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• MediaTek releases security advisory detailing 13 vulnerabilities
• Among them is a critical-severity RCE, plaguing 51 chipsets
• Flaws have been addressed and patches are available, so update now

MediaTek has disclosed more than a dozen vulnerabilities affecting various elements of its products.

Among the flaws is a remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability affecting the modem component, found in 51 chipsets. Tracked as CVE-2024-20154, it was given a “critical” severity rating, although the exact score was not disclosed (it’s somewhere in the 9.0-10.0 range).

“In Modem, there is a possible out of bounds write due to a missing bounds check. This could lead to remote code execution, if a UE has connected to a rogue base station controlled by the attacker, with no additional execution privileges needed,” MediaTek explained in its security advisory. “User interaction is not needed for exploitation.”

No evidence of abuse

While the list of affected chipsets is fairly extensive and includes devices used in IoT gear, Chromebooks, cars, and smartphones, the number of software versions is only six. The entire list can be found on this link.

Among the other flaws are seven that were rated as “high severity”, including privilege escalations, denial of service, remote code execution, information leakage, and more. MediaTek said it notified device manufacturers two months ago, suggesting that the vulnerabilities have since been patched for the most part.

Prior to this January 2025 update, MediaTek addressed critical vulnerabilities in its chipsets in November 2024. That Product Security Bulletin detailed several high-severity vulnerabilities, including CVE-2024-20104 and CVE-2024-20106, which could lead to privilege escalation and arbitrary code execution. These flaws affected a range of chipsets, and users were advised to apply the latest security updates as soon as possible.

At press time, there was no evidence that any of these flaws were being abused in the wild. However, since threat actors will often scan the internet for endpoints vulnerable to known flaws, users are advised not to delay the patch.

Via The Register

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• Marvel Rivals Season 1 will introduce the Fantastic Four as playable heroes
• Season 1: Eternal Night Falls arrives on January 10
• The free-to-player shooter will also receive a new storyline featuring Dracula

NetEase has finally released the first details for Marvel Rivals Season One alongside a brand new trailer teasing new heroes.

Following the game's successful first month of release, players can now look forward to Season One: Eternal Night Falls, which is set to launch on January 10 at 9 AM GMT / 1 AM PST / 4 AM ET.

After weeks of rumors and leaks circulating online, it's now officially confirmed that the team-based shooter will add the Fantastic Four to the growing roster of heroes. The team includes Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, and The Thing, and all will be playable free of charge.

Players can also expect three new maps and a new Doom Match game mode, as well as a fresh Battle Pass which will feature all-new goodies to obtain.

The free-to-play 6v6 game also has an ongoing story, and with Season One, this will be expanded to coincide with the release of the Fantastic Four. NetEase has already shared the official storyline for this season alongside the new trailer, which you can read below:

"Darkness engulfs New York as the Timestream Entanglement leaves Doctor Strange trapped in the Entangled Astral Plane, scattering the Darkhold pages. Dracula and Doctor Doom disrupt the moon’s orbit, plunging the city into eternal night and unleashing an army of vampiric creatures.

"With the world on the brink, the Fantastic Four join forces with iconic Marvel heroes, standing together in the epic battle to break the mystical darkness with science. Ignite the battle against Dracula with the Fantastic Four in Marvel Rivals!"

Marvel Rivals launched on December 6 and is now available to play on PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC.

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• Photos of an alleged Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con leaked this week
• They appear to show an optical sensor on the controller
• Some are speculating that this means it can be used like a mouse

We’ve seen no shortage of Nintendo Switch 2 leaks over the last few days, including what seems to be our first genuine photos of its controller. One small detail on these images has fueled plenty of speculation about a potential Nintendo Switch 2 feature.

If you look closely, you can see what appears to be an optical sensor on the side of the new Joy-Con. These are the same sensors that you can find on the bottom of a PC mouse, leading some to speculate that the controllers will be able to function similarly.

The idea is that, when placed on its side, you might be able to move the Joy-Con around like a mouse. It sounds a bit far-fetched at first, but this feature is already present on the Lenovo Legion Go, a PC handheld from competitor Lenovo, albeit in a more vertical orientation.

It’s not hard to see the potential utility of such a feature. It could offer some of the precision of the original Wii Remote, making it easier to play ports of old games. Newer titles could also benefit. Many Splatoon 3 players rely on gyroscope controls for faster and more accurate aiming, but a mouse-like accessory such as this could provide an even more precise control scheme.

Navigating a more complex user interface or a web browser would also be much simpler. If the Nintendo Switch 2 is going to feature a significantly altered UI or, as some have speculated, an integrated social media website à la Miiverse, then moving in this direction would make a lot of sense.

Just bear in mind that this is all pure speculation for now. Although they seem extremely genuine, we still don’t know for sure whether the leaked photos are actually real. We also don’t know whether that’s truly an optical sensor, or just something that looks an awful lot like one.

Of course, even if an optical sensor is present on the Nintendo Switch 2 controller, there’s no guarantee that it will actually be utilized like this. The original Joy-Con features an infrared camera, but it is hardly used outside of a single 1-2 Switch minigame and some basic eShop download software.

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• Shazam's Fast Forward predicts the songs you'll stream in the future
• It's based on "Shazam data" and editorial picks
• 50 new songs from emerging artists; 10 new artists announced each day

Shazam already feels a little bit magical: the thrill of asking your phone or smartwatch to identify the song you can hear never grows old. But now Shazam is not just telling you what's playing now. It's predicting what you'll play in the future.

Shazam's new Fast Forward 2025 promises to reveal the songs you haven't fallen in love with yet "based on Shazam data" – but not yours, because if you haven't heard it then of course you won't have Shazamed it either.

The songs are being announced with 10 artists per day over five days, and they're being announced by genre: first up is dance music, followed by Latin, country/rock, pop and hip-hop/R&B. The first predictions dropped on 6 January.

Giving emerging artists a global boost

According to Shazam, the songs it's showcasing to you are from "emerging artists who, based on Shazam data and reviewed by our editors, are poised to have a breakthrough year." And by giving them a global platform, Shazam is helping make that prediction a reality: 80% of its 2023 picks reached the Apple Music Top 100 (and in case you didn't know, you can buy that collection book form).

If you're the cynical type, you might point out that the selections are likely to be based on what record companies are already pushing; for example, many of the artists in the first batch of recommendations have collaborated with big-name artists already and are well established in their respective scenes.

And of course, for songs to appear in the Shazam data they need to be getting played publicly already – on radio, on TV, on streaming services. People can't Shazam things they haven't heard.

But it doesn't really matter if the music being recommended is good, and the music being recommended is good. The first day's selection of dance tracks includes speed garage veteran Joe Hunt from the UK, folky house from North Macedonia's Also Astir, Brazilian house from VCSION and Spanish techno from Prophecy.

You can discover Shazam's picks for 2025 on the Fast Forward page of its website.

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More of the wild ideas and clever innovations we’re seeing this week at tech’s big show in Las Vegas.

• OM System set to add new camera to its lineup
• Compact, single-focal-length lenses with splash & dust-proof performance also on the way
• Mid-range telephoto zoom lens could be added to lens roadmap by end of 2025

OM System's Representative Director and CEO, Shigemi Sugimoto, has penned an official letter saying new camera and lenses are coming soon in 2025, and that the brand will double down on its outdoors focus. That's exciting news for OM System (Olympus) fans, but I'm tempering any enthusiasm with weary caution.

Four years since it acquired Olympus and inherited a legendary portfolio of small, lightweight and rugged camera gear, we haven't seen much in the way of upgrades or innovation for the micro fours thirds system lineup.

One by one, OM System has launched new versions of existing Olympus cameras and lenses, only for the most notable change in new models to be an OM System rebrand. The OM-1 II refreshed the OM-1, which was the final camera with the Olympus name, and delivered a neat new graduated ND filter effect, but otherwise the cameras are practically the same.

Olympus cameras, which pack a micro four thirds sensor, were already very good. But if the system is to live on, OM System must start finding ways to deliver meaningful improvements in future gear – that's certainly my hope for the next camera that's apparently coming soon.

Might we see an OM-5 successor in 2025? (Image credit: Future) What can we expect from OM System in 2025?

For transparency, here are the relevant words of Shigemi Sugimoto in the post on the OM System website, dated 6 Jan 2025:

"Shortly, we plan to add a new camera to our lineup and bright, compact single-focal-length lenses with splash & dust-proof performance. All created to meet the challenges of harsh outdoor environments to ensure that you enjoy not only landscape photography in the great outdoors, but also authentic photos of life every day. Additionally, we are continuing to work hard to bring to market the long-awaited mid-range telephoto zoom lens on our lens roadmap by the end of this year."

So that's one new camera, multiple small prime lenses, plus a mid-range telephoto zoom lens.

The camera-loving part of me hopes for something totally new in OM System's next camera. It'll obviously be an extremely rugged camera – OM System is one of the only brands to list the official IP rating in its camera specs, and outdoorsy gear is part of the system's DNA, whereas other brands are entirely vague on the matter. But which new camera can we expect exactly?

Given the clear focus on gear for the harsh outdoors, the most likely candidates are an OM System OM-5 II or an OM System OM-1X. The former would update our favorite travel camera, the OM-5, which at the least should be replaced because it features the older micro USB port as opposed to the now-industry standard USB-C charging port.

The OM-D E-M1X is one of the few Olympus cameras to be rebranded as OM System. That points to an update of the hefty flagship camera for sports and wildlife. (Image credit: Future)

As for a potential OM-1X, it would be a new version of the most obvious camera from the Olympus micro four thirds line up yet to be rebranded as OM System – the OM-D E-M1X. The E-M1X was the flagship model for sports and wildlife that consequently felt big, expensive and surplus once the OM-1 hit the market with much of the same tech in a smaller and cheaper package.

Will we see killer new features and upgrades in either of those potential new cameras? I hope that my gut instinct is proven wrong, and we do indeed see something exciting that positions OM System alongside the best once more. Better yet, how about an entirely new camera that would win over Olympus (OM System) fans, like a retro Pen-F successor, or an affordable entry-level mirrorless camera? Those would hit the spot in 2025.

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• The latest foldable iPhone leak lines up with previous ones in saying it could have a 7.6-7.9-inch foldable screen
• More surprisingly it also states that the cover screen will be small at 5.3-5.5 inches
• This leak also states that the foldable iPhone will probably land in 2026

While the first foldable iPhone is almost certainly in the works, details of its specs are still largely unclear, but we do now have a slightly better idea of its possible screen sizes.

According to Meritz Securities (via Jukanlosreve), the first foldable iPhone will have a main display that measures between 7.6 and 7.9 inches, and a cover screen that’s between 5.3 and 5.5 inches.

Now, the figures for the foldable screen sound believable – they’re in line with the likes of the 7.6-inch Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, and they're also in line with previous leaks, which have included claims of everything from 7.3 to 7.9 inches.

Apple Foldable Tracker #4Apple’s foldable device is expected to feature an in-folding design with a wider aspect ratio compared to Samsung’s Z Fold. It is anticipated to include a 7.6–7.9-inch foldable display and a 5.3–5.5-inch cover display, incorporating LTPO, CoE, and UTG…January 6, 2025

A questionable claim

However, I’m a lot less convinced by this claim that the cover screen will be at most 5.5 inches. While we haven’t heard much about the cover display yet (so this leak doesn’t conflict with previous ones) that sounds oddly small.

For comparison, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 has a 6.3-inch cover screen, so if the foldable iPhone has a main display that’s as big as or bigger than the Z Fold 6’s it would seem strange for its cover screen to be so much smaller. After all, there should be plenty of space for a larger size screen.

If the cover display really is this small, then that could suggest it’s surrounded by large bezels, but that doesn’t sound like a design Apple would use for a premium product.

In any case, there are a few other details in this leak, including a claim that the foldable display will have a wider aspect ratio than the Galaxy Z Fold 6, and that at least one of the screens will use LTPO (low-temperature polycrystalline oxide), which in turn will probably mean it has a variable refresh rate that can reach up to 120Hz.

However, I’d suggest taking all of this with a pinch of salt – and not just because of the questionable cover screen claims. We’re likely still a long way off from the foldable iPhone’s launch (with Jukanlosreve additionally claiming that there’s an 80% chance it will land in 2026), so Apple may not even have finalized the design and specs yet.

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• Qualcomm has officially taken the wraps off its new Snapdragon X CPU
• This processor is very power-efficient, as you might expect
• However, the low price is key here, promising to deliver Copilot+ PCs at around $600

Qualcomm has revealed a new Snapdragon chip to power more affordable Copilot+ PCs at CES 2025.

The new CPU is simply called the Snapdragon X – sitting underneath the Snapdragon X Plus and Snapdragon X Elite SoCs – and it’s designed to enable laptop makers to sell AI notebooks in the $600 range.

Qualcomm had already primed us for the arrival of this vanilla chip, but this is its official revelation at CES.

The 8-core CPU has the same NPU (with 45 TOPS) required to qualify as the engine of a Copilot+ PC, and Qualcomm claims that the processor “delivers up to 163% faster performance at ISO-power than our competitors.”

More broadly, Qualcomm asserts that: “Snapdragon X is an ideal solution for students, freelance workers, and budget-conscious consumers who need a reliable and powerful laptop that can keep up with their busy lives.”

We’re told that laptops with the vanilla Snapdragon X chip will be on shelves in early 2025, so presumably in the next month or two. Leading laptop makers will support the chip, as you might expect, which includes Acer, Asus, Dell, HP and Lenovo portables, in the $600 price bracket as mentioned.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler) Analysis: All part of the Copilot+ PC masterplan

Coming back to the performance claim Qualcomm aired above, the comparison is made against an Intel Core 5 120U – a Raptor Lake-U CPU from a year ago. It’s something of an odd choice, given that the Snapdragon X is a Copilot+ PC targeted SoC, and has that beefy NPU – and the Intel processor doesn’t – but it’s more about the laptop price bracket than anything else (and Lunar Lake doesn’t have an affordable equivalent, not yet anyway).

The Snapdragon CPU is clearly nicely power-efficient compared to that Intel chip, but this is just one benchmark, and as ever, first-party claims in press releases like this need to be taken with a good handful of seasoning. That said, it’s no surprise that a piece of Snapdragon X silicon would do well in terms of efficiency, as the rest of the family does a very good job on this front.

The key element here is the price, though. When Copilot+ PCs first emerged, they were exclusively Arm (Snapdragon) machines, and they were also very pricey. Over time, with the Snapdragon X Plus, those price tags came down (to more like $800), and with this new vanilla Snapdragon X, these AI laptops are now going to become truly affordable (and perhaps feature more heavily on our list of the best laptops).

Remember, if these Copilot+ PCs emerge at around $600, when they go on sale down the line – during this Black Friday (it’ll be here before you know it) for example – we could see some really tempting bargains.

Whichever way you dice it, this is a win for the consumer, and these much more affordable Arm-based laptops are doubtless part of Microsoft’s bold predictions for the success of Copilot+ PCs.

TechRadar will be extensively covering this year's CES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to our CES 2025 news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok and WhatsApp for the latest from the CES show floor!

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