CES is home to some of the coolest, cutting-edge, and most innovative technology around. But within this sea of tech are always some pretty strange gadgets. This years conference was no different, packed with a whole bunch of wacky devices, some of which might have a chance of taking off, and others... maybe not so much.Heres a roundup of all the weird tech we spotted on the CES show floor and beyond.1. Mirumi, the shy sloth-like robot Image: Yukai EngineeringMirumi is a furry little robot that latches onto your purse or backpack strap. It turns its head to look curiously around the room using built-in sensors. But much like an infant, Mirumi is designed to be a bit shy, so it might bury its face if its touched or approached by strangers. The company behind Mirumi, Yukai Engineering, plans to launch the bot through a crowdfunding campaign this year with an expected price of $70.2. A phone battery charger that resembles a toaster Photo by Allison Johnson / The VergeNo, my colleague Allison Johnson isnt sticking her phone in a toaster that white box is actually a charging hub made by Swippitt. Its designed to power up a series of external batteries that go into Swippitts Link phone case, giving your device a little extra charge. When your battery is on the verge of dying, insert your phone into the hub, and it will automatically swap out the external battery for one thats fully charged, no cords or wireless charging stations needed.3. This retractable keyboardI never even thought I needed a keyboard that retracts to reveal a trackpad and number pad, and after seeing my colleague Sean Hollister use it... I still dont think I need it. The AutoKeybo uses a built-in camera to detect the position of your hands and will automatically switch between setups when you raise them slightly. Its supposed to help you boost productivity by saving you from moving your hands between your mouse and keyboard, and it comes with a pretty hefty $700 price tag.4. An even more portable LG StanbyME displayLG is back with a second version of its portable StanbyME monitor. But this time, you can add a shoulder strap to the 27-inch monitor, letting you haul it around while on the go (or hang it up in a room). Theres even a new folio case that makes it look like an absurdly large tablet. Aside from the new accessories, the StanbyME comes with other upgrades over its predecessor, including a higher 1440p resolution, a longer four-hour battery life, and two USB-C ports.5. SwitchBots modular, multitasking robotSwitchBot made a modular robot capable of completing many different types of chores. Built on a version of SwitchBots mini robot vacuum, the Multitasking Household Robot K20 Plus Procomes with a wheeled FusionPlatform that you can equip with various devices, like the companys air purifier, fan, security camera, and more, allowing it to roll around your house while completing all kinds of tasks. It will be able to do even more in the future with the in-development robotic arms you can see in the video above.6. An 18-karat gold smart ring Image: UltrahumanForget your traditional engagement ring. What about presenting your partner with an 18-karat gold smart ring? Well, Ultrahuman made just that, with its artisanal Rare ring, costing $1,900 in gold (or $2,200 in platinum). Aside from full access to all of Ultrahumans features and lifetime membership to its warranty program, this device has the same specs as the far cheaper $349 Ultrahuman Ring Air just in a far more expensive package.7. LGs air purifier your cat can sit onThe LG AeroCatTower is exactly what it sounds like: an air purifier that doubles as a cat tree. In addition to providing a heated spot for your feline friend, it filters out pet dander and even weighs your cat, too. The AeroCatTower connects to the LG ThinQ app, where you can see information about your cats weight and track how long your cat was asleep.8. The worlds first wearable solar panel Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The VergeThis jacket from Anker is still just a concept for now, but it gives off real Cyberpunk 2077 vibes with its LED light strips and perovskite solar cells wrapped around the outside of the cloak. It offers a 30W maximum input, along with a USB-C output you can use to charge your phone.9. LGs indoor gardening side table Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The VergeLike LGs AeroCatTower, the companys latest take on indoor gardening combines multiple functions in a single package. The device looks similar to your typical side table, but it features a lamp you can grow plants beneath. It also automatically waters your plants using its built-in tank and has a built-in speaker. LG made a taller, lamp-style garden as well.10. Encapsulated anime girls that talk to you Photo by Sean Hollister / The VergeThis is exactly what it looks like: a pod containing 3D models of dancing anime girls. But it doesnt have to house anime girls; you can upload any character to Character Livehouses 1200p display, and it will use AI to interact with you. The capsule comes equipped with cameras and microphones with sound recognition, allowing the character to detect your presence. Code 27, the company behind Character Livehouse, says the model can cheer you on in games and even gently wake you up. Its headed to Kickstarter soon with a price range of $400 to $500.

The European Union is reportedly close to deciding whether Xs attempts to combat illegal or harmful content are compliant with the blocs digital service rulebook. A probe into Xs risk management and content moderation will be concluded as early as legally possible, according to a letter to EU lawmakers seen by Bloomberg. It comes a day after Meta announced sweeping moderation changes on its own platforms inspired by X.In the letter, the EUs justice chief Michael McGrath and tech policy leader Henna Virkkunen vowed to energetically push the investigation forward. Bloomberg reports that the letter was prompted by a complaint from center-right German lawmakers over concerns regarding Elon Musks promotion of Germanys far-right party leader on X.The probe was launched under the blocs Digital Services Act (DSA) in December 2023, with a focus on the dissemination of illegal content in the context of Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel, and how effective Xs Community Notes system is at tackling information manipulation. Additionally, the same investigation yielded preliminary findings that found X to be in breach of DSA regarding advertising transparency, dark patterns, and its blue check user verification system. Platforms deemed to have breached the DSA risk fines of up to six percent of their global yearly revenue.Since purchasing X (previously known as Twitter) in 2022, Elon Musk has transformed its verification system into a subscription service and cut back its trust and safety team to focus on community-driven moderation. The EU criticized X over rising levels of disinformation on the platform, something that Musk himself actively engaged in promoting, following these changes. More recently, Musk has landed himself a position on President-elect Donald Trumps incoming administration, which has issued threats over perceived biases in moderation.US tech giants are already heeding to Republicans complaints regarding online speech rules. Yesterday, Meta announced it was inspired by X to scrap its third-party fact-checkers in favor of implementing its own Community Notes program, alongside removing restrictions around topics like immigration and gender identity. While these changes will initially be rolled out in the US, both Meta and X operate on a global stage and the eyes of EU regulators are ever watchful.

One of the key changes Matter is bringing to the smart home is a standardized way to enable local control of smart devices. This means your light bulb doesn't have to talk to the cloud when you ask your voice assistant to turn it off. While some smart home ecosystems already offer local control, Matter should make implementing it easier for every smart home platform. This week, Google announced it has added full local control of Matter devices to its Google Home Hubs by integrating Home Runtime. Now, Google Nest hubs and speakers, Chromecasts, Google TV devices on Android 14, and some LG TVs can connect to and control Matter devices locally.This means when a user who has a hub forGoogle Homedevice (at home) is viewing or controlling theirMatterdevices (at home), they can do so with higher reliability, privacy, and lower latency, Jeannie Zhang, product manager for Google Home, told The Verge. If the internet is down, Google Assistant should still be able to turn on the lightsThis is a significant change for the platform, which has historically relied on cloud connectivity for device control. Now, if the internet is down and you ask Google Assistant to turn on the lights, it should actually be able to follow through.Google also shared details on its recent efforts to help developers make more products that work with Matter. These include working with the CSA to make certifying Matter devices easier and partnering with MediaTek to build a new chipwrites.Finally, Google is opening its Home APIs to all developers. This allows developers to integrate Google Home devices and automations into their own apps, allowing them to focus their resources on building devices rather than integrations.Google announced theHome APIs at I/O,but they werent available to all developers. The program had been in an early access phase with companies such as Eve,Nanoleaf,LG,ADT, Cync, Yale, and Aqara. Now, any company can access the Android version of the Home APIs in public developer beta, with the iOS version coming soon. Google says the Home APIs consist of:Device and Structure APIs:With one single integration, get access to over 600M devices already connected to Google Home and a single unified interface to manage and control both cloud-connected and Matter devices across Google Home, enabling local control, broad device reach, and support for Matter custom clusters.Commissioning API:Simplifies device set up with Fast Pair on 3 billion Android devices, commission Matter devices directly within your app, enabling seamless onboarding, voice control via Google Assistant, and compatibility with the Google Home ecosystem.Automation API:Empower your users with all the tools needed to create and manage home automations directly in your app, leveraging extensive signals, commands, and Google specific AI-driven capabilities for personalized and intelligent home experiences.Essentially, all of this allows developers to use the Google Home platform to power their apps automations and integrations with other devices. While this can significantly speed up development it helped Eve finally launch an app for Android the downside is if Google ever pulled the API access (as it did when it shut down its Works With Nest program), developers would be left high and dry. However, despite its history here, the likelihood of that happening seems slim. From what Ive seen, the company does seem to be taking a more thoughtful, thorough approach to the smart home. What is Matter?Matter is a smart home interoperability standard designed to provide a common language for connected devices to communicate locally in your home without relying on a cloud connection. It is built to be secure and private, easy to set up, and widely compatible.Developed by Apple, Amazon, Google, and Samsung (and others), Matter is an open-sourced, IP-based connectivity software layer for smart home devices. It works over Wi-Fi, ethernet, and the low-power mesh networking protocol Thread and currently supports most of the main device types in the home. These include lighting, thermostats, locks, robot vacuums, refrigerators, dishwashers, dryers, ovens, smoke alarms, air quality monitors, EV chargers, and more.A smart home gadget with the Matter logo can be set up and used with any Matter-compatible ecosystem via a Matter controller and controlled by more than one with a feature called multi-admin. Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings, and Apple Home are some major smart home platforms supporting Matter, along with hundreds of device manufacturers.

Capcom has announced a second open beta for Monster Hunter Wilds ahead of its release date.The beta includes the content from the first beta but adds returning monster Gypceros to hunt. Youll get to use the character realtor, play the story trial, and complete the Slay Doshaguma Quest. Capcom said those who played the first beta can transfer their character to the second beta, and then onto the full game release. Game progress, however, does not carry forward, but those who take part in the test get special bonuses that can be redeemed in the full game, including a decorative charm for your weapon or Seikret, and an item pack.Capcom warned fans that improvements it has already announced are set for the full release will not make it into the second open beta. This includes performance improvements, balance changes, weapon mechanics, and other known issues.PlayIGN's Twenty Questions - Guess the game!IGN's Twenty Questions - Guess the game!To start:...try asking a question that can be answered with a "Yes" or "No".000/250Monster Hunter Wilds second open beta goes live February 6 at 7pm PT, and runs until February 9 at 6.59pm PT. If you miss out on that, dont worry: another beta weekend is set for the following weekend (February 13 to 16). Monster Hunter Wilds then launches proper on February 28.Monster Hunter Wilds is the subject of the latest IGN First, which kicked off with two brand new videos featuring gameplay of Ajarakan and Rompopolo on the Oilwell Basin map. We visited Capcoms offices in Japan, where we played the first five hours or so of Monster Hunter Wilds, and exclusively faced a few Oilwell Basin local monsters. Look out for more gameplay throughout January, along with in-depth interviews, fun details, and a final preview for Monster Hunter Wilds.Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

This review contains full spoilers for Star Wars: Skeleton Crew Season 1, Episode 7.After a galaxy-spanning adventure through pirate stations, planet-wide battlefields, and a luxury spa, who wouldve thought the key to getting the crew back home would just be going back home? Despite all of the secrecy over At Attins location and its impenetrable barrier, it turns out that all you need to do is point your spaceship at the planet and fly in (provided you have the right spaceship, which the kids have naturally had this whole time). Not enough happened in this penultimate episode, and what did happen occurred far too easily, making for a rare Skeleton Crew disappointment.On paper, it seems like this is an eventful episode: The kids and the pirates all make it to At Attin, Jod goes full Bad Guy and executes both Captain Brutus and (apparently) SM-33, and then he finally makes it to At Attins legendary treasure hoard. But these events are purely plot points. Previous episodes have given us little emotional explorations of who these kids are, or stories of what its like to grow up in a world where adults are either completely absent or checked-out. Sadly, episode 7 just has some things happen and then ends on a frustratingly abrupt and somewhat inexplicable cliffhanger. PlayLets start with that ending, because it drags the whole episode down. Before landing on At Attin, Jod repeatedly snaps at the kids as they try to do their disarmingly chatty thing. He ultimately threatens to brutally murder all of their parents (having seen what they look like in the unnecessary message that they sent up through the planetary barrier) if the kids reveal that hes actually a pirate and not an emissary from the Republic. And yet, having come so close to his dream of infinite money that he seems to be literally on the verge of tears (a great bit of face acting from Jude Law), he decides to risk it all by disrupting the kids reunion with their parents, whipping out the lightsaber he nabbed a few episodes ago.Then the episode ends. The kids dont blab to their parents. The parents have no reason to believe that Jod isnt who he claims to be. All Jod needs to do is act cool until he can figure out how to signal the rest of the pirates in orbit. With this cliffhanger, though, were left to wonder what happens next: will he attack them or not? If he does, its a silly, senseless mistake for him to make. If he doesnt, then why end the penultimate episode with such a needless question mark?Nobody in this episode really has to do anything and that saps Skeleton Crew of exciting narrative momentum.This might not prove to be a problem at all come next weeks finale episode, and Skeleton Crew could certainly resolve this in an interesting way, but the loose logic of the situation drags this episode down. It contributes to making episode 7 a weaker part of what has otherwise been a strong series. And, unfortunately, its not the only issue with Were Gonna Be In So Much Trouble.A few scenes in both this episode and prior chapters have reinforced the idea that its impossible to get anything through At Attins planet-wide shield even just a signal. And so the crews parents rig up some kind of little transmitter so they can send a message out to space except the kids are already in orbit. The show solves its own problem before the characters create a solution. Furthermore, the messages key information is an explanation of how to get through the barriers fake lightning storm which turns out to be irrelevant because the Onyx Cinder was apparently stolen from At Attin and can pass through the storm unharmed anyway.Before all that, SM-33 reveals that a rule within the Pirate Code dictates that a pirate can only be the captain of one vessel. By killing Brutus and taking over the pirate frigate, Jod therefore cannot be captain of the Onyx Cinder. So, by declaring that the ship is for kids only (which, credit where its due, is funny), Fern is able to effortlessly retain control of the ship from the piratesalbeit briefly. Nobody in this episode really has to do anything events just fall into place and all wouldve happened one way or another and that saps Skeleton Crew of the exciting narrative momentum it had early on.There is some good stuff here, like an early scene in which the kids toss a ball through the halls of their ship and fondly reminisce about how fun their adventure has been, despite (or because of) how often theyve come close to dying. Its a nice moment that lets the kids act like kids, which is when the show is at its best.

Speculation is ramping up about the DCUs Batman following the characters introduction in animated form via Creature Commandos. Meanwhile, Matt Reeves' "Batman Epic Crime Saga" rumbles on, with talks ongoing about The Penguin Season 2 and the delayed The Batman 2 now due out in 2027. Could Robert Pattinson, who plays Batman in The Epic Crime Saga, thus be integrated into the DCU?Thats the question reporter Josh Horowitz put to Reeves himself at the Golden Globes, and while the director kept his cards close to his chest, he did leave the door open to the possibility.It really comes down to whether or not it makes sense, Reeves replied. Whats been great is there was a story that I wanted to tell with what were calling The Epic Crime Saga and all that, which is the thrust of what we want to do. And its been important to me to be able to play that out. And [DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn] and Peter [Safran] have been really, really great about that and theyre letting us do that.What the future brings? I cant really tell you. I have no idea right now except that my head is down now about getting The Batman Part 2 shooting and to make it something really, really special which, of course, is the most important thing.Reeves was then asked straight up, what if Gunn and Safran decide they really want Pattinson to be the DCU Batman? I dont know, he replied. Well have to see where that goes.So, not an outright refusal or an explanation for why Pattinson would be a poor fit for the DCU, but not an indication that he is a good fit, either.Confirmed DCU ProjectsDC is in the awkward position of having two separate universes running in parallel, and, as a result, two separate Batmans: one in James Gunn's DCU and one in Matt Reeves' Epic Crime Saga. Its a somewhat confusing proposition for audiences, one that will need to be addressed sooner rather than later, especially given Gunns recent comments about the characters introduction via Creature Commandos.Warning! Spoilers for Episode 6 of Creature Commandos follow.Episode 6 of DCU kickstarter Creature Commandos shows Batman standing on a rooftop looking down at crime boss Doctor Phosphorus. The image reveals a mega-stacked Caped Crusader in his iconic costume, but theres little else that can be discerned about Gunns take on the superhero.Based on comments Gunn issued to Rotten Tomatoes TV following the release of Episode 6, its easy to see why this brief look at Batman is so generic. Gunn said he asked for "more silhouette" after the original Batman on show was more detailed than he was ready to commit to at this stage.What this look at Batman did provide fans with, Gunn explained, was a clear indication that Batman not only already exists within the DCU during the events were seeing in Creature Commandos and this years Superman movie, but that he is well-known within the universe, and thats why theres no need to tell his well-trodden origin story.Gunn then made an interesting comment that suggested the DCU Batman will team up with Superman at some point.This is the DCU Batman, he said of the Creature Commandos cameo. Listen I gotta tell you, I just love Batman. I love him. I've loved him since I was a little kid. He's one of my favorite characters. I've gone on the record in the past when I was at Marvel saying my favorite character is Batman. I love him and we're going to do great things with him. He's the most popular superhero in the world and I can't wait for people to see more of him, along with Superman, and together.The question is, at what point will we see the DCU Batman properly revealed? Will fans have to wait for the Batman: The Brave and the Bold movie, which doesnt have a release window, or could Batman make a surprise appearance in another project before then?Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Apples long-term goal for Vision Pro is believed to be an Apple Glasses product, in which an ordinary-looking pair of glasses will be able to display both text and AR content.Weve seen some competitors take early steps in that direction, and the RayNeo X3 Pro AR glasses look like the closest thing weve yet seen in a real-world product A glasses form factor is also believed to beApples long-term goal, with Vision Pro just an early step along the way. Back in 2019, it was reported that Apple believes that AR glasses willeventually replace the iPhone.Meta showed off an early prototype of itsOrion AR glasseslast summer, providing a persuasive look at what we can one day expect in something that looks and feels more like the companys existing smart glasses. However, the prototype was massive clunky, and reputedly cost $10,000 apiece just to manufacture.In the meantime, a new model of the companys existing RayBan Meta smart glasses are said to be in line to get a display next year.RayNeo X3 Pro AREngadgets Karissa Bell got a chance to try RayNeos latest glasses at CES.RayNeo use microLED projectors and waveguides to produce a full-color AR display. The field of view is just 25 degrees [] but its impressively bright. Even under the fairly bright lights of a Las Vegas casino ballroom, I had no problem seeing the menus or even reading text (the display outputs 2,500 nits, according to the company).What stood out the most, though, was the size. At less than 3 ounces, the RayNeo X3 Pro are impressively lightweight. Like other AR glasses Ive tried, they dont quite look like a normal pair of frames, but they dont feel that far off either.The glasses of course have a ChatGTP-powered AI assistant, and also support real-time translation of speech to text, which Bell said works well even in the noisy environment of CES.There are two notable downsides, though. Battery-life is said to be just 30 minutes in heavy use, and the price is expected to be around $1500. Theres no specific word on availability, but the launch is promised for later this year.While the exact form factor is hard to see in RayNeos promo image, you can get a better idea of the real-life look in the photos over at Engadget.Image: RayNeoAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Around fifty Apple employees have been fired for allegedly defrauding the company via its Matching Grants program, in which the company agrees to match charitable donations made by employees.So far, six of the former Bay Area employees have also been charged with tax fraud relating to fake donations Apples Matching Grants programApple CEO Tim Cook launched a charitable donation matching program back in 2018. The deal is that for every dollar donated to a charity by an employee, Apple will match it with two dollars. The annual limit was capped at $10,000 per employee.We also know how much our employees value giving back to the communities where we all work and live. Im happy to announce that starting immediately [] Apple will match all employee charitable donations, up to $10,000 annually, at a rate of two to one.For example, if an employee donates the maximum of $10k, Apple will provide an additional $20k, giving the charity $30k in total.Employees fired and charged with fraudIndia Today reports that around 50 employees have been fired, and six of them have so far been charged with criminal offenses.The allegations suggest that some employees, in collaboration with specific nonprofit organisations including associations reportedly linked to the Indian community falsified donations to exploit the program.According to these claims, employees donated funds to nonprofits, which were then matched by Apple. However, the nonprofits allegedly funnelled the original donations back to the employees, allowing them to retain Apples matching contributions. If accurate, this would not only breach corporate policies but also violate US tax laws, as the employees false claims could amount to tax fraud.The charges relate to approximately $152k over a period of three years.If the allegations are proven, it will mean that Apple was tricked into making charitable donations to specific charities, while the state of California was defrauded by tax write-offs for non-existent employee donations.Photo byGiorgio TrovatoonUnsplashAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Depending on the model, an Apple Silicon MacBook Pro officially supports between one and three external displays, but a software workaround lets you boost that number.The new Plugable UD-7400PD dock takes advantage of that fact to provide a very neat way to allow even an M1 MacBook Pro to simultaneously drive up to five external monitors MacBook Pro external monitor supportApple Silicon Macs were a vast improvement on Intel machines in almost every respect, but one downgrade in the specs of the base model M1 MacBook Pro was that it only supported a single external monitor. This contrasted with up to four monitors with some Intel models.More powerful models increased the number to three, but a software workaround actually allows even the M1 model to support up to six monitors.M1 Macs can indeed run up to 6 external displays with good performance, at least in early testing. The workaround isnt too complicated and involves downloading the DisplayLink software for macOS and picking up a 4K DisplayPort to USB 3.0 adapter (and/or HDMI adapter).Plugable UD-7400PD dockYou dont need any dedicated hardware to use DisplayLink approach, but given the mix of cables and adapters required, you might still be interested in Plugables UD-7400PD dock, intended to make this as neat as possible.The UD-7400PD, powered by DisplayLinks DL-7400 chipset, is the first docking station to support up to five displays, including four 4K and one 8K screen. Also offering 140W Power Delivery, this dock ensures even power-hungry laptops remain charged during demanding tasks. Its universal compatibility delivers an ideal solution for mixed-platform offices and IT departments that OEM docks cant support.The dock also features an intelligent splash screen that appears when powered on but not connected to a computer, providing real-time status and asset information, as well as a QR code linking to set up and support resources. This innovation simplifies setup and asset management, particularly for IT administrators in flexible work environments.You get three USB-C ports which support DisplayLink for up to 8K monitors, an HDMI Alt Mode port also supporting 8K, and an HDMI DisplayLink port offering 4K. Exact capacity depends on the resolution of your monitors, but you can have, for example, one 6K monitor and four 4K ones.Additionally, theres a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port, a USC-C 10Gbps 30W one, two USB-A 10Gbps ports, and an audio in/out socket. Finally, theres one more USB-C 140W PD socket to enable a single-cable connection for both powering your MacBook display and feeding the monitors.The dock costs $264.95. Theres no exact word yet on availability, but the company says it is coming soon.Image: 9to5Mac composite of images from Plugable and Alexander GreyonUnsplashAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Jan 08, 2025The Hacker NewsMalware / Windows SecurityCybersecurity researchers have shed light on a new remote access trojan called NonEuclid that allows bad actors to remotely control compromised Windows systems."The NonEuclid remote access trojan (RAT), developed in C#, is a highly sophisticated malware offering unauthorised remote access with advanced evasion techniques," Cyfirma said in a technical analysis published last week."It employs various mechanisms, including antivirus bypass, privilege escalation, anti-detection, and ransomware encryption targeting critical files."NonEuclid has been advertised in underground forums since at least late November 2024, with tutorials and discussions about the malware discovered on popular platforms like Discord and YouTube. This points to a concerted effort to distribute the malware as a crimeware solution.At its core, the RAT commences with an initialization phase for a client application, after which it performs a series of checks to evade detection prior to setting up a TCP socket for communication with a specified IP and port.It also configures Microsoft Defender Antivirus exclusions to prevent the artifacts from being flagged by the security tool, and keeps tabs on processes like "taskmgr.exe," "processhacker.exe," and "procexp.exe" which are often used for analysis and process management."It uses Windows API calls (CreateToolhelp32Snapshot, Process32First, Process32Next) to enumerate processes and check if their executable names match the specified targets," Cyfirma said. "If a match is found, depending on the AntiProcessMode setting, it either kills the process or triggers an exit for the client application."Some of the anti-analysis techniques adopted by the malware include checks to determine if it's running in a virtual or sandboxed environment, and if found to be so, immediately terminate the program. Furthermore, it incorporates features to bypass the Windows Antimalware Scan Interface (AMSI).While persistence is accomplished by means of scheduled tasks and Windows Registry changes, NonEuclid also attempts to elevate privileges by circumventing User Account Control (UAC) protections and execute commands.A relatively uncommon feature is its ability to encrypt files matching certain extension types (e.g., .CSV, .TXT, and .PHP) and renaming them with the extension ". NonEuclid," effectively turning into ransomware."The NonEuclid RAT exemplifies the increasing sophistication of modern malware, combining advanced stealth mechanisms, anti-detection features, and ransomware capabilities," Cyfirma said."Its widespread promotion across underground forums, Discord servers, and tutorial platforms demonstrates its appeal to cyber-criminals and highlights the challenges in combating such threats. The integration of features like privilege escalation, AMSI bypass, and process blocking showcases the malware's adaptability in evading security measures."Found this article interesting? This article is a contributed piece from one of our valued partners. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE