WikiLeaks publishes 'entire hacking capacity of the CIA' | RT News Quote: WikiLeaks has published what it claims is the largest ever batch of confidential documents on the CIA. More than 8,000 documents were released on Tuesday as part of ‘Vault 7’, a series of leaks on the agency. A total of 8,761 documents have been published as part of ‘Year Zero’, the first in a series of leaks the whistleblower organization has dubbed ‘Vault 7.’ In a statement WikiLeaks said ‘Year Zero’ revealed details of the CIA’s “global covert hacking program,” including “weaponized exploits” used against company products including “Apple's iPhone, Google's Android and Microsoft's Windows and even Samsung TVs, which are turned into covert microphones.” WikiLeaks tweeted the leak, which it claims came from a network inside the CIA’s Center for Cyber Intelligence in Langley, Virginia. The source of the information told WikiLeaks in a statement that they wish to initiate a public debate about the “security, creation, use, proliferation and democratic control of cyberweapons.” Policy questions that should be debated in public include “whether the CIA's hacking capabilities exceed its mandated powers and the problem of public oversight of the agency,” WikiLeaks claims the source said. The FAQ section of the release yields some key details that highlight the true extent of the leak: firstly, the information was “obtained recently and covers through 2016”. The time period covered in the latest leak is between the years 2013 and 2016, according to the CIA timestamps on the documents themselves. Secondly, WikiLeaks has asserted that it has not mined the entire leak and has only verified it, asking that journalists and activists do the leg work. "Those who demonstrate journalistic excellence may be considered for early access to future parts," Wikileaks said in the leak. In WikiLeaks analysis of ‘Year Zero’ they detailed “Weeping Angel”, a surveillance technique that which infests smart TV’s transforming them into microphones. An attack against Samsung TV’s used “Weeping Angel” in cooperation with MI5, placing them into a “Fake-Off” mode, recording conversations even when the device appears to be off. The release came after a planned press conference suffered a cyberattack, according to the whistleblowing organization. WikiLeaks has since rescheduled its press conference. More at https://www.rt.com/news/379724-wikileaks-assange-cia-hacking/ Vault 7: CIA Hacking Tools Revealed | WikiLeaks • Press Release • Analysis • Examples • Frequently Asked Questions https://wikileaks.org/ciav7p1/ Twitter https://twitter.com/WikiLeaks https://twitter.com/search?vertical=default&q=Vault7
WikiLeaks publish 1000s of what it says are CIA documents | Daily Mail Online http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4289942/WikiLeaks-publish-1000s-says-CIA-documents.html WikiLeaks Just Dumped a Ton of Alleged CIA Hacking Documents | Gizmodo http://gizmodo.com/wikileaks-just-dumped-a-ton-of-alleged-cia-hacking-docu-1793042726 WikiLeaks publishes 'biggest ever leak of secret CIA documents' | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/media/2...-of-secret-cia-documents-hacking-surveillance WikiLeaks Hacks the CIA | Mother Jones http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/03/wikileaks-hacks-cia Apple, Samsung, Microsoft: WikiLeaks blows lid on scale of CIA’s hacking arsenal | RT News https://www.rt.com/news/379757-your-whole-life-is-hacked/ WikiLeaks releases thousands of documents it says were leaked from the CIA | Salon http://www.salon.com/2017/03/07/wik...f-documents-it-says-were-leaked-from-the-cia/ Wikileaks Reveals CIA Developed Means to Counter Most Prominent Anti-Viruses | Sputnik International https://sputniknews.com/science/201703071051349744-cia-anti-viruses-wikileaks/ WikiLeaks claims to release files detailing how CIA hacks into phones | USA TODAY http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...ays-has-published-cia-hacking-codes/98844256/ The WikiLeaks CIA Hacking Dump Will Have a 'Very Damaging' Impact | WIRED https://www.wired.com/2017/03/wikileaks-cia-hacks-dump/ WikiLeaks publishes mammoth haul of CIA spying secrets in Vault 7 release | Yahoo News UK https://www.yahoo.com/tech/wikileak...ing-secrets-in-vault-7-release-145256087.html
After the pee pee dossier release, Russia arrested several of their own cybersecurity people who likely were cooperating with the CIA. Maybe the FSB got secrets from those people that made it possible for them to raid CIA servers.
Edward Snowden @Snowden 3 hours ago Still working through the publication, but what @Wikileaks has here is genuinely a big deal. Looks authentic. Edward Snowden @Snowden 3 hours ago What makes this look real? Program and office names, such as the JQJ (IOC) crypt series, are real. Only a cleared insider could know them. Edward Snowden @Snowden 2 hours ago If you're writing about the CIA/@Wikileaks story, here's the big deal: first public evidence USG secretly paying to keep US software unsafe. Edward Snowden @Snowden 2 hours ago The CIA reports show the USG developing vulnerabilities in US products, then intentionally keeping the holes open. Reckless beyond words. Edward Snowden @Snowden 2 hours ago Why is this dangerous? Because until closed, any hacker can use the security hole the CIA left open to break into any iPhone in the world. WikiLeaks @wikileaks 1 hour ago #Vault7: Secret CIA table reveals Google Android and Chrome vulnerabilities/zero days https://wikileaks.org/ciav7p1/cms/page_21561399.html Edward Snowden @Snowden 48 minutes ago Edward Snowden Retweeted WikiLeaks Evidence mounts showing CIA and FBI knew about catastrophic weaknesses in the most-used smartphones in America, but kept them open -- to spy. Edward Snowden @Snowden 11 minutes ago In 2014, the government sought to create the world's most dangerous key, claiming it would never be leaked. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opin...680bf8-4a77-11e4-891d-713f052086a0_story.html Edward Snowden @Snowden 1 minute ago Imagine a world where the actual CIA spends its time figuring out how to spy on you through your TV. That's today. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...ing-your-tvs-smartphones-and-cars-for-spying/
WikiLeaks and how the CIA sees your WhatsApp messages, explained | CNET https://www.cnet.com/how-to/wikileaks-and-the-cia-hacking-your-phone-explained/ Wikileaks claims to reveal how CIA hacks TVs and phones all over the world | CNN http://money.cnn.com/2017/03/07/technology/wikileaks-cia-hacking/ Frankfurt used as remote hacking base for the CIA: WikiLeaks | Deutsche Welle http://www.dw.com/en/frankfurt-used-as-remote-hacking-base-for-the-cia-wikileaks/a-37841830 WikiLeaks CIA documents are most recent weapon in US-Russia battle | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/mar/07/wikileaks-cia-documents-us-russia-conflict The CIA Has Looked Into Hacking Connected Vehicles Since 2014: WikiLeaks | Jalopnik http://jalopnik.com/the-cia-has-looked-into-hacking-connected-vehicles-sinc-1793052458 Apple iPhone and Android phones hacked by CIA: WikiLeaks | SiliconBeat http://www.siliconbeat.com/2017/03/07/apple-iphone-and-android-phones-hacked-by-cia-wikileaks/
Hey CIA, You Held On To Security Flaw Information — But Now It's Out. That's Not How It Should Work. By Cindy Cohn, Electronic Frontier Foundation Quote: Wikileaks today released documents that appear to describe software tools used by the CIA to break into the devices that we all use at home and work. While we are still reviewing the material, we have not seen any indications that the encryption of popular privacy apps such as Signal and WhatsApp has been broken. We believe that encryption still offers significant protection against surveillance. The worst thing that could happen is for users lose faith in encryption-enabled tools and stop using them. The releases do reaffirm that users should make sure they are using the most current version of the apps on their devices. And vendors should move quickly to patch these flaws to protect users from both government and criminal attackers. The dark side of this story is that the documents confirm that the CIA holds on to security vulnerabilities in software and devices — including Android phones, iPhones, and Samsung televisions — that millions of people around the world rely on. The agency appears to have failed to accurately assess the risk of not disclosing vulnerabilities to responsible vendors and failed to follow even the limited Vulnerabilities Equities Process. As these leaks show, we're all made less safe by the CIA's decision to keep — rather than ensure the patching of — vulnerabilities. Even spy agencies like the CIA have a responsibility to protect the security and privacy of Americans. Source: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/...formation-now-its-out-thats-not-how-it-should
The CIA Didn’t Break Signal or WhatsApp, Despite What You’ve Heard By Sam Biddle and Micah Lee, The Intercept It of course remains possible (as it always has and always will) that the CIA has cracked the encryption of Signal, WhatsApp, or any other piece of software. But WikiLeaks hasn’t provided any evidence of that here today. https://theintercept.com/2017/03/07/the-cia-didnt-break-signal-or-whatsapp-despite-what-youve-heard/
Apple says most vulnerabilities in Wikileaks docs are already patched | TechCrunch Excerpt: “Apple is deeply committed to safeguarding our customers’ privacy and security. The technology built into today’s iPhone represents the best data security available to consumers, and we’re constantly working to keep it that way. Our products and software are designed to quickly get security updates into the hands of our customers, with nearly 80 percent of users running the latest version of our operating system. While our initial analysis indicates that many of the issues leaked today were already patched in the latest iOS, we will continue work to rapidly address any identified vulnerabilities. We always urge customers to download the latest iOS to make sure they have the most recent security updates,” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement to TechCrunch. https://techcrunch.com/2017/03/07/a...lities-in-wikileaks-docs-are-already-patched/ WikiLeaks says the CIA can use your TV to spy on you. But there's good news. By Trevor Timm, The Guardian If these documents are genuine, then they prove that encryption still offers broad protection. That’s one reason to download Signal and similar apps now. https://www.theguardian.com/comment...se-your-tv-to-spy-on-you-but-theres-good-news
Federal criminal probe being opened into WikiLeaks' publication of CIA documents | CNN http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/08/politics/wikileaks-cia-investigation/ Germany demands answers from the US over WikiLeaks' claims | Daily Mail Online http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4293952/Germany-demands-answers-WikiLeaks-claims.html WikiLeaks @wikileaks 4 hours ago WikiLeaks has released less than 1% of its #Vault7 series in its part one publication yesterday 'Year Zero'. WikiLeaks says just 1% of #Vault7 covert documents released so far | RT News https://www.rt.com/news/379856-wikileaks--cia-hacking-vault7/
http://blog.erratasec.com/2017/03/some-comments-on-wikileaks-ciavault7.html#.WL9NixLyiHo Some comments on the Wikileaks CIA/#vault7 leak
WikiLeaks @wikileaks 4 hours ago Former CIA+NSA director Michael Hayden blames "millenials" for CIA leak. #Vault7
U.S. aware of CIA security breach in 2016; contractors suspected in leak By John Walcott and Andrea Shalal, Reuters Quote: U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials said on Wednesday they have been aware since the end of last year of a security breach at the CIA and were focusing on contractors as the likeliest source of documents being passed on to anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks detailing the agency's hacking tools. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that they believed documents published by WikiLeaks on Tuesday about CIA techniques used between 2013 and 2016 were authentic. The documents showed that CIA hackers could get into Apple Inc (AAPL.O) iPhones, Google Inc (GOOGL.O) Android devices and other gadgets in order to capture text and voice messages before they were encrypted with sophisticated software. The White House said on Wednesday that President Donald Trump was "extremely concerned" about a CIA security breach that led to the Wikileaks release, and the administration would be tough on leakers. "Anybody who leaks classified information will be held to the highest degree of law," spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters. One official with knowledge of the investigation said companies that are contractors for the CIA have been checking to see which of their employees had access to the material that Wikileaks published, and then going over their computer logs, emails and other communications for any evidence of who might be responsible. One reason the investigation is focused on a potential leak by contractors rather than for example a hack by Russian intelligence, another official said, is that so far there is no evidence that Russian intelligence agencies tried to exploit any of the leaked material before it was published. One European official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Wikileaks material could in fact lead to closer cooperation between European intelligence agencies and U.S. counterparts, which share concerns about Russian intelligence operations. U.S. intelligence agencies have accused Russia of seeking to tilt last year's U.S. presidential election in Trump's favor, including by hacking into Democratic Party emails. Moscow has denied the allegation. One major security problem was that the number of contractors with access to information with the highest secrecy classification has "exploded" because of federal budget constraints, the first U.S. official said. U.S. intelligence agencies have been unable to hire additional permanent staff needed to keep pace with technological advances such as the "Internet of Things" that connects cars, home security and heating systems and other devices to computer networks, or to pay salaries competitive with the private sector, the official said. Reuters could not immediately verify the contents of the published documents. On Tuesday, several contractors and private cyber security experts said the materials appeared to be legitimate. A person familiar with Wikileaks’ activities said Wikileaks has had the CIA hacking material for months, and that the release of the material was in the works "for a long time." A Congressional official said that the U.S. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee has begun asking questions about the WikiLeaks disclosures. German Concern In Germany on Wednesday, the chief federal prosecutor's office said that it would review the Wikileaks documents because some suggested that the CIA ran a hacking hub from the U.S. consulate in Frankfurt. "We're looking at it very carefully," a spokesman for the federal prosecutor's office told Reuters. "We will initiate an investigation if we see evidence of concrete criminal acts or specific perpetrators." Chancellor Angela Merkel is scheduled to visit Washington on March 14 for her first meeting with Trump, who has sharply criticized Berlin for everything from its trade policy to what he considers inadequate levels of military spending. The Wikileaks documents may also complicate bilateral intelligence ties that have just begun to recover after a series of scandals, including news in 2013 that the U.S. National Security Agency had bugged Merkel's cellphone. The Frankfurt consulate was investigated by German lawmakers after that incident. Merkel told lawmakers last month she did not know how closely Germany's spies cooperated with their U.S. counterparts until 2015 when former NSA contractor Edward Snowden revealed the BND spy agency had for years passed on information to the NSA about European companies and politicians. Germany scaled back the level of cooperation with the NSA after those revelations. U.S. officials have acknowledged that the consulate in Frankfurt is home to a CIA base. A facility adjacent to the city’s airport and the Rhein-Main Air Base has for many years been home to the CIA’s “Tefran” station, a U.S. center for collecting intelligence on Iranian activities in Europe, maintaining surveillance on Iranian officials and targeting potential defectors working in Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Foreign ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer told a regular government news conference that Germany took the issue seriously, but more work needed to be done to verify the authenticity of the documents. Berlin was in close touch with Washington about the case and such matters generally, he said. Government spokesman Steffen Seibert said Germany's domestic intelligence agency had the job of uncovering espionage activities in Germany, and carried out its work comprehensively. Wikileaks reported that CIA employees had been given diplomatic passports and State Department identities to carry out their work in Frankfurt, focused on targets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The documents included advice for CIA experts about life in Germany, noting that shops are closed on Sundays, and to have "your cover-for-action story down pat" when they were asked by German authorities when entering the country. Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-cia-wikileaks-idUSKBN16F2AP
General Michael Hayden Says The CIA Is Not Spying On Us Through Our Televisions The Late Show with Stephen Colbert The ex-director of the CIA and NSA dismisses Trump's wiretapping accusations against Obama and promises Stephen that no one is spying on him while he disrobes.
Vault 7 leaks prompt fresh questions over the San Bernardino iPhone case By Nick Whigham, News.com.au Quote: When Syed Farook and his wife walked into a Californian health centre in December 2015 and started shooting everyone in sight, the American public recoiled from the worst terror attack in the country since September 11. As the investigation ensued, a bitter and highly publicised row erupted. It pitted the US government and its intelligence agencies against Apple, and by implication the tech industry as a whole. The FBI wanted Apple to provide information to allow it to hack into the iPhone that belonged to one of the shooters. Apple refused to hand over the key to allow the government to bypass its encryption, even declining to comply with a judge’s order. Then all of a sudden, the FBI changed its tune and withdrew its case in the US Federal Court in rather mysterious circumstances saying a third party had found a way to hack into the phone. Was the CIA that third party? That is the question that has been circulating online after it was revealed early yesterday that the CIA had a trove of techniques and specially developed malware to allow it to hack into various consumer devices including smartphones and smart TVs. For some, it’s proof the US government was playing silly buggers when it forced the public showdown with Apple. <snipped> At the time, there was a popular theory that the FBI was using the high profile case in an effort to set a legal precedent it could use to force tech companies to comply with future investigations. Former analyst and NSA leaker Edward Snowden believed such a thing could be true and called the FBI’s claim that it couldn’t crack the iPhone “bullshit” to a room full of people at a conference in Washington. However it might be a stretch to claim that FBI director James Comey got a tap on the shoulder from the CIA who were all of a sudden willing to help. Particularly given that it’s well documented that the two agencies don’t often share much information, and are particularly stingy when it comes to their inner most secrets. It’s certainly not the only conspiracy theory to gain fresh life from the release of the Vault 7 documents as the confirmation that the CIA was working on hacking connected vehicles reignited theories the US government had been involved in the death of investigative journalist Michael Hastings. Hastings was a vocal critic of government mass surveillance and died in June 2013 when his Mercedes apparently lost control and burst into flames before slamming into a tree. Continued at http://www.news.com.au/technology/o...e/news-story/690f3786145b1d22bab0002a2ff2288f
Julian Assange says WikiLeaks will share CIA hacking tools with tech companies | Reuters Quote: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said on Thursday his organization would provide technology companies with exclusive access to CIA hacking tools to allow them to patch software flaws. The anti-secrecy group this week published documents describing secret CIA hacking tools and snippets of computer code. It did not publish the full programs that would be needed to actually conduct cyber exploits against phones, computers and Internet-connected televisions. Assange made his comments on Facebook Live. Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-cia-wikileaks-assange-idUSKBN16G27Y WikiLeaks: Apple, Google, others will get CIA hacks first | CNET Excerpt: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said Thursday his organization will work with tech giants like Apple, Google and Samsung to dismantle those exploits before it releases more details on the CIA's hacking program. "We have quite a lot of exploits...that we want to disarm before we think about publishing it," Assange said at a press conference streamed on Periscope. "We're going to work with some of these manufacturers to try and get these antidotes out there." Assange's press conference is the latest turn in a drama that has potentially blown open how the CIA uses our own devices to spy on us. The documents show how the agency has allegedly been able to break into supposedly encrypted devices such as phones and computers by taking control of their underlying operating systems. Assange said he has been keeping WikiLeaks' findings under wraps while the CIA's exploits can still be used because he doesn't want them falling into the wrong hands. He said the CIA has already "lost control of its entire cyber weapons arsenal," which he criticized for being poorly secured. Assange claims WikiLeaks has much more information on the CIA's cyberweapons program that it's waiting to reveal. "This is an historic act of devastating incompetence," Assange said. "To have created such an arsenal and stored it all in one place and not secured it." More at https://www.cnet.com/news/wikileaks-apple-google-samsung-cia-hacks-julian-assange/ WikiLeaks @wikileaks 59 minutes ago Today CIA — which specializes in subterfuge — claimed "Julian Assange is not exactly a bastion of integrity". But: http://samadamsaward.ch/julian-assange/
Google fixed Android, Chrome exploits from WikiLeaks CIA data dump in Vault 7 | CNET Excerpt: "As we've reviewed the documents, we're confident that security updates and protections in both Chrome and Android already shield users from many of these alleged vulnerabilities," Heather Adkins, Google's director of information security and privacy, said in an emailed statement. "Our analysis is ongoing and we will implement any further necessary protections." https://www.cnet.com/news/google-android-chrome-cia-exploits-wikileaks-vault-7-julian-assange/
WikiLeaks’ CIA document release will probably be traced back to private contractors | VICE News https://news.vice.com/story/wikilea...robably-be-traced-back-to-private-contractors
WikiLeaks left key details unredacted in CIA leak | CyberScoop Quote: Though editors working on behalf of WikiLeaks removed a vast majority of the technical details previously attached to CIA documents the group published on Tuesday, it appears that sensitive information was available to anyone who accessed the files, according to a confidential analysis obtained by CyberScoop. “The censoring appears to have been done by a highly knowledgeable team or individual, indicating deep knowledge into cyber espionage, opsec, ITSec and creating indicator of compromise,” Kaspersky Lab researchers wrote in a report released Wednesday. “Nevertheless some pieces of data allowed us to identify different artifacts … the editors made several mistakes by leaving behind several uncensored details.” Artifact is a term used among information security professionals to describe digital forensic evidence, which in some instances may be helpful to better understand how a breach occurred and who was responsible. Some of the artifacts found in the leaked CIA documents have given researchers insight into unique malware and a command-and-control server that was likely used to deploy implants onto Cisco routers. Continued at https://www.cyberscoop.com/wikileaks-cia-leak-failed-redactions-kaspersky-lab/ Researcher Posts Hacking Tool Pulled From WikiLeaks CIA Release | NBC News Quote: A security researcher has identified what may be the first component of a CIA hacking tool released on the internet since WikiLeaks released nearly 9,000 CIA hacking documents on the web Tuesday. The component, posted on the website of researcher Marc Maiffret, was apparently recovered from one of the released documents, said cyber security expert Andrew Komarov, chief intelligence officer of the security firm InfoArmor. Komarov said the component could potentially be used to extract data from a victim online or for data delivery through covert channels, since its functionality is much more about stealth than aggression. Typically, such implants are used for long-term covert victim monitoring. "It is professionally written," said Komarov, "which may demonstrate a pretty serious level of malware development." He said it looked like a component that could have been used in "malware distribution operations" by the CIA. Komarov said he believed no other tools from the WikiLeaks release had yet been identified. Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/card/researcher-posts-hacking-tool-pulled-wikileaks-cia-release-n732126 Wikileaks Vault7 JQJSNICKER code leak This is high level and quick analysis to get the ball rolling as there did not seem to be anything public on this binary leak. I wanted to note a few things so that malware researchers could follow-up. http://marcmaiffret.com/vault7/ https://twitter.com/marcmaiffret
John McAfee @officialmcafee 22 hours ago My RT interview. I literally shame the CIA. Watch it before I get on their "So Tragic - He Committed Suicide" list: RT America, March 9, 2017 WikiLeaks’ Vault 7 “Year Zero” release exposed the CIA’s extreme vulnerability as well as ordinary Americans’ susceptibility to internal surveillance. Cybersecurity expert John McAfee joins “News with Ed” to share his peerless expertise on the revelations and what they tell us about the Trump administration’s alleged connections with Russia and MSM claims of Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
John McAfee thinks the NSA hacked the CIA and then released the documents to Wikileaks in order to warn America about CIA snooping capabilities? And the CIA's failure to disclose software exploits that they rely upon to spy on people? Does this make sense to anyone who is not on RT? Edit: Ok it was that talking head in the clip that said the NSA hacked the DNC for some reason. McAfee said it was not the Russians because there were traces of Russian language in the code used and the Russians would be too smart to leave a trace like that. He thinks a 15 year old kid maybe hacked the DNC. He was vague about the party that hacked the CIA. Maybe the same 15 yo. McAfee's analogy sucks. Because he makes it seem like the CIA are the only ones with penicillin needed to save us. A better analogy would be me knowing about an unlocked window into a building. Is it my responsibility to tell someone? Well I see the building has security guards checking windows so I think not. A better Russian smoking gun is Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State and a bunch of Trumpsters talking to the Russian ambassador, presumably about sanctions. Jeff Sessions said "he wanted to talk about Ukraine," which is essentially an admission the discussion concerned US sanctions. So that is the deal that was made.
Apple Says It Fixed CIA Vulnerabilities Years Ago By Sam Biddle, The Intercept Yesterday, WikiLeaks released its latest batch of pilfered CIA material, five documents describing malicious software for taking over Apple MacBooks and iPhones, and wrote in an accompanying post that “the CIA has been infecting the iPhone supply chain of its targets,” prompting concerned readers to wonder if their iPhone or MacBook had been infected on the factory floor. In a statement, Apple says that is almost certainly not the case. More at https://theintercept.com/2017/03/24/apple-says-it-fixed-cia-vulnerabilities-years-ago/
CIA worker reportedly source of WikiLeaks' March disclosure Quote: Investigators believe the March leak of classified CIA material by WikiLeaks was an inside job, CBS reports. The intelligence agency has not said when the material was taken and given to WikiLeaks, nor has it provided any information officially on how the thousands of classified documents were stolen. The disclosure by WikiLeaks, which outlines the extent of the CIA’s hacking capabilities, is considered one of the most damaging in the agency’s history; it is also now considered to be the work of an employee or contractor at the intelligence agency with physical access to the material. “Much of the material was classified and stored in a highly secure section of the intelligence agency, but sources say hundreds of people would have had access to the material,” according to CBS News. “WikiLeaks has said it obtained the CIA information from former contractors who worked for U.S. intelligence.” Continued at http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slat...dly_source_of_wikileaks_march_disclosure.html
Suspect Identified in C.I.A. Leak Was Charged, but Not for the Breach By Scott Shane and Adam Goldman, The New York Times Quote: In weekly online posts last year, WikiLeaks released a stolen archive of secret documents about the Central Intelligence Agency’s hacking operations, including software exploits designed to take over iPhones and turn smart television sets into surveillance devices. It was the largest loss of classified documents in the agency’s history and a huge embarrassment for C.I.A. officials. Now, the prime suspect in the breach has been identified: a 29-year-old former C.I.A. software engineer who had designed malware used to break into the computers of terrorism suspects and other targets, The New York Times has learned. Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation searched the Manhattan apartment of the suspect, Joshua A. Schulte, one week after WikiLeaks released the first of the C.I.A. documents in March last year, and then stopped him from flying to Mexico on vacation, taking his passport, according to court records and relatives. The search warrant application said Mr. Schulte was suspected of “distribution of national defense information,” and agents told the court they had retrieved “N.S.A. and C.I.A. paperwork” in addition to a computer, tablet, phone and other electronics. But instead of charging Mr. Schulte in the breach, referred to as the Vault 7 leak, prosecutors charged him last August with possessing child pornography, saying agents had found 10,000 illicit images on a server he created as a business in 2009 while studying at the University of Texas at Austin. Court papers quote messages from Mr. Schulte that suggest he was aware of the encrypted images of children being molested by adults on his computer, though he advised one user, “Just don’t put anything too illegal on there.” In September, Mr. Schulte was released on the condition that he not leave New York City, where he lived with a cousin, and keep off computers. He was jailed in December after prosecutors found evidence that he had violated those rules, and he has been held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan since then. He has posted on Facebook under a pseudonym a series of essays critical of the criminal justice system. It is unclear why, more than a year after he was arrested, he has not been charged or cleared in connection with Vault 7. Leak investigators have had access to electronic audit trails inside the C.I.A. that may indicate who accessed the files that were stolen, and they have had possession of Mr. Schulte’s personal data for many months. In court in January, a prosecutor, the assistant United States attorney Matthew J. Laroche, said that “the government immediately had enough evidence” to make Mr. Schulte a target of the investigation. He said that the investigation was continuing, and that it involved in part how Tor, software that allows anonymous communication on the internet, “was used in transmitting classified information.” Mr. Schulte’s lawyers have repeatedly demanded that prosecutors make a decision on the Vault 7 leak charges. Prosecutors said in court last week that they planned to file a new indictment in the next 45 days, and Mr. Schulte’s lawyer Sabrina P. Shroff, of the federal public defender’s office, asked the court to impose a deadline on any charges that the government sought to bring under the Espionage Act for supplying the secret C.I.A. files to WikiLeaks. Continued at https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/15/us/cia-hacking-tools-leak.html Joshua Schulte: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com https://heavy.com/news/2018/05/joshua-schulte/
https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/joshua-schulte-wikileaks-cia-hack_us_5afb56fce4b06a3fb50b8e79 Naturally, since this involves the CIA, everything has to be weighted rather simply accepted as fact.
