Wikileaks has released 8,761 documents and files which it claims comes from the CIA. The website described this as the largest-ever release of secret intelligence materials. The site claims to have obtained the documents from one of the former U.S government contractor and hackers. The CIA spokesman said that the CIA will not comment on whether or not the documents that are now in possession of Wikileaks are authentic or not.
Security experts, however, say that the papers appear to be authentic.
CIAs' capabilities according to the contents of the documents.
According to the documents, the CIA created over 5,000 malware that has infected mobile phones so as to allow easy surveillance. The CIA, however, lost control of this technology and the technology might have even ended up in the hands of hackers who can steal consumers personal data. The documents also state that the CIA can bypass apps such as WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, Weibo and Confide, turn on TVs into listening devices, and even has the possibility of controlling a car.
These malware systems that possess such capabilities are mostly viruses and trojans according to the documents. The aims are to infiltrate and take control of the electronic devices by converting them into microphones. Some of these tools might end up in the hands of cyber criminals, teenage hackers and hostile governments who might use them to target human rights workers and activists according to Matthew Green a professor of computer science.
Detailed information of the malware
The Engineering Development Group from the Center for Cyber Intelligence that is within the CIA developed the malware. This group not only promotes but tests and provides operational support to the CIA in its worldwide operations.
The MI5/BTSS of the United Kingdom helped develop the malware that attacks Samsung Smart Tvs. This malware can set the TV into a fake off-mode, yet the TV will be on thus enabling the CIA to record conversations in any room with such a TV. Infecting cars with the malware would enable the CIA to engage in undetectable assassinations. The malware installed in smartphones would allow the CIA to instruct the phones to send geolocation, text and audio communication directly to the CIA as well as activate the phones cameras' and microphone. The CIA's Network Devices Branch helps develop the Malware that attacks Windows, Mac OS X, Solaris and Linux operating systems. This malware infects software distributed on CD/DVDs as well as infect USBs for the purpose of easy data collection.