Researcher Posts Hacking Tool Pulled From WikiLeaks CIA Release
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.