#scanners brute-force

[ribbonsaikeaux]

Doll Picking Lawyer: DCS

This is the doll picking lawyer and today I have for you a 51N531 model combat doll from Doll Combat Solutions.

"Release me now!"

Now, for a combat drone or doll, you must always take proper precautions. Which is why I have this one currently shackled to my basement wall. Thankfully, this is a melee variant, so it does not have ranged attacks that could be activated while in a restrained state.

"Im gonna kill you when i get out of here!"

The body of this doll is actually quite tough. Its made of titanium and thus can withstand a majority of brute force attacks. This makes it ideal for deployment in heavy combat areas. Being the melee variant, it comes with a wide array of blades and blunt weaponry, all of which are currently locked in my safe and out of reach. I cannot stress enough the importance of safety and precaution when dealing with combat dolls.

"Im gonna slice you in half! You cant keep me here forever!"

All in all, the 51N531 model is an impressive bit of engineering. However, its back panel has a significant flaw. Normally, the only way to open and access the internal control panel is with a fingerprint scanner on the back panel. The issue here is how easily you can get around that with a simple paperclip and some knowledge of the electronic locking mechanism.

"DONT YOU DARE TOUCH THAT"

As you can see, theres a small space between the panel and the body itself. So all we have to do is slide this bent paperclip in and connect the NC and COM terminals on the cuircit board. It can take a moment to get the positioning just right, but... and there we have it. The panel door is open.

"GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE YOU BASTARD IM GONNA-" the combat doll stops as it powers down.

And just like that, i have access to its control panel and can now do whatever i please with this drone.

All in all, i would say this is an amazing unit, though posessing of one fatal flaw. If it werent for this one design oversight, i would highly reccomend adding this doll to your armory. In any case thats all i have for you today. As always, have a nice day. Thank you.

[notlikeothernurses]

Me, lying in bed at night: Oh, so that's why Bill decided to steal Ford's eyes!

Since the scanner wouldn't let possessed Ford into the portal room, perhaps Bill wanted to brute force his way in by using the eyeballs of the non-possessed Ford.

[mychlapci]

my liege i am also here to add on to hostile K9 Prowl. In a scenario where he escapes... because he is too smart. He is too well trained. He will escape.

His captors may not be amateurs, but they are still fools. They underestimate him, not keeping him down with enough restraints. They do not use enough brute force when he kicks someone in the faceplate and wiggles free. They are too quick to let their guards down and did not keep the doors locked as he dashes out of them.

The moment he bursts from the building, he is weaving into dark alleyways, messy and confusing but familiar to the K9, places he had patrolled and hunted in. He makes sure he's impossible to track. He runs and runs until he's sure no one could have followed him before hiding, burying himself under debris, staying perfectly still for hours until he's sure his trail has gone completely cold.

He's frame aches from the exertion, having hardly moved for the long weeks he's been trapped in the facility, but he does not dare to rest. The moment he slips into recharge, they will find him. He won't be quick enough to escape again. So he forces himself up once the coast is clear, slowly making his way back to where he belongs.

They may have removed his tracker and positioning sensors that would have reflected his and his handlers locations on his HUD, but that wouldn't stop him. He could map this city with his optics offlined. Now it's just a matter of patience. He could run, but- No. He must focus. He walks, calmly, not wanting to raise any suspicion.

The walk is agonisingly long, but eventually his station comes into view. The relief that washes over his frame- It takes all his training and self control not to run straight up to it.

But he doesn't enter the building. K9 units are not allowed through the main entrance unless accompanied by a handler on official business. No, he makes his way to the back of the building, to the staff entrance the enforcers use. Beside the secure door is another smaller hatch, outfitted with a scanner than Prowl stops in front of, waiting, and then feeling the tingle of the scanner sweeping over his frame.

The K9s had their own door, allowing for the quick deployment and return of the units to their kennels. Prowl sighs in relief as the scan is completed, but then jolts when the control panel reflects an error.

Prowl tries again. Another scan. Again, an error.

Had his access been removed? Well. Well it would make sense for his access rights to be removed after he was stolen from the station, right? In the case that his captors had returned with his deactivated frame, the enforcers would not want them to have access to the station again.

Just as he's about the try something else, the staff door swings open and Prowl's doorwings shoot up, and then flutter in excitement (embarrassing. unprofessional.)

One of his handlers!!

Prowl immediately sits up at attention, ready to be hit, perhaps reprimanded for his absence, scolded or beaten for his incompetence, ready for duty nonetheless- But his handler looks shocked for a moment before just staring at him with a sneer.

"What are you doing here? You lost?"

Prowl's doorwings drop. Lost? What? What does he mean 'lost'?

"Look, this is a restricted area for enforcers only. If you don't get out of here I'm going to have to arrest you."

Prowl didnt know it could feel like his spark could drop any further. Lost? Get out? But he is reporting for duty! This is where he belongs! Was- was he made redundant for his failure? Had he already been replaced?

He bows his helm and dares, just for once, to whimper, hoping for a different response this time, maybe an acknowledgement- anything- But all he sees is his handler pull a pair of stasis cuffs from his subspace, and that's when Prowl knows the threat is not an empty one. Shaking and confused, Prowl slowly slinks away, making his way back towards the front of the station.

He doesn't know what's going on.

In another act of stupidity and a blatant disregard for protocol, Prowl takes his chances and tries the main lobby. But he's met with the same response. None of the enforcers act like they even recognise him. Some ask if he is lost. Some laugh. Others act like he is just another defective mech.

He is quickly driven from the station, but he doesn't really leave. He sits outside the station, waiting. It's all he can do. Wait. Where else can he go?

The enforcers that enter and exit the building ignore him, laugh at him, some even threaten him if he doesn't get lost. But Prowl doesn't budge. He curls up around himself when it's cold outside, when his handlers threaten him, when he doesn't know what to do.

Prowl would never know he and the other K9 units had been written off the record for legal reasons. He would never know they had all been instructed to pretend those units never existed to begin with. His precinct was all he knew. There is nowhere else he belongs. He has no other purpose. He doesn't know why it feels like his spark shatters into a million pieces every time he dares look up into his handlers' optics and they just stare back without a shred of recognition.

Oh jesus… Poor thing. Prowl wouldn’t know what to do. The enforcers treat him like– like some guttermech high off their circuits, dazed and causing trouble. He was the prize of their precinct, but they barely look at him as he stays curled up on the street, hoping one of the handlers will notice him, remember him, do anything other than just kick at him and tell him to get the hell out of there.

It’s so sad… He has nowhere to go. He was brought in here as a pup, his optics opened for the first time to the sight of the precinct. He spent his entire life in his cage, on a leash, kneeled below his masters, to be so aimless after a life of serving as a K9 unit… he’s never felt this terrified and angry in his life.

I wonder… when the rescue finds him, maybe he’s even more difficult to wrangle back to the facility… Or perhaps he just goes with them without much of a fuss, admitting defeat, deciding that he might as well just… let it happen. The enforcers watch the rescue coax Prowl closer, laughing but not really saying anything, since they’re forbidden from publicly admitting to the K9 unit. But they think it’s funny. Stupid thing was so adorable, coming back to them after these bleeding-sparks were supposed to help turn it into a normal mech… So silly.

[tripleglitchwriting]

Combustion (Part 2)

Soundwave-centric, gn human reader

CW: Swear words, fearplay, person treated as a pet I guess?

I’m going to stop putting swear words in the CW after this because I don’t really think it’s that important of a warning.

Your heart was pounding. All you could do was hope the thing went away in time for you to escape. Nothing else mattered to you; if this thing caught you it would be all over. You assumed as much anyway, you didn’t actually know what was going on. There were two things you knew for sure: There is a giant fucking robot behind you and your only cover is a big tree.

All that considered, your future was looking grim. You could feel rumbling coming from it now. Calculated and precise movements that shook you to your core. There were plenty of places for the thing to go, plenty of places leagues more interesting than where you were, yet the rumbling only got closer. You held your knees tight to your chest and tried to hold back tears. At least with the rain it wouldn’t be able to tell you were crying. If it knew what crying even was. Or if it could even think at all.

Even in your panic, the vibrations still ripped through your thoughts. They got closer and closer until suddenly… they stopped. A small part of you hoped it had magically disappeared, or got bored and left. Of course, that small part of you was immediately snuffed out when a shadow fell over your quaint little hiding space. You sucked in a sharp breath and screwed your eyes shut. A miniature internal voice silently pleaded to anyone that would listen for some kind of reprieve.

No such reprieve came, unfortunately.

Turns out, the thing didn’t even need to reach down with its freakishly long arms. A long, snake like appendage emerged from its chest, not that you could see it through your eyelids. Unbeknownst to you, your entire body was shaking with fear, but the adrenaline coursing through your veins prevented you from feeling much of anything. Until one of those tentacle things placed its claws carefully between your head and knees… and began to wrench apart your balled up body.

You didn’t stand a chance. No matter how tense you made yourself your limbs were easily manipulated. Finding the will to fight back was tough when trying to dig through the infinite abyss of panicked thoughts in your head. You found it eventually, but at that point it was too late. Those claws wrapped around your entire form and only stopped when you felt like you almost couldn’t breathe. Whether that was from fear or pressure you couldn’t tell.

There were some words coming out of your mouth but you didn’t know what they said. Some desperate pleas for mercy, probably. The thing didn’t seem to care anyway. It tilted the black screen that made up its head in a motion that almost reminded you of a cat. It was kind of cute until you remembered what cats do with the mice they catch.

The world felt so much colder as it carried you back to the horrible black pod it came in.

——————

Much to Soundwave’s displeasure, the escape pod communications array was fried. Most of the important circuit was fried. That didn’t bode well for his future, he may have to stay on this planet for longer than anticipated. A pity.

The most important thing to him now was finding a way to fix Lazerbeak. That would be hard to do without any energon. Lucky for him the planet he was on seemed to have some deposits… but without a drill it would be difficult to excavate. Nothing that couldn’t be solved with a little brute force.

The little organic he picked up seemed to have mellowed out quite a bit. It sat silently watching him try to fix his pod, though there was a distinct expression it wore he couldn’t quite put a digit on. He wasn’t too worried though. At least it was good company without Lazerbeak to help out. Still, it wasn’t going to magically fix all his problems; that was up to him. As it always was.

His personal energon scanners were still operational, so he set off into the unknown world ahead. He took the organic just in case, for safety. Definitely for safety. It squirmed a little in his grasp but settled down when it realized it wasn’t going anywhere. The deposit wasn’t too far away, close enough for him to walk rather than transforming and wasting energon. The terrain was soft and his pedes melted into muddy soil every step he took. At least its malleability would make it easier to dig.

When Soundwave came across the site he went to hold the organic in another appendage… but realized he’d need all of his limbs to efficiently excavate the material. Well, there was room in his chasis, he supposed. He opened up the compartment Lazerbeak was stored in and tossed his new pet in. The energon was decently easy to recover, though it wasn’t enough to power his entire pod. At least he’d be able to stay online.

By the time he got back to his broken shell of a home he nearly forgot about the new addition to his “family”. He felt a slight tink in his chest compartment as the thing bounced around rather violently. It was getting rowdy which didn’t bode well for its heath, but just as he went to retrieve it he felt something else. A buzz of life from a familiar source.

Faster than ever he took out both the organic and Lazerbeak, and to his utter relief the mini drone transformed into his avian form. He was slow and uncoordinated, but he was okay. He as alive. Strange though, Soundwave figured he would need more energon to come back online. If he didn’t know better he would think the organic had done something to trigger it. But that would be silly.

For now, he could ready easier knowing his closest companion was safe. Safe and happily toying with his other new companion. A golden ember of hope ignited in his spark. Now he could use more of the energon he collected to send a distress call. Nothing could stop him now; the Deception cause wouldn’t falter as long as he was around.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I got my ass handed to me by creative block this past week. I’m sorry this chapter is so short, it took more than I’d like to admit to fish a story from my sea of (frankly deranged) thoughts. Either way, I hope it’s good and I hope you enjoy it! Still don’t have a name for the AU though lmao.

[ashes-2-ashes57cba]

The Clone Wars: The Bad Batch

Part 1 of the Clone Wars Bad Batch arc with my OC: Specter! Hope you stick around and keep reading! (This has been edited, thoroughly)

“I’ve heard mixed things about these guys.”

“They have a 100% success rate.” Jesse and Kix conversed as Rex and Cody exited the dormitory. 

Their mission? Infiltrate the Cyber Center on Anaxes and retrieve whatever was rendering the Grand Army of the Republic’s attack patterns completely ineffective. 

“It’s not that they win, it’s how they win that worries me,” Jesse said. 

“Repeat, coming in hot on platform TT-3-9-7.” An announcement over the P. A. system caught the clones’ attention just as an Omicron-class attack shuttle came into view, rapidly approaching the landing strip. All personnel scrambled to get out of the way as it roughly landed, sending loose crates flying away. “Clear the airfield! Clear the airfield!” the clone over the P.A. warned. The shuttle came to a stop only a few meters away from Rex, Cody, Kix, and Jesse, kicking up a cloud of dust. 

“So, why haven’t I heard of this squad?” Rex asked the commander, already second guessing his decision. 

“Experimental unit Clone Force 99. They’re defective clones with, uh,” Cody paused to look for the right description, “desirable mutations.” 

“99, eh? Nice touch,” Rex commented, remembering the old clone.

“They call themselves, ‘The Bad Batch’,” Cody crossed his arms. With a track record like theirs, Cody knew they were the clear choice for this mission. 

Stairs lowered from the ship and the five members of the Bad Batch exited; the tallest and biggest one was the first to take off his helmet. 

“The cavalry has arrived!” he cheered in a big booming voice. Jesse and Kix exchanged looks— he certainly didn’t look like a regular clone. The Bad Batch approached the group, two more of them removed their helmets: one with long brown hair and a tattoo covering half his face, and the other with a longer face and short gray hair, complete with a toothpick stuck in his scowl. 

“These guys are clones?” Kix murmured. Another Batcher took his helmet off: he had goggles and an inquisitive expression. “They don’t look like clones to me.” 

The smallest clone in the group caught Rex’s attention. Of the batch, he was the only one who hadn’t removed his helmet. Rex couldn’t quite place just what was so curious about the way this mystery-clone carried himself and the odd fit of his armor. 

“Sergeant. Good to see you again,” Cody greeted.

“You too, sir.”

Cody turned to the rest of his group. “This is Hunter.”

“Sorry we’re late, Commander. We were putting down an insurrection on Yalbec Prime when your comm came in. Had a few unforeseen… complications,” Hunter explained, side-eyeing the big guy, who laughed in response.

“Ever fought a male Yalbec?” he asked, deciding to focus on Jesse.

“Um… No. Can’t say that I have,” he stammered. 

“You’re lucky! Only way to kill ‘em is with one of these,” the brute said, pulling out a large knife. Jesse gulped.

“That’s right. Wrecker here cut off the queen’s stinger while she was still alive. That’s why all those Yalbec males tried to eat us,” Hunter said. 

“Ah, technically they were trying to mate with us,” the one with the goggles spoke up. “And, for your information, the stinger of a Yalbec Queen is a delicacy on some planets.”

“They call him Tech,” Cody said. 

“Yeah, he can fill your head with useless info for hours. Crosshair, on the other hand,” Hunter started to say, pointing back to the scowling clone, “is not much of a conversationalist, but when you have to hit a precise target from ten klicks, Crosshair’s your man.” Crosshair shifted his toothpick, analyzing the four clones through squinted eyes. “And finally, Specter— where’s Specter?” Hunter looked around. The smallest clone was out of sight. 

When did that happen? Rex wondered, realizing he hadn’t registered the trooper’s exit. 

He reappeared, tapping Kix on the shoulder and handing him the scanner he’d left back at the barracks. 

“What in the…” he took the datapad apprehensively. The trooper wordlessly went to stand next to Hunter, with his arms crossed and head tilted. The Sergeant chuckled.

“Specter, here, is our secondary sniper and assassin when we need it: covert, fast, and light-footed. I think the sprint record was about—oh, what was it again?” he paused to ask, although Rex could tell this was nothing more than an opportunity for the pair to show off. Specter said nothing, only holding up five fingers. “Right, fifty kilometers an hour, with reflexes just as fast,” Hunter finished.

Rex, Jesse, and Kix tried to hide their amazement while Cody shook his head and smiled. 

“We playin’ the long game, Specter?” he asked. The soldier nodded while the other Batchers smirked. It made the other two somewhat uneasy.

“So, Commander,” Hunter turned back to Cody, “what kind of suicide mission do you have for us this time?” 

“Let’s get going first. We’ll brief you on the way,” Cody instructed, leading the other eight clones to the awaiting gunship. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was cramped in the gunship as they flew over the forests of Anaxes. Though the one they called Specter still hadn’t removed his helmet, Jesse could feel he was being watched through the dim red light. 

“What are you looking at?”

“We don’t usually work with regs,” the one called Crosshair chimed in before Specter could speak, flicking his toothpick at him. 

“Regs?” Jesse scoffed, shifting towards the pair before Hunter blocked his way. 

“He’s talking about regular clones. It’s nothing personal.” Specter shrugged behind him, seeming to share a look with Crosshair. Jesse wasn’t sure he liked this bunch.

“Hey now, We’re all on the same team, so cut the attitude and listen up,” Cody announced. The clones stood at attention, even Specter from their small spot in the side. “Here’s the mission: Our target is this Cyber Center,” Cody pulled up a holographic display of the complex. “It’s the brains of the entire Separatist campaign here on Anaxes.”

“I could demolish that with one hand. Yeah!” Wrecker jeered. Everyone rolled their eyes.

“This isn’t a demo job, Wrecker. It’s strictly a retrieval operation,” Cody reminded. 

“Incoming fire!” the pilot inside the ship yelled. Their presence had clearly not gone unnoticed. Everyone inside was thrown around as blaster bolts struck the sides of the ship and the pilot attempted evasive maneuvers out of the canyon. The front of the ship was struck by a blast, and the team braced themselves for a crash into the canyon.

“We’re going down!” Wrecker yelled, almost excitedly. The gunship scraped against the canyon wall before sliding along the bottom, finally lurching to a stop. 

Amid the smoke and rubble, Wrecker used his strength to help his fellow troopers out of the crash. “We always get shot down when we travel with regs,” he said, almost teasing.

His comment went unheard as Kix spotted Cody still stuck underneath the gunship.

“Cody!” he cried, rushing to his aid. “Help! He’s trapped. We have to do something.”

“I’ll get him,” Rex rushed forward.

“Woah, woah, woah,” Hunter stopped him. “Easy, Captain. Wrecker, get him out.” The brute nodded and cracked his knuckles.

“Get back,” he said. Everyone stepped back as he approached the ship.

“This is ridiculous! He’s gonna need help to get Cody out of there,” Kix complained. Crosshair chuckled and put a hand on his shoulder.

“He’s gonna get the gunship out of there, not Cody,” he explained, pointing with his toothpick. 

And just like he said, Wrecker, with his helmet back on his head, pushed the gunship over and out of the way; he carried Cody out from the wreckage and to the rest of the group. 

“Boom,” Wrecker quipped, just before the gunship exploded behind him. Cody wheezed and groaned; Wrecker put him down on the ground so Kix could scan his chest.

“He has internal damage. I can cut the pain, but he needs help fast,” he announced.

“We all need help,” Crosshair drawled, noticing a large force of battle droids approaching their position. “That blast gave away our position.” Hunter gave a short laugh.

“I thought getting shot down gave away our position,” he said with a smirk.

“Everyone, find cover. We’ll hold this position and let them come to us,” Rex ordered.

“I don’t think so, Captain. That’s not our style. We prefer going to them,” Hunter enunciated, pointing defiantly at the oncoming droids. “Bad Batch, Plan 82: Shockwave!” he ordered, putting on his helmet, his team followed suit. Wrecker hoisted up a large piece of the metal wreckage. “Let’s get to work.” The group ran towards the battle droids.

“Blast them!” a droid commanded. Wrecker’s piece of debris was placed in front of the team, acting as cover from the barrage of fire so they could keep advancing. Tech, Hunter, Crosshair, and Specter fired at the droids as they went. 

“Specter, watch our flank,” Hunter commanded.

“Copy,” the soldier’s voice was distorted. What must’ve been a faulty modulator made whatever Specter said next completely unintelligible. 

As the droids grew closer, Specter attached a heavily modified barrel to the end of his blaster, converting it into what could best be described as a shotgun. 

He loaded the weapon, inserting projectile shells into the ammo chamber, fired, and as the shells impacted against the droids, they exploded; weaponized plasma launched and propelled the inner pellets outward in a spray of death. It was like a firework as droids who were caught up in the blast were destroyed.

After the Bad Batch had gained some distance, Wrecker planted the makeshift shield down, allowing for Tech to peek out and scan the droids with his goggles. 

“45. Mark 151,” Tech relayed to Hunter.

“45. Mark 151,” he copied, pulling out an EMP grenade and throwing it high into the air. Crosshair shot it as it fell, disabling a group of droids. The team advanced again, Wrecker planted the shield once more.

“75. Mark 357.”

“75. Mark 357.” Tech and Hunter, respectively, relayed. Hunter threw the grenade, this time at a lower angle, but a battle droid had caught it.

“What the…?” the droid began to say before Crosshair shot the EMP, desemating an even larger group of battle droids. Spider droids entered the fray, firing near the Bad Batch as they moved forward.

“Spider droids. Specter, they’re all yours. We’ll cover you,” Hunter said, handing Specter his vibro-knife. Wrecker shifted the piece of metal, allowing Specter to speed through the rest of the battle droids, stabbing a few as he went by, towards the spider droid, dodging as it took shots at him. But the clone was too fast for the droid to accurately aim. He was soon in front of the spider droid, stabbing its eye and shutting it down. Then using the knife as a handle, Specter hoisted themselves up and reconfigured their blaster back to its original form before unleashing a rapid-fire setting on the second spider droid, completely mutilating it. The rest of the Bad Batch had destroyed the remaining battle droids and advanced to Specter’s position. 

“Any more? Come on!” Wrecker cheered in victory. Specter hopped down from the spider droid and handed Hunter his knife, who twirled it back into its sheath. With all of the droids defeated, the Bad Batch went to regroup among the broken droid pieces. The other clones made their way over, with Kix supporting Cody.

“That was some show you put on just now,” Rex complimented.

Hunter took off his helmet and nodded, “Just doing our job, Captain.” Behind him, Wrecker was playing with a dead droid head, laughing.

“Hey look, Crosshair, this little clanker likes you,” he teased, waving it in his squadmate’s face.

“Grow up, Wrecker,” the sniper said grumpily. Meanwhile, Tech and Specter were leaning close, observing something on his forearm monitor.

“Yes, your damage efficiency has increased since we made those last modifications. All in part, of course, to my engineering expertise,” Tech practically bragged. Specter silently turned his head toward him. Tech somehow understood the clone’s hidden expression and quickly modified his statement. “Fine. Our engineering expertise,” Tech sighed, giving Specter the proper credit; he nodded his head in triumph.

“We should move out before reinforcements arrive. Our position has been compromised,” Rex said, motioning for everyone to follow him out of the canyon.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The clones had their camp set up in the forest, Rex tended to Cody, Hunter investigated the ground nearby, and the other 6 were gathered around a warm light source. Jesse sighed.

“So, I get what makes the other Batchers unique, but what’s so special about Hunter?” he wondered out loud.

“He can put up with the other four,” Kix joked. 

“He was engineered with heightened senses,” Tech stated, kneeling down and warming his hands by the light, “A place like the Cyber Center, Hunter can feel the electromagnetic frequencies from anywhere on the planet.”

“And here I thought we were smart just using a holomap,” Jesse jeered, elbowing Kix.

“Well, maps can be wrong. Hunter never is,” the Batcher said, turning to look at his Sergeant as he stood up. 

Cody groaned, still in pain, catching everyone’s attention.

“Hang in there, Cody.” Rex encouraged his comrade. The captain stood up and went toward the group. “Listen up. We have to move out,” he commanded.

“Commander Cody’s in no position to move,” Crosshair said, stepping forward and removing his toothpick.

“Already called in Evac. Kix will stay with Cody until it arrives.” Rex indicated toward the medic, who nodded in agreement over his role. “I’m in charge now, and I’ve got a plan to get into that Cyber Center.” The sniper stepped even closer, challenging the reg.

“If your plans are so good, why did Commander Cody have to call us in?” he sneered. Wrecker moved closer too, sensing a fight. But it was Jesse who shot up and got in Crosshair’s face, pointing at him.

“You can’t talk to Captain Rex like that!”

“Says who?” Wrecker grumbled, almost with glee; he lifted Jesse up by the throat into the air, who immediately started to flail.

“Put him down!” Rex ordered. Kix went to intervene, but Crosshair pushed him away.

“Stay out of it,” he hissed. 

“Hey, watch it!” Kix pushed back; the two began to wrestle with each other.

“Uh, guys, come on,” Tech pleaded, staying out of the fight. Finally, Specter stood up and growled, taking off his—her— helmet and marching toward the chaos.

“That’s enough!” she shouted, using her helmet to hit Wrecker on the side of his head, knocking him off balancing and forcing him to release Jesse. She stalked over to Crosshair and Kix, grabbing the sniper by his ear. Her free hand reached up to pull down Wrecker by his ear too. The boys cried in pain and struggled in her grip. The regs caught their breath and watched the scene unfold.

“I swear, your egos are going to get us Court Martialed! Have you ever thought that maybe–just maybe–if you’d humble yourselves for one mission, it would go off without a hitch?! Heh, it’s no wonder the regs don’t like us.” she scolded. Tech sat back down, trusting his teammate to handle it. “If you would stop provoking fights, we wouldn’t need to keep cleaning up our own mess. Not like you clean up anyway,” Specter mumbled the last remark. They went to protest.

“But-”

“I don’t want to hear it!” She pulled them closer, they grunted then silenced themselves. “Think about this very carefully; would you rather deal with me, or Hunter?” The boys grimaced and looked at each other, before deciding to hold their hands up in surrender. Specter huffed and dropped them, picking up her helmet. “Honestly, Crosshair, I’m almost embarrassed to call you my twin,” she mumbled, glaring at the sniper. He only frowned and turned away. “Thanks to you idiots, I’ve lost my bet with Tech. I’ll pay you once we get back to the Marauder,” she turned to the goggled clone who merely gave a triumphant thumbs up. 

The regs were still shocked at the presence of the woman. Her skin was fair and eyes were brown, chestnut hair was styled into a braided halo, although a few strands had fallen into her face. She may have been small and feminine, but she held herself with confidence and strength they had only seen in their other brethren. 

“What?” Jesse was the first to vocalize, running a hand over his bruised neck.

“Oh! Yeah, Tech and I had a bet to see if I could go the whole mission without giving myself away,” Specter explained, her voice turning sweet and jovial, compared to being full of disdain at her squadmates. This was the ‘long game’ Cody had mentioned before. 

“Not that. You’re… uh,” Kix tried to find the words.

“I dare you to finish that sentence,” Wrecker teased. Crosshair smacked him on the arm. Specter only laughed and gave a bow.

“The Kaminoans wanted a clone that was fast and flexible, they got me and they’re stuck with me. These idiots are also stuck with me,” she gestured over her shoulder to her team. “And now, you guys are stuck with me too!” Specter pointed at the regs and winked. Hunter came up to the group, saving Jesse, Rex, and Kix from any more awkwardness.

“If you’re all done, let’s cut the chatter and finish what we started. We’ll do it your way, Captain,” he said to Rex, whose stoic expression returned. “For Commander Cody.”

“Okay. Let’s gear up and move out.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The clones carefully moved through the forest the following morning; a tower rose in the distance and the clones assessed it under nearby cover.

“Not our primary target,” Rex observed.

“It’s an outpost. Should we take it?” Hunter asked. They saw some droids guarding the entrance of it.

“Probably easier than going around,” the Captain shrugged.

“Alright. What are your orders? We pick ‘em off from the treeline, one-by-one?” 

“Actually, I was thinking we’d take a page from your book. Rush them head-on,” Rex said with a smirk. The Sergeant chuckled.

“I like your style.”

“Hunter, that’s our style,” Specter piped up, reloading her rifle. 

“Yeah, I’m still getting used to that,” Rex mumbled.

The droids remained blissfully unaware of the crew’s presence, maintaining their position. That was, until one was shot down.

“Clones! Get them!” a battle droid shouted, pointing at the oncoming force emerging from the treeline. Firing erupted from both sides, but the clones overtook the droids, making their way to the tower elevator. Wrecker and Specter stayed groundside to provide cover for the others going up the tower. More droids awaited at the top.

“Hey, you’re not authorize-” a droid began before he was shot down. The team made quick work of them, defeating them all just as Wrecker and Specter made it up.

“Is it over already? Aw, man!” he grumbled and pouted, taking off his helmet. The rest of the clones followed suit. 

“Not bad, for a reg,” Hunter complimented Rex. Tech approached a nearby console and sat down.

“All right, there it is. The Cyber Center,” Rex pointed to a building out the window. Specter whistled in amazement.

“Yeah, that would have been a fun demo job,” she said to herself, earning a few worried looks.

“That’s what I’m saying!” Wrecker exclaimed in agreement.

“It looks like the Cyber Center itself has minimal guards, about 30 droids,” Tech reported, looking at the data from the console. “Oh… wait. Wait! I got a massive signal coming in,” he warned, widening the range of the detection signal. “A whole platoon of droids is headed this way.”

“Someone’s noticed our handiwork back at the crash site,” Hunter grumbled.

“Yeah. Make sure you keep an eye on those incoming Separatist forces. I wanna know when they reach this outpost,” Rex ordered Tech.

“You got it, Cap.”

“We gotta move swiftly,” Rex looked to the rest of the group. 

“There’s some speeder bikes down there. Think we can pull off a pincer maneuver, Sarge? Flank them from the back?” Specter nodded to the bikes. Hunter and Rex smiled at her plan.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At the Cyber Center, Hunter, Wrecker, and Tech rode the speeder bikes around the back of the center, then hopped off the bikes and slid down an incline, leading to the building. Rex, Jesse, and Specter approached the heavily guarded front.

“Do you know what’s going on?” one battle droid asked another.

“Maybe it’s another drill-” it was cut off as the regs and Specter ambushed them. 

“Is everyone in position?” Rex asked into his comm. Jesse and Specter continued to shoot down droids and advance on the center.

“Affirmative,” Hunter answered for him, Tech, and Wrecker.

“Affirmative,” said Crosshair, who had taken a sniping position on a nearby cliff.

“Captain,” Tech spoke up, “you wanted to know when those Separatist forces breached the outpost.” He looked at a tracker on his wrist monitor; red dots, representing battle droids, surrounded the outpost. “Well, they’re getting there just about now.”

Specter took aim with her reconfigured sniper rifle, shooting down a droid talking with Admiral Trench. It signaled Jesse and Rex to also open fire on the droids. Rex threw a grenade, taking out a large group of them, also taking cover behind a pile of crates. Crosshair also assisted, taking out droids from a distance. 

“All units to the front door!” a battle droid from the back entrance commanded. The droids ran towards the front, leaving the back entrance wide open for the rest of the Bad Batch. Tech began working on opening the door.

“Hmm. This is a delicate operation,” he observed. Wrecker kicked the door open.

“Boom! Ha ha, you take too long.” Tech shook his head as his squadmate pried the door open. The team shot down more droids as they made their way further into the center. They reached a command station, quickly blasting the droids inside.

“Tech, get to work on these computers. We’ll go get the regs and Specter,” Hunter ordered. Tech did so while Hunter and Wrecker went to the front door. Meanwhile, Rex, Jesse, and Specter were making their way closer to the entrance, pushing the battle droids back until they were ambushed from behind by Hunter and Wrecker. With most of the droids destroyed, Rex, Jesse, and Specter approached the entrance and joined the other two in holding their position.

“What took you so long, Wrecker?” Specter teased.

“Hey, this is a ‘delicate operation’,” he replied. A loud noise caused them to notice a large droid transport approaching them. “Better get in there, Cap,” Wrecker advised. Rex ran back inside while the other four held their position and fired relentlessly at the deployed droids. Specter reconfigured her blaster to its shotgun form. 

“I have got to get me one of those,” Jesse commented.

Back inside, Rex found Tech working on the computer.

“Okay, I’m in. What am I looking for?”

“Here’s the algorithm,” Rex handed him the chip, taking off his helmet. “You’re looking for a program using this sequence.” Tech plugged in the chip and began working.

“Found it,” he announced after a moment. Holograms popped up above the table. “This is strange. It’s not a program. It’s a live signal from another planet… Skako Minor.”

“A live signal?” Rex wondered. 

Meanwhile outside, the battle droids continued to advance on the four clones, who were backed behind some crates. 

“Crosshair, we’re gonna need a lift,” Hunter said into his communicator. 

The sniper looked around for transportation and found a speeder, guarded by only a few droids.

“Not gonna be a problem,” Crosshair reported.

Inside the complex—

“Here it is. This is audible,” Tech said, finding a way to tap into the signal he found traced. 

“Patch it through. I want to hear it,” Rex ordered. Tech played the audio.

“What is that?” he wondered. They both listened intently for a moment. “It sounds almost… almost human.” Rex’s eyes were wide.

“It can’t be…”

“We gotta go, now!” Hunter ordered the other three. One by one they slipped inside, providing cover fire for each other as they began to make their way through the halls.

“Tech, find out who’s sending that signal. Ask who that is,” Rex said. Tech typed something into the console. The audio signal began to reply, repeating its answer.

“CT-1409.” 

The Captain went pale. “I… I don’t believe it.” The other four clones appeared in the room.

“We’re gone. Rex, let’s go,” Hunter said, urgently. Rex didn’t move, even as Tech brushed past him. “Rex, now!” He snapped out of it and put his helmet on, joining the others in escape, still pursued by droids. More droids waited for them outside, but Crosshair arrived in time with the transport speeder, pausing just long enough for all of them to hop on before they sped away.

Silence was heavy in the transport until the crew was safe and out of sight in the wilderness. It was then Tech chose to ask Rex a question. 

“That number, Captain, what did it mean?”

“CT-1409,” Rex paused, “that was Echo’s number. He’s alive.”

OMG thank you so much if you've read this far. This is the first time I've published anything anywhere so I'm really proud of what I've accomplished and really hope you (the dearest reader) continue to enjoy my story and OC! Stay tuned for more of Specter

[carionto]

"Trisha's Log, Day... I don't dare keep up anymore..."

Part 1 2 3 4 5

(Haespar: It's day two. Trisha: Stop ruining my vibe, you're still dead. Haespar: Yes, and I'm haunting you. With facts. Trisha: *hisses*)

"IT HAS BEEN AN INDETERMINABLE NUMBER OF DAYS since I began this expedition, now turned struggle for survival. I've lost Emily and am actively searching for her, but having not had a bite to eat in weeks and running low on water, I don't know if I'll succeed. To whoever finds this-" (Emily: I got the remote power module. And some snacks, here. Haespar: Ooh, melon flavored, my favorite. Thank you very much, Emily. Trisha: *already chowing down on some cheese sticks* Dankss Ehmilhy, yhour da bhest. *gulp* Where was I? Haespar: Starving despair and loneliness. Trisha: Right! Emily, you're currently gone, so just be your usual self and the audience won't know.)

"If you've found this log, I am dead. I died while carrying out my vital mission and searching for my lovely assistant, but failed catastrophically. Unless you're listening to this from a library archive, in which case I totally succeeded and became an awesome legend!"

Trisha continues to detail all of her future exploits and galaxy spanning quest for vengeance, love, mystery, and cake.

Meanwhile:

Haespar: Alright, adjust the telemetry of this unit to the one Valencio cooked up yesterday, and that should hook the biological scanners back up to the bridge. Emily: Done. Haespar: Excellent. *taps his datapad* Ira, bio scans are up on our end, confirm? Ira: Yup, all green. Reading you three down there nice and clean. Trisha's a bit heated up. Monologuing? Haespar: About her imminent demise after years aboard this derelict. Ira: *chuckles* Alright, good to know. While you're there, check on the tertiary power splitter two floors down, the main one up here is acting up a little. Haespar: Will do. Hmm? What's wrong, Emily? Emily: It's flickering between 27 and 28. Haespar: What? Emily: The number of lifesigns aboard.

Trisha: WHOA WHOA WHOA!!! Legit mystery time! *gently into the recorder* (Pause on seducing one of the heads of the three headed corrupt banker to blackmail him for trade secrets only to learn the evil tech startup was a Illuminati cabal all along) Let me see, where is this mystery life dot.

Haespar: It's jumping all over, is there a pattern yet, Emily? Emily: Need to log more data, but doesn't feel like it.

Trisha: It is popping up for a few seconds and disappears for about four times as long though. Hey, isn't that kinda like how you'd do a radio connection attempt? Brute force every frequency range. Oh wait, but then you'd just do all at the same time. Hacking maybe? Trying to get into a specific system without tripping any alarms?

Emily *into her comms unit*: Ira, please send an all frequency ping at these intervals towards us.

Ira: Alright, *shouting* Valencio, give Emily these pings. *normal again* Should be sorted in a tick, what's that about anyway?

Haespar: The lifesign readings are being weird, showing a 28th at regular intervals in random locations. Could be one of the system we haven't checked yet is acting funny and somehow interfering wi- Emily: Wait. It stopped flickering. A 28th. On the bridge. *To comms* Ira?

Ira: Uhh, yeah. I'm looking at him.

???: Hello, my name is Professor Iorvan Hal'Ahmat Garaamhan. Thank you for answering my call.

Continue->

[pentesttestingcorp]

How to Protect Your Laravel App from JWT Attacks: A Complete Guide

Introduction: Understanding JWT Attacks in Laravel

JSON Web Tokens (JWT) have become a popular method for securely transmitting information between parties. However, like any other security feature, they are vulnerable to specific attacks if not properly implemented. Laravel, a powerful PHP framework, is widely used for building secure applications, but developers must ensure their JWT implementation is robust to avoid security breaches.

In this blog post, we will explore common JWT attacks in Laravel and how to protect your application from these vulnerabilities. We'll also demonstrate how you can use our Website Vulnerability Scanner to assess your application for potential vulnerabilities.

Common JWT Attacks in Laravel

JWT is widely used for authentication purposes, but several attacks can compromise its integrity. Some of the most common JWT attacks include:

JWT Signature Forgery: Attackers can forge JWT tokens by modifying the payload and signing them with weak or compromised secret keys.

JWT Token Brute-Force: Attackers can attempt to brute-force the secret key used to sign the JWT tokens.

JWT Token Replay: Attackers can capture and replay JWT tokens to gain unauthorized access to protected resources.

JWT Weak Algorithms: Using weak signing algorithms, such as HS256, can make it easier for attackers to manipulate the tokens.

Mitigating JWT Attacks in Laravel

1. Use Strong Signing Algorithms

Ensure that you use strong signing algorithms like RS256 or ES256 instead of weak algorithms like HS256. Laravel's jwt-auth package allows you to configure the algorithm used to sign JWT tokens.

Example:

// config/jwt.php 'algorithms' => [ 'RS256' => \Tymon\JWTAuth\Providers\JWT\Provider::class, ],

This configuration will ensure that the JWT is signed using the RSA algorithm, which is more secure than the default HS256 algorithm.

2. Implement Token Expiry and Refresh

A common issue with JWT tokens is that they often lack expiration. Ensure that your JWT tokens have an expiry time to reduce the impact of token theft.

Example:

// config/jwt.php 'ttl' => 3600, // Set token expiry time to 1 hour

In addition to setting expiry times, implement a refresh token mechanism to allow users to obtain a new JWT when their current token expires.

3. Validate Tokens Properly

Proper token validation is essential to ensure that JWT tokens are authentic and have not been tampered with. Use Laravel’s built-in functions to validate the JWT and ensure it is not expired.

Example:

use Tymon\JWTAuth\Facades\JWTAuth; public function authenticate(Request $request) { try { // Validate JWT token JWTAuth::parseToken()->authenticate(); } catch (\Tymon\JWTAuth\Exceptions\JWTException $e) { return response()->json(['error' => 'Token is invalid or expired'], 401); } }

This code will catch any JWT exceptions and return an appropriate error message to the user if the token is invalid or expired.

4. Secure JWT Storage

Always store JWT tokens in secure locations, such as in HTTP-only cookies or secure local storage. This minimizes the risk of token theft via XSS attacks.

Example (using HTTP-only cookies):

// Setting JWT token in HTTP-only cookie $response->cookie('token', $token, $expirationTime, '/', null, true, true);

Testing Your JWT Security with Our Free Website Security Checker

Ensuring that your Laravel application is free from vulnerabilities requires ongoing testing. Our free Website Security Scanner helps identify common vulnerabilities, including JWT-related issues, in your website or application.

To check your site for JWT-related vulnerabilities, simply visit our tool and input your URL. The tool will scan for issues like weak algorithms, insecure token storage, and expired tokens.

Screenshot of the free tools webpage where you can access security assessment tools.

Example of a Vulnerability Assessment Report

Once the scan is completed, you will receive a detailed vulnerability assessment report to check Website Vulnerability. Here's an example of what the report might look like after checking for JWT security vulnerabilities.

An Example of a vulnerability assessment report generated with our free tool, providing insights into possible vulnerabilities.

By addressing these vulnerabilities, you can significantly reduce the risk of JWT-related attacks in your Laravel application.

Conclusion: Securing Your Laravel Application from JWT Attacks

Securing JWT tokens in your Laravel application is essential to protect user data and maintain the integrity of your authentication system. By following the steps outlined in this post, including using strong algorithms, implementing token expiry, and validating tokens properly, you can safeguard your app from common JWT attacks.

Additionally, make sure to regularly test your application for vulnerabilities using tools like our Website Security Checker. It’s a proactive approach that ensures your Laravel application remains secure against JWT attacks.

For more security tips and detailed guides, visit our Pentest Testing Corp.

[jedifighterpilot2727]

Not me thinking about Kara gently hooking her thumb in Lena’s open mouth, both gasping against each other’s lips as kara makes love to her 😭😭 yeah I’m all in favor of you writing this one first 🥹

I'll be perfectly honest, I can't remember the exact scenario that this ask is referring to, but this visual has been stuck in my head for weeks, so I had to do something with it! This is also in the spirit of some of the more . . . shall we say . . . salacious prompts and headcanons I've received, I hope it lives up to expectation!

FRIENDLY REMINDER that sexy times should always be safe, sane, and consensual! And you should also only have the kind of sex described here with someone you trust and who wouldn't actually hurt you or abuse you. Sex can be like a really vulnerable thing, and Kara and Lena have had plenty of previous discussions about hard and soft limits, and even thought they are VERY angry at one another, neither of them are in any real danger and they both know it. Also, AFTERCARE doesn't take place in the text of the story, but it is EXTREMELY important and does happen with Kara and Lena in this particular setting . . . eventually.

Anyways, I feel like this one needed a disclaimer lol.

Fragile

If the ride up the elevator to the penthouse takes forever, then the biometric scanner at the door somehow takes even longer.

When she built the damn thing, she built it for protection, not for speed, but as she waits on the iris scanner to process through the one million specific data points that make it practically unhackable - even by Lena herself - she finds herself rethinking her priorities.

Because right now she needs nothing more than to be inside her apartment, locked away from the world.

The penthouse was her one solace.

Her one impenetrable place.

Everywhere else had been invaded.

By the media, the DEO, Lex, Cadmus, you name it.

But here, here was safe.

Luckily, Kara will be held up at the DEO debriefing that Lena had run out on for at least another hour or two. By then, Lena will have had time to scrub Kara's biometrics from the apartment entry software and fully lock herself in her apartment.

Her own little fortress of solitude.

She almost laughs at the irony.

She's too angry to laugh, too hurt - too angry at being hurt.

How dare Kara - how dare Supergirl, for that matter- call her out for her 'reckless behavior' in front of Alex and the other DEO agents.

Her plan was well calculated, and she was very aware of the risks she was taking by going through with it.

Besides, she made it out with barely a few bruises.

Only because Kara rescued you. the traitorous part of her brain unhelpfully adds.

The locks on the door finally click open, and she lets herself in, fully re-engaging the security protocol behind her.

Lena is well and truly pissed.

She doesn't remember being this pissed in a long fucking time; and she's certainly never been this pissed at Kara.

How dare she?

Really!

Of all the nerve!

To try and publicly admonish Lena for something she herself would have done - has done - time and time over.

Just because she's Supergirl, she thinks she can be all self righteous and holier-than-thou and you know what?

Fuck her.

Fuck her and her stupid cape, and her stupid heat vision and her stupid flying and her stupid fucking hair and . , ,

"Yeahhughh!" Lena shouts, slamming the control panel of her security system closed. There, let Kara try to get in now.

Good fucking luck.

Unless she just decided to use brute strength and force her way in.

But Lena had just had to listen to a thirty minute lecture about how perfect fucking superheroes never do anything "unethical", so that would be a little out of character, now wouldn't it?

With a few quick switches, she brings down the bulletproof shades down over the floor to ceiling windows looking out over National City. After only a moment's hesitation, she also brings down the lead shades she'd installed.

Let Kara wonder what she's up to and worry about her.

Serves her right.

With one final look over everything to make sure she's locked in tight, Lena heads to to the kitchen. There's a bottle of Scotch with her name on it, and she thinks it's high time she indulges. She even goes for one of those fancy circle ice cubes that her chef insists make everything a 'designer cocktail'; but after she pours a couple of fingers into her favorite glass, something stops her.

It's Kara's voice in her head - because of fucking course it is - asking tentatively if maybe she should talk about her problems instead of trying to drink them away.

And you know what?

Fuck that, because the memory of Kara is quickly ushered along by one of her therapist - and she is not in any sort of mood to be thinking about therapy of all things. Without giving herself time for second thoughts, she pours the amber liquid down the drain with a scowl.

Damn it, if Kara can ruin a good glass of Scotch, then she can ruin just about anything

With a huff, she heads to her master suite, because if she can't self harm with alcohol then she can at least take a scalding hot shower. And maybe that's not exactly healthy either; but Kara's voice in her head is silent at least, and besides, she needs a shower. She knows that her hair is a mess and she's pretty sure Alex was crinkling her nose in disgust whenever Lena stepped upwind of her at the debriefing.

Guess entering the alien ship through the trash chute wasn't her most hygienic option; but hey, it got the job done at least.

She turns the shower nozzle on as hot as it will go, and then waits for steam to fill up the bathroom before she sheds her clothes and steps in.

It's only a few minutes before her skin is red from the heat but she feels marginally better; the smell of lavender and mint permeating the bathroom.

When she eventually becomes numb to the sting of the water, she turns the knobs in the other direction until she's being blasted with water so cold that it almost feels like she's doing one of Alex's ridiculous ice water plunges.

She washes her hair twice before she's satisfied enough to move on to conditioner, and she alternates the water temperature between the two extremes at least four times; that and the extra attention from her loofah leaving her skin feeling tingly and raw.

As she stands in front of the mirror drying her hair with a towel, she has to admit that the shower was definitely more productive than the drinking. Plus she still has a clear head and all of her faculties.

Faculties that she can use to plot petty revenge on her girlfriend.

The thought gives her pause.

Was Kara still her girlfriend?

They hadn't exactly broken up, but they hadn't exactly talked either.

Well, besides Kara having the audacity to call her attempt to save the world 'hare-brained' and 'borderline stupid'. But now Lena has effectively taken away Kara's keys to her apartment, and it's not like Kara has bothered to try and come by anyways.

Maybe they were over.

Good riddance, in Lena's book.

She didn't need Supergirl, or Kara Danvers. Or friends for that matter. Or the DEO, or game night, or Kara eating ice cream with her at three in the morning when she can't sleep or -

She doesn't need any of it.

She was doing just fine on her own.

Just like she was doing just fine on that alien ship before Kara came to 'rescue' her.

Angrily, she yanks a hairbrush through any tangles the conditioner left behind, and throws on a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt.

But damn it if it isn't one of Kara's t-shirts that she accidentally pulls out of the drawer.

She doesn't realize it's Kara's until after she's pulled it over her head ,and even though tears sting her eyes at the realization, she doesn't take it off.

It's one of the plain white v-necks that Kara likes to hang around the apartment in, and it's slightly too big for Lena. Muscles and aggressive lounging have stretched it out, and it's soft almost to the point of threadbare.

Fuck it.

It's her shirt now.

She's claiming it.

Not in a 'steal it from your girlfriend to be cute' way, but in a petty theft kind of way.

Hows that for 'unethical'?

She'll just tell Kara to add that to her long list of crimes against humanity.

She pads into the living room, frowning when she sees the blinking light on her security camera monitor. Who could possibly be bothering her now?

A quick look shows that it's not the lobby camera but the balcony camera, and she flicks the feed over to see Kara - Supergirl - hovering outside.

She should have guessed, really.

Of all of Kara's annoying qualities, tenacity was certainly one of the top five.

Kara's gaze shoots to the camera, almost as if she senses Lena watching her.

"Lena, I know you're in there." Kara's voice is pleading, but Lena makes no move to answer; instead shifting her attention to her cuticles. She could really use a manicure, and she makes a mental note to text Jess later.

It's a long moment before the camera's speaker sounds again.

"You took my biometrics off of the balcony door lock."

. . .

"I'm going to assume that you took them off of the inside door as well, because you're nothing if not thorough." Kara spits the word out like it's derogatory, and Lena can't help but feel a spike of sinful pride.

The silence lasts a good five minutes this time before Kara speaks.

"Damn it, Lena! Let me in!"

There it is.

The anger Lena's been waiting for.

Normally Supergirl stays so calm and proper, but occasionally, occasionally, she lets that Kryptonian temper fly.

Lena allows a hint of an evil grin before she shuts the camera monitor off and walks to the refrigerator. Just because she can't use her fancy ice cubes for whiskey, doesn't mean she can't use them in a sparkling water; because nothing says 'gloating super villain' like a bottle of water that costs more than Kara makes in an hour.

So, she fixes another glass with ice and pours the water in until the bubbles almost spill over the top. Then she takes a long, refreshing sip - letting the hint of lemon-lime in the effervescence tickle her nose.

You're not a super villain. You're not a villain at all. the voice in her head reminds her.

The thought should bring her peace, but instead it only infuriates her more. Just because she chooses to do things differently than Supergirl doesn't mean that Kara gets to guilt trip her about it.

She does a lot of good for this world.

A whole hell of a lot more good than anyone in her family has ever done bad; despite Lex and Lillian's best efforts. She's more than made up for her family name, and she's more than proved herself an ally to Supergirl, and how dare Kara try to make her feel like anything less.

She drains the glass before slamming it down with a little more force than necessary.

Fuck.

Fuckity, Fuck, Fuck, Fuck.

She braces herself against the kitchen counter, staring blankly past the glass doors of the cabinets at the cups and bowls meticulously stacked inside.

She's not sure how long she stands there before a loud crack from living room snaps her attention away. She turns to see Kara standing just inside, the remnants of Lena's door lock dangling from her fingertips.

Lena clucks her tongue.

"Well, well, well; Supergirl breaking and entering, aren't you just the little deviant."

Kara's eyes are flaming with anger, and Lena's half surprised that she hasn't been melted into the floor with heat vision.

After a long staring contest, Kara walks towards Lena's work bench in the corner and tosses the pieces of door lock on it.

"Right, cause I'm just Miss goody-two-shoes."

"If the shoe fits." Lena smirks at the cleverness of her own pun, but Kara's scowl only deepens as she stalks into the kitchen.

Her gaze darts around before settling on the empty glass on the counter and then the still open bottle of Scotch. She gives Lena a hard glare.

"Really, Lena? You leave me outside so you can what? Get drunk and ignore your feelings?"

Kara's voice raises as she speaks, and the end of the question comes out in a bellow; Kara's face red and angry as she reaches for the bottle of Scotch and pitches it across the kitchen.

It shatters against the countertop, and once again Lena's finds herself grateful that she always invests in durable building supplies.

Normally, Kara would look petulant after any sort of outburst, but in this case it's seemed only to fan the flames of her ire. Her entire body is shaking so much that she's practically vibrating.

Years of dealing with the Luthor family drama is the only thing that lets Lena look unbothered, despite the discontent in her chest.

"I was drinking water, actually, but thank you for getting rid of the rest of the bottle, I'm trying to cut back."

Kara almost has the decency to look scolded, but it fades quickly.

"You are . . ."

"What?" Lena snaps.

"Completely infuriating."

"You just can't stand it that I can fix things without your help, can you? It really gets under your skin that I can do just as much good as you without parading myself as some sort of paragon of honor and justice."

Kara barks a laugh.

"That's what you think this is? You think I'm upset because you're trying to do good? Every time you go off on one of your hare-brained schemes -"

"There's that word again, you know you'd think for an ace reporter you'd have a broader vocabulary." Lena can tell by Kara's shift in posture that her words hit home, and she allows herself a moment to gloat before Kara's steely blue eyes settle heavily on her and she feels the breath seep out of her chest.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to make me angry." Kara's voice is dangerous and low, igniting something in Lena - a feeling she can't quite place.

In an odd sort of way, It feels good, to have Kara angry at her.

To have Kara expressing something instead of that stone cold facade she'd held at the DEO. Lena craves it, needs it.

Needs something to distract her from the aftermath of delayed panic and guilt that's starting to overtake her.

"Maybe I am."

Lena knows what she's doing is basically like dangling raw meat in front of a bear and daring it to chase after her.

Kara studies her for a long moment before lifting her gaze away. The silence floats around them like a fog as Kara stares off in the distance - her stare fixated on something that isn't really there. Her fingers drumroll heavy on the counter and the durability of the quartz counter top is tested for a second time that night.

Lena can see the muscles of her jaw clenching and unclenching, teeth grinding together so harshly that she briefly wonders if the creation of diamonds would be possible under such conditions.

After a few long, tense minutes, Kara's gaze settles back on Lena and she shifts under the weight of it.

"Do you think," Kara takes a slow step forward before repeating herself. "Do you think I do it for you? Do you think that when you recklessly throw yourself into danger that I just drop everything and rescue you, for you? Do you think you're so important that I just risk everything for you?" She's close enough now that her breathy laugh ghosts over Lena's face.

"I'm a very . . . selfish woman, Lena. All those times that I threw caution to the wind, that I risked the very fate of the universe in order to save you - I did it for me."

Kara's gaze is threatening to burn a, (quite literal), hole in Lena's skull and she can't help but take a step back. Only, Kara follows, and now Lena's boxed in between her and the counter. The exact definition of a rock and a hard place.

"Do you know why, I always rescue you, Lena?" Both her tone and the fingers tracing Lena's cheekbone are overtly tender, but right below the surface is an edge of sharpened steel.

"Because I have lost everything , and I will not lose you." Kara's hand drops to Lena's neck, thumb pressing harshly into her bottom lip.

It's some sort of animal instinct that has Lena tilting her head to the side, exposing her neck like a dog to its alpha.

Kara's eyes study her face for a long while, as if she's cataloguing every detail for her sketchbook later.

Lena uses the opportunity to analyze Kara.

Her blonde hair has been washed of the grease that had been streaking it earlier. and she smells faintly of ozone and unfallen rain, and Lena wonders how much time she spent circling in the atmosphere before she decided to stop by for a visit.

Long enough to get pissed, by the look of barely concealed rage on her face.

That's ok, Lena's pissed too; and she's never been one to back away from a fight.

"If you would just listen to me -" Kara starts but Lena's already heard enough.

"You mean if I would just shut up and do what you tell me."

"That's not what I said."

"But that's what you meant, isn't it? That your life would be easier if I would just fall in line and do things the Supergirl way. Spoiler alert, Kara; the Supergirl way isn't always the best way."

With one last, defiant meeting of their eyes, Lena sidesteps out of Kara's reach and uses a broom to start sweeping at the remnants of the broken Scotch bottle on the floor.

She can feel Kara's eyes on her, but she very pointedly ignores her, choosing instead to keep her back positioned to the superhero.

When the majority of the glass is scooped up and deposited in the trash, she reaches for a washcloth, wetting it in the sink before turning her attention to the shards of glass on the countertop, carefully wiping them onto the dustpan.

"Lena."

The plea in Kara's voice is evident, but Lena still ignores it, forcing herself to stay focused on the task at hand.

"Lena."

This time Kara is more insistent, and her hand reaches out to rest on Lena's shoulder, but Lena shrugs it off with grunt.

Before can even process what's happening, Kara is spinning her around; pressing Lena's hips hard into the counter with her own, bending her backwards until her head is trapped against the cabinets.

Kara's laugh is dark.

"Do you even realize how fragile you are?"

Lena can't deny that Kara's aura is a little frightening, and her hands scramble for purchase on the counter, looking for anything to give her leverage. She feels the fragment of glass under her finger like crumb a split second before she registers the prick of pain.

"Shit." she jerks her hand up, trying to examine the wound, but Kara intercepts it, closing her fingers around Lena's wrist in a bruising grip. Lena's tries unsuccessfully to snatch her hand back, but Kara doesn't relent; her tone mocking as she smirks.

"See? Fragile."

"Stop that, I'm bleeding."

"What, you don't want me to clean up your mess this time?"

Lena just thought she was mad before.

If looks could kill, then Kara would certainly be dead from the daggers that Lena is shooting into her skull.

Before she can voice a come back, Kara's lips close around the tip of her finger, sucking away the dark red droplet of blood so she can get an unobstructed view of the wound. It irritates Lena to know that Kara can hear the uptick in her heart rate just like she can hear the way Lena's breath catches in her throat at the intimate action.

Kara's eyes narrow as she examines Lena's finger, and Lena knows that she's using her x-ray vision to check for hidden injuries.

Hidden injuries.

On practically a fucking paper cut for gods sake.

She uses Kara's distraction to successfully jerk her hand away, but in less than a split second, she's been recaptured and whisked to the sink. The water is cold as Kara holds the offended finger under the stream, and Lena can't help but roll her eyes.

Just like Kara to be over protective and smothering - a fact that's even more evident when Lena feels the rush of wind as Kara super speeds to the hall closet where the first aid kit is kept and returns with a bandaid and antiseptic in hand.

Kara's look dares Lena to argue with her, and Lena chooses to pick her battles.

So Lena holds still as Kara cleans and dresses her wound, minor as it may be, green eyes attempting to bore a hole from one side of Kara's head to the other. Finally, the job is finished, and Lena turns her glare to the bright yellow bandage around her finger.

She huffs angrily.

"Kara this is fucking ridiculous, I'm more than capable of - "

The sound of a fist connecting with the wall startles her, and she looks up to see Kara hulking over her - eyes dark and cheeks red.

"You still don't get it, do you?" Kara glowers, and once again her hand settles on Lena's neck. This time, her thumb gently massages at Lena's pulse point.

Lena knows, knows beyond the shadow of a doubt that Kara would never hurt her; but her point is loud and clear -

If she wanted to, she could.

The realization sends a shiver down Lena's spine as her eyes shutter closed. She swallows against the pressure on her throat; and when her eyes reopen, Kara is closer than before - blue eyes harsh and glinting as she dares Lena to resist.

Lena doesn't exactly fight her, but she doesn't back down either. For a few long, tense moments, their breath mixes in the air between until Lena isn't quite sure if it's Kara's imposing presence thats leaving her weak in the knees or if it's too much carbon dioxide from their shared air.

"Do it." she dares Kara in a whisper.

"What?"

"Don't play stupid." Lena's voice is raw and broken with emotion, and again she swallows pointedly against Kara's grip; never breaking eye contact.

"We both know you want to hurt me."

Kara doesn't respond verbally, but her fingers flex against Lena's neck.

The tension between them is tight, like a bungee cord about to break; and Lena isn't sure if the resulting snap will bring them crashing together or send them falling apart.

"Do it. Show me you're the only one who gets to break me apart, Supergirl."

Kara's reaction this time is instantaneous.

She lifts Lena effortlessly onto the countertop, stepping between her legs as Lena's head and back slam into the cabinet.

"Fuck." The word is barely spoken before Kara swallows it - teeth clashing against Lena's as her tongue lays claim to Lena's mouth.

The kiss is hot and heavy and possessive, and if Lena thought she was low on oxygen before, she's running on fumes now; her breath panting at every split second of relief she's given from onslaught of Kara's lips. The hand on her hip is bruising, and the hand on her throat moves to fist in her hair. It's too much and not enough; and her own hands are against Kara chest - pushing her away or pulling her in, she isn't really sure which.

Before she can process what's happening, her sweatpants and underwear are yanked off and thrown across the room, and she's hissing as the coldness of the countertop meets her bare ass. Kara makes quick work of her stolen shirt, Lena's negligence at putting on a bra after her shower leaving her nipples peaked and aching as they're exposed to the air.

Then Kara is pressed against her, the material of the super suit rubbing against Lena's still tender skin. But, Kara is warm, so warm, the heat radiating off of her like a furnace; and Lena tugs her impossibly closer, ankles locking around her waist. She shivers as er cunt rubs agains Kara's pelvis, the one place of connection where Lena is hotter than Kara.

"Fuck." Lena repeats, only this time it comes out half slurred, Kara's tongue thick in her mouth.

She should really be careful what she wishes for, because Kara shifts and the hand that was on her waist is now inside her - three of the fingers, anyway, judging by the stretch. It hurts, but she wants more, something inside of her needing to feel Kara's raw power. Kara may need to see that she's the only one with the power to destroy Lena; but so does Lena. Whether she admits it or not, today's close call has left her frightened and vulnerable, and she needs reassurance that Kara will always be there to save her.

So she clutches at Kara, one hand gripping her cape and one on the elbow of the hand that's inside of her, the seam of material that loops over Kara's palm chaffing at her sensitive skin while Kara thumbs her clit. Kara's fingers slip almost completely out before they piston back in, knuckles slamming in so hard that Lena feels her pelvic bone jar with the force.

She's losing all aspects of higher brain function; the only sounds she's capable of making are keening half syllables of desperation. The hand in Lena's hair applies a steady pressure, pulling her back until Kara has easy access to her neck. Lena know as soon as those warm lips give way to teeth on her collarbone that she going to be relegated to high collars for a least a week to hide the bruising.

Kara leads a wet trail down Lena's chest, her fingers never slowing their violent rhythm. As her lips close around Lena's nipple, encasing it in a warm, wet heat, Lena feels her brain short circuit. There's nothing but white hot heat behind her eyes and down her chest, exploding out of her center.

She can feel the wave of orgasm cresting already, and tears prick at the corners of her eyes. Kara must feel her start to tighten because she pulls her head back from Lena's chest and releases her vice grip on Lena's hair. That hand moves instead back to Lena's neck, and this time the pressure isn't merely suggested - it's real - leaving Lena gasping helplessly for air as she chases her release. Her eyes roll back in her head and the rollercoaster is just about to come crashing down the hill when Kara's hand moves again to, (almost gently), cup her chin before her thumb hooks into Lena's panting mouth and pulls their foreheads together.

"Look at me when you cum." Kara growls, and Lena has no choice but to obey. Their eyes meet in a storm of blue and green, pupils wide with lust and fury. The sight is enough to send Lena past the point of no return and her body shakes uncontrollably as her cunt spasms around Kara's still thrusting fingers, her slick spilling into Kara's hand.

She might black out, she's not entirely sure; but when she comes back to her senses Kara's forehead is resting on her shoulder, and her fingers are still thrusting inside Lena - albeit at a much gentler pace.

"Kara." she chokes out in a strangled cry, her body shuddering with the aftershocks of her release.

"I've got you, I've got you." Kara promises fervently as she slowly withdraws her hand from its ministrations and scoops Lena up into a bridal carry.

It takes all of Lena's strength to wrap her arms around Kara's neck; but then Kara's lips are on hers, soft and gentle this time. It's easy to lose herself in the kiss, the emotion, the perfect bliss of Kara's embrace. At least until she feels Kara's lips curl in a smirk and she pulls back to see her girlfriend sporting a very self satisfied smile.

Something is triggered in Lena at the almost gloating expression on Kara's face.

Despite the emotional and physical high she just experienced, she can't help but feel a sense of wounded pride at the fact that Kara, in essence, won.

Yet again, Kara gets to play the hero, swooping in and 'rescuing' Lena at the last minute; carrying her distressing damsel off into the sunset.

Lena levels her gaze at the superhero.

Kara coming away from this feeling like the victor?

That, that simply won't do.

Luthors may lose, but Lena - Lena never does.

Whew! We all need cold holy water showers now! There will most likely be a part two to this if reception is good.

[rohan277]

As a Cyber Security Expert, I will provide penetration Testing and WordPress Malware Removal services. Those are my best and strongest skills. I can combine the power of manual and automated penetration tests to remove all types of malware and viruses from any WordPress website.

My Services on penetration testing:

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✅I will test your website and give you a professional and premium testing report that help you fix this vulnerability.

✅Network devices (Servers, switches, routers) Penetration Testing services.

✅I will test manual and automated both.

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My services for WordPress Malware Removal:

✅I will remove all types of malware and viruses from hacked WordPress websites

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Why work with me:

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Me on Fiverr: https://www.fiverr.com/safety_hub?up_rollout 

Let me work with you. I am a professional cybersecurity specialist with 3years of experience. I will give you the best service. I hope you will be satisfied.

Thank You.

[davros42]

Rewatching Classic Doctor Who, some episodes I haven't seen in years, some of the animated reconstructions I haven't seen at all.

Planet of Giants AKA Minuscule Story AKA The Minuscules AKA Serial I

Season 2 kicks off with a bit of a strange one. It feels very much like a prototype Third Doctor story. The first story to take place in the 'modern day' (and in the UK for that matter) since the first one. Apart from the hook/subplot of the TARDIS crew being shrunk, it has no particular SciFi trappings which, from the vantage point of the 21st century, makes it feel like a historical story. The strong influence from Rachel Carson's Silent Spring doesn't hurt either. Doctor Who getting in on the 'insecticide killing pollinators' thing fifty years early.

The TARDIS doors open midflight (something to do with 'space pressure' but that's not important right now) but Ian and Barbara brute force them closed again. The Fault Locator makes it's last (televised) appearance. And the TARDIS lands safely. Or appears to. All the sensors indicate safety but the scanner screen explodes as if trying to show something too big for the screen. That's not how television works, but ok. It turns out that the doors opening allowed the space pressure to shrink the occupants of the TARDIS (and the outer shell of the TARDIS, but don't think about that too hard) after spotting some dead things, the crew is menaced by a cat, Ian gets captured via matchbox (which is a nice change of pace from how he normally gets captured), and a scientist gets murdered. You see, he's come to reject the application for a phenomenally powerful insecticide having realized the ecological dangers.. so the financial backer of the insecticide straight up shoots him dead in the front yard. It is a powerfully American moment. Oh and Barbara accidentally doses herself with the insecticide and doesn't tell anyone because reasons. Eventually the crew get into the house and try to get involved, messing with the phone, and ultimately blowing up a spray can to attract attention. It works, the switchboard operator (kids, ask your great-grandparents what a switchboard was) is conveniently married to a cop and sends him 'round just in time to catch the baddies. The crew returns to the TARDIS, and returns to full size, saving Barbara. Somewhere along the way the viewer monitor in the TARDIS was repaired so our last shot is a scrambled signal, where could the TARDIS be headed next?

And before anyone gets the wrong idea from my snarky synopsis, I really like this one. Short and sweet. A little silly at times if you think too hard about it but a good story that doesn't get too bogged down in unnecessary explanations and detail. It fits the tone and temp of a lot of the modern era in that way. It has two parallel stories that converge in a satisfying way. Originally meant to be four episodes and cut down to three, it still moves well, not a lot seems to be left out. The oversized props are great fun and there's some decent effects. The production is wise enough not to linger on them, letting most of the special effects exist in the audience's imagination.

Up next - an epic, this one changes everything: The Dalek Invasion of Earth

[estheruary]

I know this is screaming into the void but this misses the point. The security of biometric auth systems lies in the ability to detect a real living human. What makes FaceID strong isn't that your face is secret, but that it's hard to produce another human with a similar enough face.

A scanner that just takes a picture of your fingerprint and compares it to the one on file would be considered weak. A scanner that looks into your retina, measures the light refraction to detect that the material it's looking at is made of eyeball, adjusts the light to see your pupil dilate, and then then identifies and watches the blood flow through the vein in the back of your eye would be considered very strong. FaceID lives in the middle where it measures 3D depth and motion.

A 4 digit passcode is 1/10,000 guesses, your fingerprint is 1/50,000 humans or the brute force effort it takes to make a convincing enough fake. Mythbusters way back in the day showed that most fingerprint scanners are pretty bad and while TouchID is better than most [1] there's a reason Apple is going to FaceID. This isn't apples/oranges it's apples and the concept of Brownian motion.

[1] https://www.lookout.com/life/blog/why-i-hacked-apples-touchid-and-still-think-it-is-awesome

“ The odds of guessing a four-digit passcode are 1 in 10,000, and tools have been used to crack iPhone codes in the past. Apple says the chances of someone having a similar enough fingerprint to unlock a person’s phone is 1 in 50,000, and a similar enough random face tricking Face ID is 1 in 1,000,000 “

that’s a really funny way of framing it, to make it look like passcodes are weak. you know what’s twice as good as the odds given for fingerprints? a 5 digit passcode! what’s equal to the odds given for Face ID? a 6 digit passcode! every time you add a digit, you multply those odds by 10.

and that’s assuming simple numeric passcodes. the odds of guessing a 4 digit, case-sensitive, alphanumeric passcode would be a 1 in 14.7 million. 5 digits is over 1 in 916 million, 6 digit is 1 in 56.8 billion. if you throw in 32 common symbols, we get 1 in 78 million, 1 in 7.3 billion, and 1 in 689 billion. those numbers climb pretty quickly the more digits you add.

i know these aren’t the only issues with passcodes (like 24% of americans using a variation of just 8 common passcodes), but if you’re trying to push people to biometrics i guess you wouldn’t really care for that nuance anyway

[lakshmisssit]

Python for Cybersecurity: Tools and Techniques

With cyber threats growing more sophisticated every day, the demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals is on the rise. Whether it’s protecting networks, detecting malware, or automating security tasks, the tools used in cybersecurity need to be both powerful and flexible. That’s where Python comes in. Known for its simplicity and wide range of applications, Python has become a go-to language for many cybersecurity experts. If you're looking to build a career in this exciting field, enrolling in the best Python training in Hyderabad can set you on the right path.

Why Do Cybersecurity Experts Use Python?

Python is incredibly beginner-friendly, yet powerful enough for advanced security tasks. Its clean syntax makes it easy to write and understand scripts, even for those new to programming. Plus, it supports a vast ecosystem of libraries that are perfect for tasks like data analysis, network monitoring, and penetration testing.

But the real magic lies in how fast you can get things done with Python.Want to scan for vulnerabilities with a quick script? Or automate a log monitoring task? Python makes it simple and efficient.

Popular Python Tools in Cybersecurity

Here are some of the most commonly used Python tools in the cybersecurity world:

Scapy: Great for analyzing and crafting network packets.

Requests & BeautifulSoup: Used for web scraping and identifying website vulnerabilities.

Nmap (via python-nmap): Integrates the popular network scanning tool with Python for custom automation.

Impacket: Provides tools to interact with network protocols at a lower level.

Cryptography & PyCrypto: Essential for data encryption and building secure systems.

These tools are widely used in real-world scenarios to monitor traffic, detect attacks, and strengthen system defenses.

Ethical Hacking and Automation with Python

System vulnerabilities are often tested using Python by ethical hackers. Whether it's writing a brute-force attack script or building a port scanner, Python gives security professionals the power to simulate attacks and patch weaknesses before real hackers can exploit them.

Python is also perfect for automating routine security tasks—like scanning logs or monitoring files—freeing up professionals to focus on more critical threats.

Ready to Learn? Start with SSSIT Computer Education

If you're serious about launching a career in cybersecurity, Python is a must-have skill. At SSSIT Computer Education, we offer hands-on, job-ready Python training designed to help you succeed in the real world. Our expert instructors and practical approach make us one of the top choices for aspiring cybersecurity professionals in Hyderabad.

[4goodhosting]

Top WordPress Developer Plugins You Shouldn’t Code Without in 2025

As a WordPress developer, your toolkit defines your workflow, efficiency, and project success. Developing with WordPress goes far beyond themes and page builders—it’s about crafting scalable, performant, and secure experiences with precision. The difference between an average site and a professional-grade build often comes down to the developer plugins you rely on.

Whether you're debugging a site, crafting custom content structures, migrating environments, or managing performance, the right plugins save time and streamline the development process. Below is a comprehensive list of the top WordPress developer plugins you should be using in 2025—plus a few hosting insights from 4GoodHosting, a trusted Canadian web hosting provider for developers who demand more.

Debugging & Diagnostics Plugins

1. Query Monitor One of the most powerful debugging tools for developers. Query Monitor lets you inspect database queries, PHP errors, hooks, conditionals, and REST API calls—all in real-time. It helps pinpoint performance bottlenecks and diagnose theme/plugin conflicts.

2. Debug Bar Ideal for quick diagnostics, Debug Bar adds a debug menu to your admin bar and displays query, memory, and cache information. It's lightweight and useful for surface-level insights without overwhelming the interface.

3. Health Check & Troubleshooting Developed by WordPress.org, this plugin offers a “troubleshooting mode” that deactivates themes and plugins only for your session, allowing you to isolate issues without affecting live users.

Code Management & Customization Plugins

4. Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) A must-have for creating flexible content fields. ACF allows you to attach custom fields to posts, users, taxonomies, and more—perfect for creating bespoke content layouts.

5. Code Snippets Avoid cluttering functions.php with custom code. Code Snippets lets you organize, activate, and manage reusable PHP, HTML, and JavaScript snippets safely within the dashboard.

6. Custom Post Type UI Need to register custom post types or taxonomies? This plugin simplifies the process, allowing you to create unique content types like “Events,” “Testimonials,” or “Portfolios” without coding.

7. WP Crontrol WP-Cron tasks can be cryptic. This plugin gives you a clear dashboard to view, edit, and delete scheduled cron events—ideal for managing automated tasks or debugging scheduled jobs.

Performance Optimization Plugins

8. WP Rocket A premium caching solution that offers fast configuration and strong out-of-the-box results. It improves site load times through page caching, minification, GZIP compression, lazy loading, and database optimization.

9. Smush Image optimization is critical for performance. Smush compresses and resizes images without sacrificing quality, and it supports WebP conversion and lazy loading for speed improvements.

10. Autoptimize This plugin aggregates, minifies, and caches scripts and styles, optimizing load times by reducing file size and HTTP requests. It’s a perfect companion for any caching tool.

Security-Focused Plugins

11. Wordfence Security A comprehensive suite including a firewall, malware scanner, brute-force protection, and login security features. Wordfence also monitors real-time traffic and vulnerabilities.

12. iThemes Security (SolidWP) Offers extensive hardening options including two-factor authentication, file change detection, strong password enforcement, and scheduled database backups.

Workflow & Migration Plugins

13. WP Migrate Move databases between environments with ease. It replaces URLs and serialized data accurately, making staging-to-production transitions seamless. The Pro version adds support for file/media migrations too.

14. Duplicator Creates a full backup of your WordPress site—including database, themes, plugins, and content—in a compressed package. Perfect for creating staging environments or full-site migration.

15. User Switching Switch between user roles instantly without logging in/out. This tool is essential for testing permissions and visibility across different access levels.

16. WP Reset Need to test multiple setups? WP Reset restores your database to a clean installation state without touching your media. Perfect for developers who frequently test themes or plugins.

SEO & Content Development Plugins

17. Yoast SEO A staple for on-page optimization, Yoast SEO helps developers ensure that their builds are SEO-ready. It handles metadata, sitemaps, schema, readability, and more.

18. Redirection Manage 301 redirects, track 404 errors, and create clean link structures. Particularly useful after content migrations or site restructuring.

Best Practices for Plugin Integration

Even the best plugins can backfire if not managed properly. Follow these development practices to ensure stability and performance:

Test plugin compatibility before installing on a live environment.

Limit plugins to essentials—avoid bloated setups.

Keep plugins updated to stay protected and efficient.

Monitor site performance after every plugin installation or update.

Use version control (e.g., Git) for custom plugins or code snippets.

Hosting Consideration: Why Developers Trust 4GoodHosting

All these plugins need a stable, high-performance hosting environment to function optimally. That’s why developers across Canada turn to 4GoodHosting for their WordPress projects. Here's why:

Managed WordPress Hosting – Get automatic updates, free SSL, daily backups, and performance optimization out of the box.

Canadian Data Centers – Enjoy fast speeds and legal compliance for Canadian businesses.

Developer Tools – SSH access, staging environments, and Git integration.

Expert Support – Get help from professionals who understand WordPress development.

Whether you're building custom websites, managing client portfolios, or developing SaaS on top of WordPress, 4GoodHosting gives you the infrastructure you can trust.

Final Thoughts: Build Better, Code Smarter

WordPress development is about precision, performance, and continuous learning. By integrating the right developer plugins—and hosting your work on a trusted platform like 4GoodHosting—you position yourself to deliver secure, optimized, and scalable websites for any project.

Use these plugins not just as tools, but as enhancements to your entire development process. Combine them with clean code practices, regular testing, and smart hosting decisions, and you’ll not only save time—you’ll build better sites.

[bhavyakothari]

Beginner’s Guide to Ethical Hacking Tools 🔐

Ethical hacking is more than a buzzword—it’s a critical skillset in 2025’s cybersecurity landscape. If you’ve ever wondered how hackers think and how companies stay one step ahead of cybercriminals, you need to know the essential tools of the trade. Here’s your beginner’s toolkit:

1. Kali Linux – The Hacker’s Operating System

A Linux distribution packed with security and penetration-testing tools.

Why use it? Pre-installed tools, live-boot capability, regular updates.

Get started: Download the ISO, create a bootable USB, and explore tools like Nmap and Metasploit.

2. Nmap – Network Mapper

Scans networks to discover hosts, services, and vulnerabilities.

bash

CopyEdit

nmap -sS -sV -O target_ip

-sS for stealth scan

-sV to detect service versions

-O for OS detection

3. Metasploit Framework – Exploitation Powerhouse

Automates exploiting known vulnerabilities.

Use case: After identifying an open port with Nmap, launch an exploit module in Metasploit to test the weakness.

Basic commands: bashCopyEditmsfconsole use exploit/windows/smb/ms17_010_eternalblue set RHOST target_ip run

4. Wireshark – Packet Analyzer

Captures and analyzes network traffic in real time.

Why it matters: See exactly what data is flowing across the network—useful for finding unencrypted credentials.

Tip: Apply display filters like http or ftp to focus on specific protocols.

5. Burp Suite – Web Application Scanner

Interacts with web applications to find vulnerabilities (SQLi, XSS, CSRF).

Features: Proxy traffic, automated scanner, intruder for fuzzing.

Getting started: Configure your browser to use Burp’s proxy, then browse the target site to capture requests.

6. John the Ripper – Password Cracker

Tests password strength by performing dictionary and brute-force attacks.

bash

CopyEdit

john --wordlist=/usr/share/wordlists/rockyou.txt hashfile.txt

Tip: Always test on hashes you have permission to crack.

7. Nikto – Web Server Scanner

Checks web servers for dangerous files, outdated software, and misconfigurations.

bash

CopyEdit

nikto -h http://target_website

Quick win: Identify default files and known vulnerabilities in seconds.

8. Aircrack-ng – Wireless Network Auditor

Assesses Wi-Fi network security by capturing and cracking WEP/WPA-PSK keys.

Workflow:

airodump-ng to capture packets

airmon-ng to enable monitor mode

aircrack-ng to crack the handshake

9. OWASP ZAP – Web Vulnerability Scanner

An open-source alternative to Burp Suite with active community support.

Use case: Automated scans plus manual testing of web applications.

Bonus: Integrated API for custom scripting.

10. Hydra – Fast Login Cracker

Performs rapid brute-force attacks on network and web services.

bash

CopyEdit

hydra -l admin -P passwords.txt ssh://target_ip

Warning: Use only in lab environments or with explicit permission.

Putting It into Practice

Set up a lab with virtual machines (Kali Linux + victim OS).

Scan the network with Nmap.

Analyze traffic in Wireshark.

Exploit a vulnerability with Metasploit.

Validate web app security using Burp Suite and OWASP ZAP.

Crack test passwords with John the Ripper and Hydra.

Ready to Dive Deeper?

If you’re serious about ethical hacking, check out our Ethical Hacking Course in Jodhpur at TechFly (no link here per your request). You’ll get hands-on labs, expert mentorship, and real-world attack/defense scenarios.

[intellibeanstechnologies]

What are your must-have plugins with a new WordPress site?

Security & Backup

Security & Backup plugins are essential tools that help protect your website from threats and ensure your data is safe.Backup plugins help you automatically save copies of your website files and database. These are crucial in case something breaks, gets deleted, or is hacked

Wordfence Security – Firewall & malware scanner UpdraftPlus – Easy backups and restoration Limit Login Attempts Reloaded – Protect against brute force attacks

Performance & Speed

A Performance & Speed plugin in WordPress is used to optimize your website’s loading time, responsiveness, and overall performance—which directly impacts user experience, SEO rankings, and conversion rates.

WP Rocket (premium) or W3 Total Cache – Caching and performance boost Smush – Image optimization without quality loss Perfmatters – Disable unnecessary scripts to speed up

SEO

An SEO plugin in WordPress helps you optimize your website for search engines like Google to improve visibility, traffic, and rankings.

Rank Math SEO (or Yoast SEO) – On-page SEO optimization Redirection – Manage 301 redirects and track 404s Schema Pro (optional) – Add rich snippets

Site Management & Essentials

A Site Management & Essentials plugin in WordPress helps you maintain, monitor, and streamline key admin tasks for smoother website operations.

Elementor (or another page builder) – Drag-and-drop site design WPForms – Contact forms made simple Really Simple SSL – Automatically handles SSL migration Insert Headers and Footers – Easily add scripts like Google Analytics or FB Pixel

Marketing & Engagement

A Marketing & Engagement plugin in WordPress is used to boost user interaction and grow your audience through targeted campaigns and communication tools.

Mailchimp for WordPress – Connect email forms to Mailchimp MonsterInsights – Google Analytics tracking inside WordPress PushEngage (optional) – Push notifications for returning visitors

[pentesttestingcorp]

Insufficient Logging in Symfony: A Real Threat to Web Security

In the fast-moving world of Symfony web development, one security concern that often slips under the radar is Insufficient Logging and Monitoring in Symfony. This issue might seem subtle, but it's a common entry point for attackers and a key item in the OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities list.

In this guide, we’ll explore this vulnerability in-depth, show you real-world code examples, how to fix it, and how to identify it using our free website security scanner tool.

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🚨 What Is Insufficient Logging and Monitoring in Symfony?

When Symfony applications fail to log important events or do not monitor for suspicious behavior, they leave the system blind to attacks. Without proper logging, brute force attempts, SQL injections, or unauthorized access might never be detected until it’s too late.

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🔍 Real-World Impact

Lack of visibility means:

Delayed detection of breaches

Inability to perform forensic analysis

Missed opportunities to block malicious IPs

Non-compliance with data protection laws

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🧪 Common Symfony Logging Misconfigurations

Here’s an example where Symfony logs only errors and skips warnings or unusual activity like failed login attempts:

// config/packages/monolog.yaml monolog: handlers: main: type: stream path: "%kernel.logs_dir%/%kernel.environment%.log" level: error # Only logs errors, not warnings or suspicious activity

❌ This is bad practice. You miss critical info like authentication failures.

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✅ Recommended Logging Configuration in Symfony

To mitigate insufficient logging and monitoring in Symfony, use a more inclusive logging level and a dedicated channel for security events:

# config/packages/monolog.yaml monolog: channels: ['security'] handlers: main: type: stream path: "%kernel.logs_dir%/%kernel.environment%.log" level: debug security: type: stream path: "%kernel.logs_dir%/security.log" channels: ["security"] level: info

This config logs:

Authentication failures

Role change attempts

User impersonation attempts

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🛡️ Adding Event Listeners for Better Monitoring

Add event listeners for Symfony’s security events like login attempts:

// src/EventListener/LoginListener.php namespace App\EventListener; use Symfony\Component\Security\Http\Event\InteractiveLoginEvent; use Psr\Log\LoggerInterface; class LoginListener { private $logger; public function __construct(LoggerInterface $logger) { $this->logger = $logger; } public function onSecurityInteractiveLogin( InteractiveLoginEvent $event) { $user = $event->getAuthenticationToken()->getUser(); $this->logger->info('User logged in: '.$user- >getUsername()); } }

Then register it as a service:

# config/services.yaml services: App\EventListener\LoginListener: tags: - { name: kernel.event_listener, event: security.interactive_login, method: onSecurityInteractiveLogin }

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⚠️ Detecting Insufficient Logging Using Our Free Tool

If you're unsure whether your app is properly logging security events, run your website through our Free Website Security Checker at:

👉 https://free.pentesttesting.com/

It’ll provide you with a detailed report on missing headers, outdated software, misconfigurations, and yes—even missing logging patterns.

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🖼️ Screenshot of the Website Vulnerability Scanner webpage

Free Website Security Checker Tool by Pentest Testing

🖼️ Screenshot of a vulnerability report generated by the tool to check Website Vulnerability

Security Report Showing Missing Logging in Symfony App

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🔄 Symfony and External Monitoring Tools

Pair your logging with external monitoring tools like:

ELK Stack (Elasticsearch + Logstash + Kibana)

Sentry (for PHP exceptions)

Graylog

Datadog

Set up alert thresholds to detect brute-force attacks and anomalous login spikes.

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🧠 Best Practices to Prevent Logging Failures

🔐 Never log sensitive data (e.g., passwords or tokens)

📶 Log all authentication events, both successful and failed

⏰ Monitor logs in real time

🛠️ Rotate and archive logs securely

✅ Ensure logging is enabled in production too!

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📢 Don’t Miss: Our Web App Penetration Testing Services

Want a professional team to audit your Symfony app for vulnerabilities like insufficient logging and monitoring?

We offer tailored, expert-led services at 👉 https://www.pentesttesting.com/web-app-penetration-testing-services/

✅ Manual + Automated Testing ✅ Detailed Reporting with Fix Recommendations ✅ Quick Turnaround & Post-Test Support

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🗂️ Related Reads on Our Blog

Explore more Symfony-specific security vulnerabilities and fixes on our blog: 👉 Pentest Testing Blog

Popular Reads:

Preventing SQL Injection in Symfony

Fixing CSRF Vulnerabilities in Symfony Forms

Authentication Best Practices in Symfony

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🔗 Share this post with your dev team, and make sure your Symfony logs aren’t leaving the backdoor wide open.