Google Pixel 'zero-click' exploit caused by AI, mysterious Poland grid attacks, China bans US cybersecurity software

January 16th, 2026  |  2 hrs 24 mins

ai, apt research, cyberespionage, government, nation-state, ransomware, zero-day

(Presented by Material Security: We protect your company’s most valuable materials -- the emails, files, and accounts that live in your Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 cloud offices).

Three Buddy Problem - Episode 81: We dissect New York Times reporting on the "precision" of US cyber operations in Venezuela, the competing narratives around offensive cyber capabilities and "letters of marque" for private hackers. Plus, a mysterious failed cyber attack on Poland's power grid, internet blackouts in Iran (with fascinating DNS telemetry revealing Chinese bank traffic and Russian website spikes), and news of China's ban on US/Israeli cybersecurity software.

We also cover Check Point's research on "VoidLink" (is it a successor to ShadowPad?), Microsoft's threat intelligence sharing practices, and Google Project Zero's disclosure of zero-click vulnerabilities caused by AI-powered transcription features.

Cast: Ryan Naraine, Costin Raiu and Juan Andres Guerrero-Saade.