2026-02-04 23:53:58
Archeologists in Germany have unearthed a mysterious underground tunnel built centuries ago within a prehistoric burial ground, marking a “very special” discovery according to a recent release from the State Office for Monument Preservation and Archaeology (LDA) of Saxony-Anhalt.
The buried tunnel measures about two-feet wide and four-feet high, and was likely constructed anywhere between 800 to 1,100 years ago near the town of Reinstedt. Archeologists found pottery that dates to about the 13th or 14th century in the chamber, and also discovered a separate cavity that contained a horseshoe, a fox skeleton, and some small mammal bones. A layer of charcoal in the tunnel suggests that fires were once lit in this space.
The tunnel is just one of hundreds of similar structures, known as erdstalls, that have been discovered across Europe. Fascinatingly, nobody knows what function they served, with the debated possibilities including use as hideaways or sites for cultic activity. Erdstalls are “man-made underground tunnel systems, sometimes with chamber-like extensions,” said Jochen Fahr, an archaeologist at LDA who organized the excavation in an email to 404 Media. “Around a dozen such findings are known from the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt, which means that the density of these structures is lower in our region than it is in others. Their function has not yet been clarified and may also vary from case to case.”
“Possible interpretations include hiding places in case of danger or storage cellars,” Fahr continued. “A cultic-religious function could also be possible, as a kind of Christian chapel. The interpretation of these structures is made more difficult by the fact that the examples known to us contain little or no archaeological finds, which makes it very difficult to draw any firm conclusions on their function.”
Researchers initially set out to survey this site last year before the construction of wind turbines in the area. The site was already known as the location of a trapezoidal ditch that was used as a burial ground by the Baalberge people, who lived in Saxony-Anhalt during the Neolithic period of prehistory 6,000 years ago.
“In the course of the site‘s further investigation and documentation, the erdstall was discovered,” Fahr explained. “It had been dug into the southern part of the trapezoidal ditch thousands of years after the ditch‘s construction. Initially, the erdstall appeared as a well-defined elongated oval pit, about two meters long and up to 75 centimeters wide, which cut the older ditch almost at right angles.”
“This led to the assumption that it could be a burial—but the fact that the finding then turned out to be something completely different, that it was in fact an erdstall, was an unexpected surprise that caused fascination and excitement among the team,” he added.
The team speculated that the people who dug out this passageway may have deliberately selected the ancient burial ground as a secret hideaway. The area may have been “generally avoided by the population due to its special nature—perhaps a pagan burial site—and was therefore particularly suitable as a hiding place,” according to the press release.
Hundreds of erdstalls have been found across Europe, and they are often associated with local folklore passed down across generations. Because the tunnels are normally extremely narrow, some legends cast erdstalls as home to dwarfs, goblins, and other diminutive mythical creatures, which is why they are known as Schratzlloch (goblin holes) or Zwergloch (dwarf holes) in some regions.
Some of the most famous examples include the Beate Greithanner erdstall, a passage that was discovered in 2011 after a dairy cow fell into it. The Ratgöbluckn erdstall in Austria is one of the rare passages that is big enough to safely accommodate tourists.
The new erdstall found at Reinstedt deepens the mystery of these structures, which have intrigued archeologists for decades and still remain largely unexplained.
“The excavation has been completed, the team is currently in the process of evaluating the findings and finds,” Fahr said. “In this context, my colleagues are also in the process of delving deeper into the topic of the erdstall, based on the latest literature on the subject, for example. A scholarly publication is planned.”
“It is also hoped that further findings in the future will help us to better understand the phenomenon of erdstalls and, in particular, to further clarify their function,” he concluded.
2026-02-04 22:05:33
The FBI has been unable to access a Washington Post reporter’s seized iPhone because it was in Lockdown Mode, a sometimes overlooked feature that makes iPhones broadly more secure, according to recently filed court records.
The court record shows what devices and data the FBI was able to ultimately access, and which devices it could not, after raiding the home of the reporter, Hannah Natanson, in January as part of an investigation into leaks of classified information. It also provides rare insight into the apparent effectiveness of Lockdown Mode, or at least how effective it might be before the FBI may try other techniques to access the device.
2026-02-04 22:00:59
We start this week with Sam and Emanuel’s article about the latest Epstein dump, and how it’s really a disaster in a lot of ways. After the break, Matthew runs us through Moltbot and its terrible security. After the break, Emanuel breaks down his two recent stories about a fundamental issue exposing a bunch of very sensitive data.
Listen to the weekly podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Become a paid subscriber for access to this episode's bonus content and to power our journalism. If you become a paid subscriber, check your inbox for an email from our podcast host Transistor for a link to the subscribers-only version! You can also add that subscribers feed to your podcast app of choice and never miss an episode that way. The email should also contain the subscribers-only unlisted YouTube link for the extended video version too. It will also be in the show notes in your podcast player.
Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
2:19 - DOJ Released Unredacted Nude Images in Epstein Files
25:08 - Silicon Valley’s Favorite New AI Agent Has Serious Security Flaws
34:55 - Exposed Moltbook Database Let Anyone Take Control of Any AI Agent on the Site
2026-02-03 23:33:05
Over the last few days hackers and trolls have targeted a slew of ICE spotting apps and their users in an apparent attempt to intimidate and stop them from reporting sightings of ICE. These hackers sent threatening text messages to users of StopICE, claiming their personal data has been sent to the authorities; attempted to wipe uploads on Eyes Up, which aims to document ICE abuses; and even sent push notifications to DEICER app users claiming their data has also been sent to various government agencies.
There is little evidence that hackers have actually provided data to the government. But it shows that apps like these, many of which Apple and Google have already kicked from their respective app stores, in some cases after direct government pressure, can be targeted by hackers or those looking to harass their users.
“Yes there is a targeted spike in attacks targeting similar [sites],” Sherman Austin, the developer of StopICE, told 404 Media in an email.
2026-02-03 22:00:28
A photo booth company that caters to weddings, lobbying events in D.C., and engagement parties has exposed a cache of peoples’ photos, with the revellers likely unaware that their sometimes drunken antics have been collected and insecurely stored by the company for anyone to download. A security researcher who flagged the issue to 404 Media said the company, Curator Live, has not responded to his request to fix the issue.
The exposure, which also includes phone numbers, highlights how we can face data collection even at innocuous events like weddings. It’s also not even the only recent exposure by a photo booth company. TechCrunch reported on a similar issue with a different company in December.
“Even if you just wanted the printed photo, your data is being held by a third party unbeknownst to you,” the security researcher, who requested anonymity to speak about a sensitive security issue, said. “The fact that this third party leaks it freely is icing on the cake. It violates any reasonable expectation of privacy.”
In all, the researcher says at least 100GB of photos are exposed. 404 Media reviewed a smaller sample of photos. They show people at various weddings and engagement parties cheering and drinking. Some photos include children. Others appear to have been taken at a NASA branded event.
“You can attribute the phone numbers to photos of people in some cases. I think the greatest reasonable risk for photo booth users is that it could reveal intimate photos,” the researcher added.
Curator Live’s website says the company “delivers industry-leading enterprise photo and video capture solutions. From photo booth operators to zoos, sports events, attractions, and vacation destinations, we help your brand create unforgettable experiences and lasting memories.”
As for how they found this issue, the researcher said they went to a wedding where the DJ company had a Curator Live photo booth. “The booth was configured to take four or so photos, then printed them out. The machine promoted the user for a phone number to receive digital copies of the photos,” he said.
After reluctantly entering his number, the researcher received a text with a link to Curator Live’s API, he said. From there, he found the exposed data. The company is still exposing people’s data so 404 Media is not explaining the security issue in detail. But the impact is that a stranger could dig through other peoples’ photos.
The researcher shared a copy of his email he sent to Curator Live in November detailing the issue. The researcher said he never received a response. “Fix your shit,” one line read.
Curator Live did not respond to 404 Media’s request for comment.
2026-02-02 23:39:55
The Department of Justice left multiple unredacted photos of fully nude women or girls exposed as part of Friday’s dump of more than 3.5 million pages of files related to the investigations and prosecutions of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Unlike the majority of the images in the released files, both the nudity and the faces of the people were not redacted, making them easy to identify. In some of the photos, the women or girls were either fully nude or partially undressed, posed for cameras, and exposed their genitals.
The files include more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Friday in a press conference, including “large quantities of commercial pornography and images that were seized from Epstein’s devices,” some of which were taken by Epstein, according to Blanche.