Punching Upwards

About Punching Upwards

The podcast that digs at the nitty-gritty facts behind the week's loudest headlines and discovers stories legacy media neglected to cover. From a veteran reporter and investigative journalist; new episodes every Sunday. punchingupwards.substack.com (https://punchingupwards.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Fabian A. Scherschel

Category

news · news

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

14 Sept 2025

Latest episode

25 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

59 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   25 Oct 2026

   PU 59: PHP2Shell

   AI has found a very serious vulnerability in 70% of websites. Are we lucky here? Or will the world end because of it? In fact, AI has almost nothing to do with this story. Humans do, however. Punching Upwards, Episode 59 for 25 October 2026 Topics: Infosec (https://punchingupwards.substack.com/t/infosec)/ Artificial Intelligence (https://punchingupwards.substack.com/t/artificial-intelligence) 🦉 No AI Content (https://punchingupwards.substack.com/p/no-ai-content) 📢 Podcast RSS Feed (https://fab.industries/podcast.rss) Credits Thanks to Michael Mullan-Jensen, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Vlad A Gouf, Fadi Mansour, Bennet Piater, Eric and Sir Galteran for supporting this podcast financially and therefore making it possible for me to produce it! Sources * A tale of two PHP remote vulnerabilities (https://calif.io/php2shell/), Ryan Austin, Calif, 21 October 2026 * PHP2Shell: AI uncovers critical RCE vulnerabilities affecting 70% of the Internet (https://www.wiz.io/blog/php2shell-php-rce), Sagi Tzadik et al., Wiz, 21 October 2026 * Today’s PHP Security Release, and How We’re Strengthening PHP Security (https://thephp.foundation/blog/2026/10/21/todays-php-security-release-and-how-were-strengthening-php-security/), The PHP Foundation, 21 October 2026 * Finding and Exploiting a 21-Year-Old Vulnerability in PHP (https://calif.io/research/php-uaf), Ryan Austin, Calif, 1 May 2026 * PHP Audit Complete! (https://ostif.org/php-audit-complete/), OSTIF, 10 April 2025 * PHP memory_limit remote vulnerability (https://marc.info/?l=bugtraq&#38;m=108981780109154), Stefan Esser, Bugtraq, 13 July 2004 * Exploiting the php <= 4.3.7 memory_limit bug (http://immunitysec.com/downloads/nolimits.pdf), Bas Alberts, 18 August 2004 (archived copy (https://web.archive.org/web/20051231011715/http://immunitysec.com/downloads/nolimits.pdf)) * Sicherheitsspezialist verlässt resigniert PHP-Security-Team (https://www.heise.de/news/Sicherheitsspezialist-verlaesst-resigniert-PHP-Security-Team-126467.html), Daniel Bachfeld, heise online, 13 December 2006 * PHP Security Specialist (Stefan Esser) Resigns (https://www.darknet.org.uk/2007/01/php-security-specialist-stefan-esser-resigns/), Darknet, 18 January 2007 * Long variables in multipart/form-data cause OOM and temp files are not cleaned (https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=78876), jr@coredu.mp (mailto:jr@coredu.mp), PHP Bug Tracker, 28 November 2019 * AI tools discovered the PHP vulnerability that could take down 70% of the internet. Now, the race is on to patch it before AI-powered hackers attack (https://fortune.com/2026/10/21/ai-tools-discovered-the-php-vulnerability-that-could-take-down-70-of-the-internet-now-the-race-is-on-to-patch-it-before-ai-powered-hackers-attack/), Emily Forlini, Fortune, 21 October 2026 * AI Just Found a Bug That Puts up to 70% of the World’s Websites at Risk (https://www.wsj.com/tech/cybersecurity/ai-just-found-a-bug-that-puts-up-to-70-of-the-worlds-websites-at-risk-fd0902ea), Robert McMillan, The Wall Street Journal, 21 October 2026 * A.I. Discovered a Critical Security Flaw Underpinning Websites (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/21/us/politics/php-vulnerability-ai-openai-cybersecurity.html), Dustin Volz, The New York Times, 21 October 2026 * Government websites go dark after AI-discovered flaw sparks security scramble (https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/eu-agency-warns-websites-may-need-be-taken-offline-php-prepares-patches-2026-10-21/), Raphael Satter et al., Reuters, 21 October 2026 * Wichtige PHP-Updates am 21. Oktober beheben Codeeinschleusung-Schwachstellen (https://www.heise.de/news/Wichtige-PHP-Updates-am-21-Oktober-beheben-Codeeinschleusung-Schwachstellen-11495072.html), Dr. Christopher Kunz, heise online, 21 October 2026 * php2shell: Kritische Sicherheitslücken erlauben Codeeinschleusung in PHP (https://www.heise.de/news/php2shell-Kritische-Sicherheitsluecken-erlauben-Codeeinschleusung-in-PHP-11492938.html), Dr. Christopher Kunz, heise online, 21 October 2026 * CVE-2026-109618 (https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-109618), cve.org, 21 October 2026 * CVE-2026-109619 (https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-109619), cve.org, 21 October 2026 * Security Advisory 2026-018 (https://cert.europa.eu/publications/security-advisories/2026-018), CERT-EU, 20 October 2026 * Version 1.2: PHP - Kritische Schwachstellen bedrohen Webanwendungen weltweit (https://www.bsi.bund.de/SharedDocs/Cybersicherheitswarnungen/DE/2026/2026-297981-1032.html), Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik, 22 October 2026 * Patch the Planet: a Daybreak initiative to support open source maintainers (https://openai.com/index/patch-the-planet/), OpenAI, 22 June 2026 * Websites taken down worldwide as AI reveals critical cyber-security threat (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moy3waNDQa8), The BBC, 21 October 2026 * A flaw in PHP is taking down websites. Is the internet at risk? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ubl1mxoYe64), The BBC, 22 October 2026 * Websites went down around the world. Did AI stop it getting worse? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omSYrjCtfD8), The BBC, 22 October 2026 * Expert explains the PHP bug that could take down 70% of the internet (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktPKrV3eQ1c), CBS News, 22 October 2026 * Websites taken down worldwide over critical PHP vulnerabilities (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EB16ZFkRhw), Deutsche Welle, 22 October 2026 * Hackers Exploited the PHP Vulnerabilities Days Before They Were Patched (https://www.wired.com/story/hackers-exploited-the-php-vulnerabilities-days-before-they-were-patched/), Lily Hay Newman, Wired, 21 October 2026 * Amazon Threat Intelligence identifies PHP2Shell exploitation prior to public disclosure in MadPot (https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/security/amazon-threat-intelligence-identifies-php2shell-exploitation-prior-to-public-disclosure-in-madpot/), CJ Moses, AWS, 21 October 2026 The theme music for the podcast is a track called Fight or Fall by Def Lev. Find out more about the show at fab.industries/podcast (https://fab.industries/podcast) — new media, new rules! Get full access to Punching Upwards at punchingupwards.substack.com/subscribe (https://punchingupwards.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_4)

2. 

   18 Oct 2026

   PU 58: The Saudi War in Yemen

   Who are the Houthis? Why do they have cruise missiles? And what is Saudi Arabia’s involvement in Yemen? Punching Upwards, Episode 58 for 18 October 2026 Topics: Politics (https://punchingupwards.substack.com/t/politics)/ War in Iran (https://punchingupwards.substack.com/t/war-in-iran) 🦉 No AI Content (https://punchingupwards.substack.com/p/no-ai-content) 📢 Podcast RSS Feed (https://fab.industries/podcast.rss) Credits Thanks to Michael Mullan-Jensen, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Vlad A Gouf, Fadi Mansour, Bennet Piater, Eric and Sir Galteran for supporting this podcast financially and therefore making it possible for me to produce it! See Also * PU 45: The Iran Peace Deal is Over (https://punchingupwards.substack.com/p/pu-45-the-iran-peace-deal-is-over) * PU 41: The Iran Peace Deal (https://punchingupwards.substack.com/p/pu-41-the-iran-peace-deal) * PU 36: Dire Straits of Hormuz (https://punchingupwards.substack.com/p/pu-36-dire-straits-of-hormuz) * PU 26: Trump Falls Into the Smart Bomb Trap (https://punchingupwards.substack.com/p/pu-26-trump-falls-into-the-smart) Sources * “No Agenda” Is Over (https://fab.industries/blog/note/2026/na-is-over), FAB INDUSTRIES, 17 October 2026 * A besieged city could shift the outcome of Yemen’s war (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl2wf9crIK0), Reuters, 17 October 2026 * Deadly Houthi missile attack on Yemeni presidential palace (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HNwBbMmmcI), The BBC, 15 October 2026 * Saudi Arabia’s Disastrous, US-Backed War in Yemen Explained (https://rumble.com/v7gvplq-saudi-arabias-disastrous-us-backed-war-in-yemen-explained.html), Glenn Greenwald, 14 October 2026 * Yemen’s Houthis claim responsibility for fresh missile strike on Aden airport (https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20261017-yemen-s-houthis-claim-responsibility-for-fresh-missile-strike-on-aden-airport), France 24, 17 October 2026 * Houthis “shoot down” Saudi Typhoon (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/10/15/watch-houthis-shoot-down-saudi-typhoon/), The Telegraph, 15 October 2026 * Houthis Launch Deadly Attack on Yemen’s Presidential Palace (https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2026/10/16/houthis-launch-deadly-attack-on-yemens-presidential-palace/), Breitbart, 16 October 2026 * Foreign policy expert and strategist speaks on Gaza, Cuba, Yemen, China and more (https://wisconsinmuslimjournal.org/foreign-policy-expert-and-strategist-speaks-on-gaza-cuba-yemen-china-and-more/), Wisconsin Muslim Journal, 28 August 2026 The theme music for the podcast is a track called Fight or Fall by Def Lev. Find out more about the show at fab.industries/podcast (https://fab.industries/podcast) — new media, new rules! Get full access to Punching Upwards at punchingupwards.substack.com/subscribe (https://punchingupwards.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_4)

3. 

   11 Oct 2026

   PU 57: The Hanning Affair

   The amazing story of how helping plot a kidnapping for a steakhouse fortune heiress brought down the former head of the German foreign intelligence service BND. Punching Upwards, Episode 57 for 11 October 2026 Topics: Politics (https://punchingupwards.substack.com/t/politics) / Intelligence Services (https://punchingupwards.substack.com/t/intelligence-services) 🦉 No AI Content (https://punchingupwards.substack.com/p/no-ai-content) 📢 Podcast RSS Feed (https://fab.industries/podcast.rss) Credits Thanks to Michael Mullan-Jensen, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Vlad A Gouf, Fadi Mansour, Bennet Piater, Eric and Sir Galteran for supporting this podcast financially and therefore making it possible for me to produce it! See Also * PU 53: The AfD Wins Bigly (https://punchingupwards.substack.com/p/pu-53-the-afd-wins-bigly) * PU 51: Why Did the CIA Director Fly to Moscow? (https://punchingupwards.substack.com/p/pu-51-why-did-the-cia-director-fly) * PU 4: Drones over Denmark (https://punchingupwards.substack.com/p/pu-4-drones-over-denmark) Sources * German ex-spy chief arrested for suspected espionage, treason (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdOdMByVems), France 24, 6 October 2026 * Germany arrests former intelligence chief over alleged spying (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/06/germany-august-hanning-bnd-arrest-former-domestic-intelligence-chief), The Guardian, 6 October 2026 * Ex-BND-Chef August Hanning verhaftet (https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/justiz/august-hanning-ex-bnd-chef-verhaftet-a-a0314149-2e9c-44e4-9338-1cc5ce61da07), Der Spiegel, 6 October 2026 * August Hanning (https://wikispooks.com/wiki/August_Hanning), WikiSpooks, undated * Neue Kritik am geplanten Machtzuwachs (https://taz.de/Geheimdienstreform-nach-Spionageverdacht/!6219631/), TAZ, 7 October 2026 * ECB has assessed that AS PNB Banka in Latvia was failing or likely to fail (https://www.bankingsupervision.europa.eu/press/pr/date/2019/html/ssm.pr190815~b8e2038aa9.en.html), European Central Bank, 15 August 2019 * US Officials Accuse German Intelligence of Pre-Iraq War Failures (https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/bad-information-us-officials-accuse-german-intelligence-of-pre-iraq-war-failures-a-542708.html), Der Spiegel, 20 March 2008 * Fall um Block-Kinder: Ex-BND-Chef Hanning soll an fehlgeschlagenem Entführungsversuch beteiligt gewesen sein (https://www.tagesspiegel.de/gesellschaft/panorama/fall-um-block-kinder-ex-bnd-chef-hanning-soll-an-fehlgeschlagenem-entfuhrungsversuch-beteiligt-gewesen-sein-14788094.html), Tagesspiegel, 8 November 2025 * Der Block-Komplex und der schwere Verdacht gegen den Ex-BND-Präsidenten (https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/plus690cbafc154e6f61444c7c11/august-hanning-der-block-komplex-und-der-schwere-verdacht-gegen-den-ex-bnd-praesidenten.html), Welt, 11 November 2025 * Unternehmer verweigert Aussage: Eugen Block wirft Richterin im Prozess um seine Tochter Befangenheit vor (https://www.tagesspiegel.de/gesellschaft/panorama/unternehmer-verweigert-aussage-eugen-block-wirft-richterin-im-prozess-um-seine-tochter-befangenheit-vor-14754593.html), Tagesspiegel, 4 November 2025 * Block-Prozess: Welche Rolle spielte der Alpakahof-Besitzer? (https://www.n-tv.de/panorama/Block-Prozess-Welche-Rolle-spielte-der-Alpakahof-Besitzer-article26122371.html), NTV, 27 October 2025 * Die Zeugin, die Christina Block am nächsten stand (https://www.zeit.de/gesellschaft/zeitgeschehen/2026-01/block-prozess-zeugin-olga-entfuehrung-hamburg), Die Zeit, 16 January 2026 * Dänische Polizei warnte Christina Blocks Ex-Mann vor Mordanschlag auf ihn (https://www.stern.de/politik/ausland/polizei-warnte-christina-blocks-ex-mann-stephan-hensel-vor-mordanschlag-35753072.html), Der Stern, 24 May 2025 * Block-Prozess: Israeli hatte immer wieder Erinnerungslücken (https://www.abendblatt.de/hamburg/politik/article409862527/block-prozess-8-verhandlungstag-vor-dem-hamburger-landgericht-im-liveblog-04.html), Hamburger Abendblatt, 29 August 2025 * Sorgerechtsstreit Block / Hensel wirft viele Fragen auf / Teil 1: Chronologie (https://wirklichverlag.de/nachrichten/entfuehrung-mit-ansage-teil-1/) (archived copy (https://web.archive.org/web/20260207154222/https://wirklichverlag.de/nachrichten/entfuehrung-mit-ansage-teil-1/)), Wirklich, undated * Erfolglose Verfassungsbeschwerde in einem grenzüberschreitenden Sorgerechtsfall (https://www.bundesverfassungsgericht.de/SharedDocs/Pressemitteilungen/DE/2025/bvg25-042.html?nn=68112), Bundesverfassungsgericht, 9 April 2025 * Henrike von Scheliha: Der Fall Block - Die Grenzen elterlicher Sorge (https://www.law-school.de/news-artikel/henrike-von-scheliha-der-fall-block-die-grenzen-elterlicher-sorge), Brucerius Law School, 25 July 2025 * Der Block-Prozess: Besonders ein Strippenzieher gerät ins Visier (https://www.t-online.de/unterhaltung/stars/id_100815226/block-prozess-ex-agenten-und-promis-im-entfuehrungsfall-verwickelt.html), T-Online, 25 July 2025 * Verhaftung von Ex-BND-Chef: Der tiefe Fall des August Hanning (https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/justiz/august-hanning-festnahme-des-ex-bnd-chefs-erschuettert-sicherheitsapparat-a-0120eb6b-d2f0-400c-8d31-b9a967acbd98), Der Spiegel, 6 October 2026 * BND genehmigte Nebentätigkeit für Hannings mutmaßlichen Komplizen (https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/justiz/august-hanning-und-die-verratsaffaere-bnd-genehmigte-nebentaetigkeit-fuer-mutmasslichen-komplizen-a-3b01dff8-364d-4d0b-b916-e64301bba8ac), Der Spiegel, 8 October 2026 * Ex-BND-Chef Hanning unterhielt Kontakte zu chinesischem General (https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/justiz/august-hanning-ex-bnd-chef-soll-kontakte-zu-chinesischem-geheimdienstmann-gepflegt-haben-a-f998f90b-f899-4c5f-ad64-d449ca6104a1), Der Spiegel, 8 October 2026 * “Wirkung einer Atombombe” — früherer BND-Vizechef entsetzt über Spionageskandal (https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/justiz/august-hanning-verdacht-hat-laut-frueherem-bnd-vizepraesident-die-wirkung-einer-atombombe-a-332acbcc-3aaa-4f71-b325-8b40b5dd6d3c), Der Spiegel, 8 October 2026 * Geheimdienstreform: Zeitenwende für Spione (https://netzpolitik.org/2026/geheimdienstreform-zeitenwende-fuer-spione), Netzpolitik.org, 10 July 2026 * Entwurf eines Gesetzes zur Reform des Nachrichtendienstrechts (https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/gesetzgebungsverfahren/DE/Downloads/referentenentwuerfe/OESI2/NDRefG.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&#38;v=1), Bundesinnenministerium (Department of the Interior of the Federal Republic of Germany), 5 July 2026 The theme music for the podcast is a track called Fight or Fall by Def Lev. Find out more about the show at fab.industries/podcast (https://fab.industries/podcast) — new media, new rules! Get full access to Punching Upwards at punchingupwards.substack.com/subscribe (https://punchingupwards.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_4)

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