Wikileaks have dropped thousands of documents that reveal sensitive information about the CIA and their entire hacking capabilities. The documents allege that the CIA exploited flaws within Apple and Samsung phones to monitor the actions of citizens and corporations.
The CIA reports show the USG developing vulnerabilities in US products, then intentionally keeping the holes open. Reckless beyond words.
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) March 7, 2017
Edward Snowden’s tweets show that he is also in awe about the information that Wikileaks has put forward. Snowden says that the leaks look legitimate based on the coding utilised in the files. According to Snowden, the “Program & office names, such as the JQJ (IOC) crypt series, are real. Only a cleared insider could know them.”
The Wikileaks breach tells us that the CIA knew about vulnerabilities within the Apple iOS operating system and the Samsung operating system. The CIA was aware of these flaws, and deliberately withheld this information in order to better hack phones and apps.
The documents also claim that the CIA has partnered with other US and foreign agencies in order to bypass the encryption on popular messaging apps. These popular apps are WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal, which are all known for their privacy. Once these apps are targeted, the audio and video can be collected and listened to before encryption has started.
The documents also explain how to use the popular online program Skype as well as W-Fi to compromise a computer and obtain it’s data. Commercial antivirus software can also be used to see a computer’s data.
A program called Weeping Angel explains how to hack a Samsung F8000 TV so that it can be used to collect audio and look like it is off while it is still recording data. This is a frightening claim for all smart TV owners, as it highlights the vulnerability of users to monitoring.
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