================================================================ INFOSECFOLLOW -- security, markets, business, pittsburgh Sunday, June 21, 2026 - 12:07 PM EDT ================================================================ Attackers turn neglected software and aging hardware into instruments of theft, exploiting a Gravity SMTP plugin flaw to harvest secrets while the new AryStinger botnet conscripts thousands of outdated D-Link routers. CONTENTS: Emerging Trends and Key Updates | Security | Business and Politics | Pittsburgh | Sports | Reading | Markets EMERGING TRENDS AND KEY UPDATES ---------------------------------------------------------------- * [TREND] Unauthenticated WordPress plugins and aging routers keep handing attackers the keys, as the Gravity SMTP flaw leaks API keys and OAuth tokens while AryStinger conscripts 4,000-plus D-Link routers. see: Gravity SMTP Plugin Leaks WordPress Secrets; AryStinger Botnet Hijacks D-Link Routers * [TREND] Geopolitical and political turmoil deepened as Trump threatened to strike Iran with the Strait of Hormuz closed again, and Andy Burnham's by-election win pushed Starmer toward resignation. see: Trump Threatens Iran Strike as Hormuz Closes Anew; Starmer Near Quitting After Burnham By-Election Win * [TREND] AI's economics dominate the Reading list, with Ed Zitron pressing his Silicon Valley bubble case, Cal Newport arguing work was already broken, and Michael Morton on AI e-commerce. see: Premium: The Silicon Valley Bubble (Part 2); AI Isn’t Breaking Work. It’s Already Broken.; An Interview with Michael Morton About E-Commerce in the Age of AI * [UPDATE (new)] Local institutions made moves as POGOH won a $1.5 million grant to expand bike share and the Post-Gazette revived Dateline Pittsburgh for area companies. see: POGOH Wins Grant to Expand Bike Share; Post-Gazette Revives Dateline Pittsburgh * [UPDATE (new)] New community concerns surfaced as Allegheny County's paid-leave plan could sideline teachers for half a year and New Kensington residents formed an advocacy group. see: County Paid-Leave Plan May Sideline Teachers; New Kensington Residents Form Advocacy Group SECURITY ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1. ARYSTINGER BOTNET HIJACKS D-LINK ROUTERS Malware and Botnets · [botnet, malware, iot] Latest developments: Researchers documented AryStinger for the first time, a previously unknown botnet that has compromised more than 4,000 outdated D-Link routers worldwide and turned them into proxies for malicious traffic. AryStinger infects aging D-Link routers and relays attacker traffic through them, masking its origin. Owners of old D-Link hardware should patch where fixes exist or replace devices that no longer receive firmware updates. - BleepingComputer: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/arystinger-botnet-infected-thousands-of-d-link-routers-worldwide/ 2. GRAVITY SMTP PLUGIN LEAKS WORDPRESS SECRETS Vulnerabilities and Exploits · [vulnerability, exploit, wordpress] Latest developments: Threat actors began actively exploiting CVE-2026-4020, a CVSS 5.3 information-disclosure bug in the Gravity SMTP WordPress plugin, to pull configuration data, API keys, secrets, and OAuth tokens from unauthenticated requests. Gravity SMTP routes outgoing mail for about 100,000 WordPress sites. The flaw lets unauthenticated attackers read sensitive configuration and credential data, so administrators should update the plugin and rotate any exposed keys and tokens at once. - BleepingComputer: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hackers-exploit-info-disclosure-bug-in-gravity-smtp-wordpress-plugin/ BUSINESS AND POLITICS ---------------------------------------------------------------- * Trump Threatens Iran Strike as Hormuz Closes Anew Latest developments: Trump threatened today to strike Iran over renewed Israel-Hezbollah fighting in Lebanon, and Tehran said it has again closed the Strait of Hormuz, both escalations beyond Sunday's opening of talks. Vice President JD Vance and senior Iranian negotiators opened talks in Switzerland on Sunday, June 21, meant to lock in Trump's earlier accord; fresh Hezbollah-Israel combat and Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint for roughly a fifth of seaborne oil, now jeopardize the deal. - WSJ World News: https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/war-in-lebanon-casts-shadow-over-renewed-iran-u-s-nuclear-talks-f457c7e9 - FT World: https://www.ft.com/content/fad77f6e-b1db-460a-a0c8-c2fd132932f5 - FT World: https://www.ft.com/content/c1014643-940c-4874-998a-0a52eb517c49 * Starmer Near Quitting After Burnham By-Election Win Latest developments: Andy Burnham's by-election victory pushed Keir Starmer to the brink of resigning, with some ministers expecting him to announce his exit next week. Keir Starmer, Britain's Labour prime minister, faces resignation after Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor, won a Commons seat, positioning Burnham to become the country's seventh prime minister since the 2016 Brexit vote as gilt markets weigh the turnover. - FT World: https://www.ft.com/content/ed96e673-8d46-4dec-aebc-d69863b9e801 - FT World: https://www.ft.com/content/e586d110-34cf-47c6-8a05-68750ee425dd PITTSBURGH ---------------------------------------------------------------- Weather: Today: Partly Sunny, high 81F. Tonight: Mostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, low 62F. Monday: Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Showers And Thunderstorms, high 77F. Business: * POGOH Wins Grant to Expand Bike Share Latest developments: POGOH landed a $1.5 million grant to extend its bike-share network past Pittsburgh's borders. POGOH, Pittsburgh's nonprofit bike-share operator, won a $1.5 million grant to add stations in communities beyond the city limits, widening the system's reach into surrounding municipalities. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: https://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2026/06/21/pogoh-pittsburgh-bike-share-expansion/stories/202606180058 * Post-Gazette Revives Dateline Pittsburgh Latest developments: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette announced it will bring back Dateline Pittsburgh and explained how local companies can take part. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reviving Dateline Pittsburgh, a feature that publishes news and announcements from area companies, and laid out how local businesses can submit theirs. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: https://www.post-gazette.com/business/career-workplace/2026/06/21/dateline-pittsburgh-returning-business/stories/202606210031 Around town: * County Paid-Leave Plan May Sideline Teachers Latest developments: Allegheny County's proposed paid parental leave benefit could keep teachers out for up to half a school year, prompting districts to question how they would staff the gaps. Allegheny County's proposed paid parental leave policy could let teachers take leave covering as much as half a school year, and the Post-Gazette reports school districts wonder how they would cover such long absences. - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: https://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2026/06/21/allegheny-county-paid-leave-teachers/stories/202606180040 * New Kensington Residents Form Advocacy Group Latest developments: Jurgen Koster formed a New Kensington community group to tackle local problems and will host a cookout Tuesday, June 23. Jurgen Koster, a three-year New Kensington resident frustrated that little has changed since he arrived, started a community advocacy group that holds a cookout Tuesday, June 23, to draw neighbors in. - TribLive: https://triblive.com/local/valley-news-dispatch/new-kensington-community-group-forms-to-tackle-local-issues-hosting-cookout-tuesday/ Events: * South Side Street Fest Opens Strong Latest developments: The South Side Street Fest opened Saturday, June 20, drawing largely positive reviews on a calmer-than-usual weekend along East Carson Street. The South Side Hospitality Partnership's new South Side Street Fest, which closes East Carson Street on the South Side, opened Saturday, June 20, with attendees telling KDKA the event felt safe and welcoming. - KDKA: https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/pittsburgh-south-side-street-fest-opens/ * Carnegie Museum Plans 'Egypt on the Nile' Latest developments: The Carnegie Museum of Natural History announced 'Egypt on the Nile,' an exhibition opening May 1, 2027. The Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Oakland will open 'Egypt on the Nile' on May 1, 2027, an exhibition tracing how ancient Egyptians lived along the Nile River and the landscapes around it. - WPXI: https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/carnegie-museum-natural-history-open-egypt-nile-exhibition-2027/HKBJ3JDLLJAAPP646AQPBUIZQU/ SPORTS ---------------------------------------------------------------- Pirates (38-39) Sat Jun 20 · Pirates 1 · Rockies 2 · Final McCarthy hits leadoff inside-the-park homer off Skenes in Rockies' 2-1 win over Pirates https://plaintextsports.com/mlb/2026-06-20/pit-col Up Next · Pirates @ Rockies · Sun Jun 21, 3:10 PM https://plaintextsports.com/mlb/2026-06-21/pit-col Around the Teams: * Pirates Weigh Catching Plan After Bart Trade Latest developments: A Post-Gazette mailbag laid out the Pirates' catching options after the Joey Bart trade and weighed whether Marcell Ozuna returns. Having dealt catcher Joey Bart to the Braves for reliever Hunter Stratton, the Pirates now lean on Henry Davis behind the plate, the Post-Gazette mailbag explained, and addressed whether designated hitter Marcell Ozuna comes back. - Post-Gazette Pirates: https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2026/06/19/mlb-trade-bart-stratton-henry-davis-marcell-ozuna/stories/202606190033 * Spears-Jennings's 40 Time Lifted His Draft Stock Latest developments: The Post-Gazette detailed how rookie safety Robert Spears-Jennings's 4.32-second 40-yard dash reshaped his draft trajectory. Steelers rookie safety Robert Spears-Jennings ran the 40-yard dash in 4.32 seconds at the NFL combine, a time the Post-Gazette reports vaulted his draft stock and changed how teams saw him. - Post-Gazette Steelers: https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2026/06/18/40yarddash-nfl-combine-spears-jennings-murphy-draft/stories/202606170001 Team USA: * USMNT Reaches Round of 32 Latest developments: After topping Group D, the United States men's team advances to the round of 32, and ESPN makes the case this squad feels genuinely different. The United States men's national team, co-host of the 2026 World Cup, won Group D and reached the round of 32, with ESPN arguing the team's belief and chemistry give supporters real reason to dream. - ESPN Soccer: https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/49121797/ok-dream-big-usmnt-world-cup READING ---------------------------------------------------------------- * Ed Zitron -- Premium: The Silicon Valley Bubble (Part 2) Ed Zitron extends his case that Silicon Valley sits in an unsustainable bubble, building on his scoop that OpenAI spent $34 billion in 2025 to generate $13.07 billion in revenue. https://www.wheresyoured.at/premium-the-silicon-valley-bubble-part-2/ * Stratechery -- An Interview with Michael Morton About E-Commerce in the Age of AI Ben Thompson interviews Michael Morton on how AI reshapes e-commerce, covering unfalsifiable bear cases, distribution versus referral models, grocery, and autonomous vehicles. https://stratechery.com/2026/an-interview-with-michael-morton-about-e-commerce-in-the-age-of-ai/ * Cal Newport -- AI Isn’t Breaking Work. It’s Already Broken. Cal Newport argues that knowledge work broke long before AI arrived, and AI merely exposes the dysfunction already built into how people work. https://calnewport.com/ai-isnt-breaking-work-its-already-broken/ MARKETS (weekly average, change vs prior week) ---------------------------------------------------------------- S&P 500 7,483.56 ▲ +1.6% Dow 51,586.04 ▲ +1.8% Nasdaq 26,297.74 ▲ +2.5% WTI crude 77.35 ▼ -12.5% EUR/USD 1.1528 ▼ -0.2% GBP/USD 1.3359 = -0.0% USD/JPY 160.50 ▲ +0.1% ================================================================ Generated 2026-06-21 12:07 EDT. Sources: 24 security feeds; 9 Pittsburgh feeds; 4 Pittsburgh arts and events feeds; 6 Pittsburgh sports beat and podcast feeds; 4 Team USA feeds; the Wall Street Journal, the Economist, and the Financial Times; and Ed Zitron, Stratechery, Cal Newport. Markets from Yahoo Finance, weather from the NWS, scores from ESPN. Summaries are AI-generated from the linked reporting; verify at the sources. ================================================================