Newly discovered Samba            software flaw prompts fears of    WannaCry cyberattack repeat

The US Department of Homeland Security announced the issue and warned system controllers to immediately apply a patch.

A newly discovered software flaw has prompted fears of another cyberattack in the style of the WannaCry ransomware that hit the NHS and other organisations across the world.

The vulnerability in popular networking software Samba could potentially affect hundreds of thousands of devices.

It leaves those devices exposed to attackers who could potentially remotely upload and execute code to take control of affected computers.

The US Department of Homeland Security announced the vulnerability and encouraged system administrators to apply a patch released by Samba.

In April, a group calling itself the Shadow Brokers leaked a software exploit named EternalBlue which was then used by WannaCry to infect NHS computers, for which a patch was available a month prior.

System administrators needed to apply the patch, however, and this did not happen in many NHS trusts.

Much like the vulnerability that WannaCry exploited in Microsoft operating systems, the flaw in the Samba code, which affects Linux and Unix-based operating systems, has existed for more than five years but was only recently detected.

WannaCry was what researchers call "wormable", meaning it was able to replicate itself to infect more vulnerable machines without being controlled by user actions.

These researchers also believe the Samba vulnerability may be wormable. They believe it would be more difficult for attackers to develop that capability - but not impossible.

Speaking to Sky News on the condition of anonymity, one researcher said: "There are a lot of important hosts with Samba exposed to the internet."

He informed us that the vulnerability has already been detected on television stations, at genetic research labs, and even on US military domains.

A spokesperson for the UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) told Sky News: "We are aware of this potential cyberthreat but there is no evidence of any significant impact."

NCSC's duty is to monitor for any impact if it arises during the coming days.

"We recommend that all users follow the guidance on the NCSC website - install the latest security software patches, back up data and use proper antivirus software services," the spokesperson said.

BBC NEWS....

US government spaceplane contract awarded to Boeing

The XS-1 spaceplane could "revolutionise" the ability to recover from a catastrophic loss of military or commercial satellites.

Designs for an unmanned, reusable spaceplane have been commissioned by America's Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Boeing will be completing the advanced design work for the Experimental Spaceplane XS-1 programme run by the agency, which is part of the US Department of Defense.

The programme aims to create a new class of hypersonic aircraft that would bolster national security by providing short-notice, low-cost access to space.

XS-1 will allow launches to low-Earth orbit in a matter of days, compared with the months or even years of preparation currently needed to get a single satellite into orbit. Its recurring costs could be as low as $5m per launch.

Currently, the cheapest low-Earth orbit launches are provided by Elon Musk's SpaceX and can cost around $60m, depending on the mission.

The project is ambitious and requires "significant advances in both technical capabilities and ground operations," according to DARPA.

If it is successful it would "revolutionise" the US' "ability to recover from a catastrophic loss of military or commercial satellites, upon which the nation today is critically dependent."

It aims to build a fully reusable unmanned vehicle, roughly the size of a business jet, which would take off vertically like a rocket and fly to hypersonic speeds.

The vehicle would be launched with no external boosters, powered solely by self-contained cryogenic propellants.

Upon reaching a high suborbital altitude, the booster would release an expendable upper stage which could deploy a 1,360kg satellite to polar orbit - an orbit in which the satellite passes above both of the Earth's poles.

After deploying the satellite, the reusable first stage of the spaceplane would then bank and return to Earth, landing horizontally like an aircraft, and be prepared for the next flight, potentially within hours.

To test the spaceplane, DARPA and Boeing are planning to conduct a demonstration of XS-1 technology, flying 10 times in 10 days, with an additional final flight carrying the upper-stage payload delivery system.

"We're delighted to see this truly futuristic capability coming closer to reality," said Brad Tousley, director of DARPA's Tactical Technology Office, which oversees XS-1.

"Demonstration of aircraft-like, on-demand, and routine access to space is important for meeting critical Defense Department needs and could help open the door to a range of next-generation commercial opportunities."

BBC

    UK weather: The latest Sky         News forecast

Another hot sunny day today but thunderstorms are expected through tonight and tomorrow.

Another bright morning for the majority of the UK and Ireland today, and mild once again.

It'll be mainly dry too, except for the risk of some showers across the far west of Ireland.

It'll be virtually cloudless this afternoon as we continue with blue skies and sunshine for most places.

However, the far west of Ireland will likely have cloudier skies with the chance of some showers there later.

With light winds it'll feel very hot once again and temperatures could be slightly higher than yesterday, with highs ranging from 25-30C, that's 77-86F.

Tonight most places will have a mild and muggy night again.

It'll be mainly dry and clear for Scotland, northern and eastern England.

Elsewhere will likely see heavy and thundery showers move across Northern Ireland, the Republic, Wales, central and southwest parts of England.

Tomorrow will be hot again in the east, but the thundery showers will move northeastwards through the day.

FBI investigates Donald Trump's son-in-law over Russia links

The FBI is looking into meetings between Donald Trump's son-in-law, the Russian ambassador and a Moscow banker.

Donald Trump's son-in- law is under investigation over the "extent and nature" of his dealings with Russian officials, US media is reporting.

Jared Kushner is being scrutinised by the FBI as part of the investigation into possible ties between the President's election campaign and Russia.

The Washington Post says the investigation centres around meetings Mr Kushner had with the Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak and Moscow banker Sergei Gorkov.

Mr Gorkov is the chairman of VneshEconomBank - a state bank which has been under US sanctions since 2014.

In a statement provided to Sky News, Mr Kushner's attorney Jamie Gorelick said: "Mr Kushner previously volunteered to share with Congress what he knows about these meetings. He will do the same if he is contacted in connection with any other inquiry."

The husband of Mr Trump's daughter Ivanka, as well as Mr Trump's senior aide, Mr Kushner is the only current White House official understood to be involved in the probe.

While he is being questioned as part of the inquiry, there has been no suggestion that he is a target of the investigation itself, and he has not been accused of any wrongdoing.

Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and sacked national security adviser Michael Flynn are both considered to be subjects of the probe.

The investigation is being led by ex-FBI chief Robert Mueller, following the abrupt sacking of former FBI director James Comey.

Mr Trump has been accompanied by Mr Kushner and his daughter Ivanka during his first foreign presidential trip.

Before heading off on the week-long tour, the President suggested he was being unfairly treated in the Russia investigation, claiming that he was the victim of the "greatest witch hunt" in US political history.

BBC

President Trump shoved the Montenegro prime minister at NATO

President Donald Trump appeared to push himself past the prime minister of Montenegro during a tour of NATO's new headquarters. (May 25) AP

During his first joint meeting with North Atlantic Treaty Organization leaders, President Trump on Thursday appeared to push aside the prime minister of Montenegro.

In a video of the interaction, the president comes up from behind and then shoves Montenegro's Dusko Markovic to get to the front of the group of world leaders. Trump then adjusts his jacket.

Markovic appears to be taken aback at first, but after seeing that it was Trump, he smiles and pats Trump on the back.

When asked about the incident, Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said, "I have not seen the video."

He also noted that the standing order for the photo op was pre-determined, as usual.

Disney's Bob Iger says the film hack threat was a hoax

You may remember Disney's boss revealing that hackers had threatened to leak one of the studio's new films unless it paid a ransom.

Bob Iger didn't name the film, but it was thought to be Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

But now Iger has told Yahoo Finance: "To our knowledge we were not hacked."

"We decided to take [the threat] seriously but not react in the manner in which the person who was threatening us had required."

But, he added: "We don't believe that it was real and nothing has happened."

Iger had told employees earlier this month that the hackers had demanded the ransom in bitcoin and that they would release the film online in a series of 20-minute chunks unless it was paid.

The Disney boss was keen to stress how technology has benefitted Disney but also said it also presented significant challenges to the film industry.

"In today's world, cyber security is a front burner issue," he said.

"We like to view technology more friend than foe... [but] it is also a disruptor."

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Two men dead after light aircraft crash off Kintyre

Two men have been killed in a light aircraft crash off the Scottish coast.

The alarm was raised after the aircraft, which took off from Oban Airport at 11:30 on Thursday, failed to arrive at Carlisle Airport.

Police Scotland said the aircraft had crashed about two miles off the coast of Skipness.

The bodies of two men and wreckage from the aircraft were recovered from the sea following an extensive search.

BBC