In this episode of IT SPARC Cast – News Bytes, John and Lou dive into three stories that blur the line between security, AI, and sci-fi becoming reality.

First, a jaw-dropping report reveals landlords using tenant-screening services to demand employee workplace logins—scraping paystubs directly from systems like ADP. It’s not only unethical—it’s potentially illegal. John and Lou unpack the security, HR, and legal nightmare this poses for corporate IT teams.

Next, OpenAI and Samsung team up under the Stargate project, with Samsung dedicating nearly 40% of its DRAM output to fuel OpenAI’s next wave of AI data centers—potentially even floating ones. The AI arms race is expanding into new dimensions.

Finally, a newly disclosed exploit gives attackers full control over Unitree robots—including humanoids and quadrupeds—via Bluetooth. The flaw, dubbed UniPwn, allows worms to spread across fleets of robots. Lou calls it “Runaway with Tom Selleck meets Star Trek: The Borg.”

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⏱️ Show Notes

00:00 - Intro

John and Lou set up this week’s stories on privacy violations, AI chip deals, and robot exploits.

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00:48 - Landlords Demand Tenants’ Workplace Logins to Scrape Their Paystubs

Landlords and tenant-screening services are asking renters to log into employer systems so they can scrape payroll data.

•Platforms like Argyle and Approve Shield are at the center of the controversy.

•This violates employee data access policies and may breach federal hacking laws.

•IT leaders should issue internal advisories and enforce MFA to prevent credential leaks.

https://www.404media.co/landlords-demand-tenants-workplace-logins-to-scrape-their-paystubs/ 

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07:05 - OpenAI, Samsung & the Stargate Chip Pact

OpenAI partners with Samsung and SK Hynix under the Stargate project.

•Samsung to provide 900,000 DRAM wafers monthly—40% of its capacity.

•Floating, green data centers are in the works.

•May overlap with Nvidia’s 10GW expansion announced last week.

https://www.theverge.com/news/789687/openai-samsung-stargate-chips 

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10:51 - Exploit Allows Takeover of Fleets of Unitree Robots

Researchers uncovered CVE-2025-60251, a wormable flaw in Unitree’s robot lineup.

•Bluetooth handshake vulnerability allows remote takeover.

•Affects quadrupedal GO2/B2 and humanoid G1/H1 robots.

•Attackers can form botnets, move robots, or exfiltrate data.

•Security professionals must begin planning IoT and robotics policies now.

https://spectrum.ieee.org/unitree-robot-exploit 

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17:01 - Mail Bag & Wrap Up

IT SPARC Cast

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John Barger

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