WikiLeaks' HackerNews CIA tools info leak 5.19.2017

[mx_local]

Hey gang,

I just found this link on Reddit today which directed me to; http://thehackernews.com/2017/05/athena-cia-windows-hacking.html

I was surprised by the steps the United States Government (CIA)  has been taking to invade the privacy of its citizens and possibly others abroad and that the Athen/Hera program has been designed to circumvent Anti-Virus heuristics, specifically Kaperski. To me it is not unreasonable to think other Anti-Virus software tools would be possibly be included in this evasion.

Link above includes further links to Overview, usage and demonstration.

Putting on my tin-foil-hat, other than maybe strange behavior on the infected PC (input lag, upload spikes, or unaccounted CPU usage) it would not possible to use conventional and assumed trusted tools to detect or remove the trespassing software? (McAfee or Symantec etc..) I wonder about mid-level business or Enterprise software as well that would be a target for these attacks such as Quickbooks or Apropos. Maybe the tools are flexibly designed to target both, business and individuals, more reading required and time to reconsider re-installing a flavor of Linux.

I am almost certain that Executive personnel at Microsoft would have some knowledge of is and would be colluding to continue what ever tenuous relationship avoiding circumventing the public at large.

It is not clear where Microsoft's incentive would be to push out a patch to a publicly unknown vulnerability or face possible  some classified obstruction of justice from the CIA. I do wonder who is going to pay more in the long term the Government or its User base?

[mikethemugger]

Good find! Was this part of the Vault 7 leak or something newer? A rather unsettling bit of news too, since I have been experiencing unaccountable spikes in CPU load. At first I had thought it to just be the results of Windows 10 updates (and typical MS tinkering). It might be time to give my PC a hysterectomy.