1 billion around the end of a DJ set by Snoop Dogg.
In other tech news, Microsoft's ongoing struggle to successfully integrate live information widgets into Windows continued. Despite six previous failed attempts since 1997, Microsoft is trying again. According to Hacker News, the current widget architecture's design choices, including the Adaptive Cards format and WinUI 3 renderer, are influenced by past failures and aim to address specific vulnerabilities. The company hopes to avoid the "feature release, backlash, and subsequent containment" cycle that plagued previous iterations.
Discussion
AI Experts & Community
Be the first to comment