On Tuesday, Microsoft patched a historic record number of security bugs across its product lines, in large part due to the use of AI to help the company and external researchers to discover bugs. 

Among the fixed vulnerabilities there was one for the remastered version of the classic 25-year-old war strategy video game Age of Empires II. The flaw allowed hackers to take over a victim’s computer by sending a custom malicious game invite, according to security researchers. 

A video posted on X shows how the flaw could be exploited by hackers.

According to cybersecurity firm Rapid7, a successful attack would have allowed hackers to place malicious files on the victim’s computer, opening the door for the hacker to achieve the ability to run malicious code on the victim’s machine.

That means, effectively, that the hacker could have taken over control of the hacked computer.

There is no evidence that this bug was successfully exploited in the wild by hackers. But targeting video gamers can be an effective way to install malware on a high number of victims’ computers and steal their passwords, for example.

Apple has quietly published a rulebook for its new Maps ads, revealing a more curated approach than advertising giant Google.

The iPhone maker has not disclosed a launch date for Maps ads, which was announced earlier this year, beyond saying they would arrive “this summer” in the U.S. and Canada. However, the company has published advertiser documentation and Maps-specific ad policies, suggesting the rollout is approaching.  

In a newly published Apple Advertising Services policy, effective as of July 14, 2026, the iPhone maker shares its rules for advertising on Apple Maps. Notably, it prohibits the broad category of home services businesses, like plumbing, electrical, locksmith, HVAC, pest control, roofing, and general contracting services, among others.

That sets Apple apart from Google, where Local Services Ads are one of the company’s largest local advertising categories. Apple’s policy suggests the company is initially limiting its ads to places with a physical presence that their customers actually visit.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment about the new rulebook.

This approach could help make Apple’s ads feel more like organic map listings, rather than traditional paid search ads.

It could also save Apple some headaches as it gets its Apple Maps ads off the ground. Home services businesses, including locksmiths and garage door service providers, often require additional verification. Google, for instance, allows these categories, but requires initial verifications, follow-ups, and audits to remain in good standing.

Apple’s curated approach to its App Store is also spilling over into its newest advertising vertical. In addition to banning home services, the policy prohibits a handful of businesses from advertising on Maps, like cryptocurrency ATMs and bail bonds providers.

Apple is also taking a hands-on approach to approving ads for businesses offering medical services, as the policy notes these ads will be “evaluated on a case-by-case basis.”

These restrictions appear in a dedicated section of the new “Apple Advertising Services
News and Stocks, Maps, and Sports Programming Policies,” which details the rules around publishing ads across Apple’s first-party apps beyond the App Store.

The broader policy also prohibits deceptive or profane ads, political ads, and ads featuring weapons, violence, controlled substances, defamatory material, and more.

Although Apple may expand to other ad categories over time, its initial approach positions Maps and its ads as a more curated, navigation-focused product, rather than an extension of a web search engine.

Apple’s approach to displaying ads will also differ from Google; Apple said it would only show a single ad to users in its Maps search results. It noted that the advertised businesses would be clearly marked with a small blue halo around the pin, and labeled as an ad in the list of Suggested Places.

Apple also said that data about the ads that users interact with stays on the device and is not collected by the company or shared with third parties.

Another recent update to Apple’s Advertising Services Terms of Service also suggests that Apple could be planning to expand its Apple Apps to non-Apple-owned services, a report from Mobile Dev Memo noted. Apple has not confirmed any changes on that front, however.

Can a handful of engineers really do the work of an army of consultants? That’s the bet behind Ode with Anthropic — the joint venture dedicated to embedding forward-deployed engineers in enterprise firms, backed by Anthropic, Blackstone, Hellman & Friedman, Goldman Sachs and others.  

On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Rebecca Bellan sits down with Ode’s leaders Chris Taylor and Eddie Siegel, who founded Fractional AI, the applied AI services startup that Ode acquired earlier this year to serve as the new venture’s core. The three discuss why so many enterprise AI pilots never make it to production and why they think AI-native services are about to become one of the biggest categories in tech. 

Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.