Bombshell claims by WikiLeaks that the CIA actively developed
“hacking tools” to compromise billions of everyday electronic devices,
only to then lose control of the techniques, has stunned the cyber
community.
On March 7, WikiLeaks released documents leaked from a
“high security” network within the CIA. The files, dubbed
“Vault 7,” have been described by the whistleblowing site as the
“largest ever publication of confidential documents” on the CIA.
The
documents purportedly hold details about the agency’s capabilities to
tap into smartphones, televisions and messaging apps, even before
encryption has been applied.
The CIA has
refused
to comment on the authenticity of the documents and the source of the
leak has not been revealed. However, the incident has reignited fears
about whether privacy can ever truly be guarded in the modern world.
Here’s what you need to know about the Vault 7 release:
- A treasure trove of spy material
WikiLeaks
said the release is just 1 percent of the Vault 7 documents it has
obtained. The first leak contains approximately 8,761 files and millions
of codes, which allegedly originate from a CIA center in Langley,
Virginia and date from 2013 to 2016.
The
details
provided so far by WikiLeaks read like a program hell-bent on gathering
information that could be used to exploit security vulnerabilities in
tech made by some of the world’s biggest manufacturers.
According
to the leaks, malicious software capable of leaving false author
fingerprints may also have been developed by the CIA, in order to pin
the blame of global hacks on different nations.
“The technology is designed to be unaccountable, it’s designed to be untraceable, it’s designed to hide itself,”
Assange said of the spy material.
“It’s
designed to throw off people looking to see where there are
fingerprints that might demonstrate who authored that technology.”
- CIA ‘hacking arsenal’
Labelled a
“hacking arsenal”by WikiLeaks, the documents offer information about a CIA Engineering Development Group (EDG) tasked with developing a
“global covert hacking program.” The program includes ways to gather
“geolocation, audio and text communications” from phones without people’s knowledge.
The leaks also state the CIA created malware and trojans to allow
hackers to covertly take over computers. To date, Apple’s iOS operating
system, Google’s Android phones, Telegram, WhatsApp and Microsoft
Windows programs are said to have been targets.
The top selling
television brand in 2015, Samsung, was also subject to the surreptitious
advances by the CIA, according to WikiLeaks. The company’s smart
television device was reportedly earmarked for a
fake “off-mode” hack, through which audio could be secretly recorded.
- Assange offers to coach companies on CIA tactics
In
a livestream Thursday, Assange said WikiLeaks is prepared to offer its
technical expertise to companies that have suffered “billions of dollars
of damage” as a result of nation-state hacking.
“We have
decided to work with them, to give them some exclusive access to some of
the technical details we have, so that fixes can be pushed out,” he said.
Tech
firms such as Samsung and Apple have since moved to allay customers’
fears, although company concern over unknown software vulnerabilities is
palpable. “While our initial analysis indicates that many of the issues
today were already patched in the latest iOS, we will continue work to
rapidly address any identified vulnerabilities,”
Apple said.
Samsung said:
“Protecting consumers’ privacy and the security of our devices is a top priority,” and added,
“We are aware of the report in question and are urgently looking into the matter.”
Google
says it is confident that its security updates have patched areas open
to exploitation. However, it is continuing to carry out an investigation
into their concerns.
“Our analysis is ongoing and we will implement any further necessary protections,” the search engine giant told
Recode.

© Jason Reed / Reuters
Meanwhile, Microsoft told
CNET that customers using Windows 10 are safe from
“dated” vulnerabilities, saying:
“We take security issues very seriously and are continuing a deeper analysis to determine if additional steps are necessary.”
Telegram,
the encrypted messaging service, pointed out that it is up to the
device and operating system manufacturers to plug gaps open to prying
intelligence agencies. It added:
“The tools from ‘Vault 7’ are like a
map of [secret] tunnels. Now that device and OS manufacturers like
Apple and Google will get this map, they can start filling in the holes
and boarding up the passages.”