# Black October

AI & tech · Heat 5.9 / 10 · 3 shows · 13m airtime

On October 22, 2026, within 24 hours of the PHP bug disclosure, a large number of Node.js flaws were disclosed alongside other breaches, a cluster security leaders call Black October. Microsoft has since said threat actors used the Chinese open-source AI tool Artex to attack hundreds of companies. The discussion is about whether the cluster marks the start of a new normal of AI-accelerated vulnerability discovery and attack tempo, and what role AI tooling played in the Artex campaign.

Page: https://boilpoints.com/point/black_october_4606507

## Segments

- [Big Technology Podcast](https://boilpoints.com/u/bigtechnologypodcast), 2026-10-23, 51:11 to 55:21: **Widens the frame to Node.js flaws and breaches**. Stamos widens the frame past PHP: within 24 hours a large number of Node.js flaws surfaced, plus a certificate authority whose certificates were stolen and breaches at Railway and Fireworks. He argues the cluster, which the hosts call Black October, is the new normal, and notes CISA has been hollowed out by political appointees. New angle: Within 24 hours of the PHP bug, a large number of Node.js flaws were disclosed.
- [Tech Brew Ride Home](https://boilpoints.com/u/techbrewridehome), 2026-10-26, 16:43 to 19:24: **Pulls the Black October cluster into a wider frame**. Pulls the Black October cluster into a wider frame: Microsoft says Artex, a Chinese open-source AI hacking tool, was used against hundreds of companies, and Sophos watched the Aurora ransomware group move from Anthropic's models to Moonshot's Kimi. New angle: Microsoft says threat actors used the Chinese open-source AI tool Artex to attack hundreds of companies.
- [Hard Fork](https://boilpoints.com/u/hardfork), 2026-10-30, 38:26 to 44:52: **Recaps Black October and points to a defender's essay**. Recaps Black October for a general audience - what PHP is, why the flaw was so wide, and whether AI will find more bugs than it fixes. The one new thread is a pointer to Joshua Sachs's essay arguing defenders still have a window.