Latest news with #SWARM
New Indian Express
11-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Tactile drone made by Chennai company gets Indian Army's field-level validation
CHENNAI: A micro-category surveillance drone developed by a Chennai-based company has received the nod from the Indian Army, marking a potential inflection point in India's ambitions to build a sovereign defence technology ecosystem and reduce its reliance on import from other foreign entities. Zuppa Geo Navigation Technologies, a Chennai-based firm, has secured field-level validation for its Ajeet Mini drone- a compact tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed for reconnaissance missions. The Army's endorsement came after field trials conducted earlier this week by a Mountain Brigade operating in high-altitude terrain, where the drone met key performance parameters. The Army's validation is not a procurement contract but is believed to be a crucial first step, providing Zuppa with access to further trials, and a possible entry into a strategic procurement pipeline in the coming years. The Ajeet Mini is built around Zuppa's proprietary patented autopilot system and features a domestically developed cyber-physical stack, including in-house firmware, command protocols, and ground control software. 'We've developed the entire stack ourselves- hardware, software, structural components, and the control systems,' said company founder Sai Pattabiram. On the day prior to the announcement, Indian forces intercepted a coordinated drone swarm believed to be launched by Pakistan across the LOC near Jammu. Pattabiram said that Zuppa's SWARM platform offers potential for 'deep penetration' missions across adverse borders without the risks associated with manned sorties. Analysts say the domestic demand for drones- spanning defence, agriculture, and logistics- could create a fertile environment for globally competitive innovation, provided policy support and procurement pipelines remain robust. 'Drone manufacturing will evolve in distinct clusters, driven by domestic volume,' Pattabiram added.
TECHx
04-04-2025
- TECHx
New Exploitation Method Discovered for Intel Vulnerabilities
New Exploitation Method Discovered for Intel Vulnerabilities PT SWARM expert Mark Ermolov has uncovered a new exploitation vector for several previously patched Intel vulnerabilities, including CVE-2017-5705, CVE-2017-5706, CVE-2017-5707, CVE-2019-0090, and CVE-2021-0146. While these flaws were once thought to enable only partial compromises, Ermolov's discovery can now lead to a complete breach of affected platforms. The Intel vulnerabilities impact Intel Pentium, Celeron, and Atom processors from the Denverton, Apollo Lake, Gemini Lake, and Gemini Lake Refresh families. Although production of these chips has ended, they are still used in embedded systems like automotive electronics, e-readers, and mini-PCs. Intel was notified about the issue under responsible disclosure, but the company has not taken steps to address or mitigate the threat. The new method leverages supply chain attacks, allowing attackers to embed spyware at the assembly or repair stage, without needing any physical modifications. Local access is enough to retrieve the encryption key and inject malicious code into the Intel CSME firmware. As a result, traditional defenses like Intel Boot Guard, virtualization-based security (VBS), and antivirus software often fail to detect these implants. Once in place, the malware can go undetected, enabling attackers to steal data, lock devices, or erase files. It can also carry out other destructive actions on the affected platforms. Another significant risk is the ability to bypass DRM protections, providing unauthorized access to streaming content. The exploit can also bypass protections on Amazon e-readers, allowing attackers to copy data stored on vulnerable Intel Atom devices. In addition, encrypted hard drives and SSDs could be targeted, allowing attackers to extract sensitive data from laptops or tablets built with at-risk processors. In 2021, Positive Technologies worked with Intel to reduce the risk from CVE-2021-0146, which allowed the extraction of a crucial platform chipset key. This key is critical for Intel CSME security, handling data encryption and integrity. Ermolov's new method bypasses the key's encryption layer, putting it at risk for malicious use. Intel continues to be a major player in IoT chip solutions. However, the affected Atom E3900 processors are widely used in automotive devices. To protect against such threats, organizations are advised to use continuous vulnerability management tools like MaxPatrol VM and detection platforms like MaxPatrol SIEM to track post-exploitation activities.
