Vault 7 Leak Exposes CIA's Ability To Hack Any Android or iOS Device

[DroidModderX]

By now you may have heard that the latest Wikileaks leak dubbed "Vault 7" has exposed some of the CIA's spying tactics. This leak suggest that the CIA is fully capable of hacking any Android or iOS device. They are apparently able to listen in on conversations around the world by utilizing the microphone of basically any smartphone, or Samsung TV device. It has been pointed out that while the NSA has been forced to tone down their efforts after the initial Snowden leaks on their agency the CIA plays by a different set of rules and isn't bound by the same laws as the NSA.

The document specifically states that Samsung Smart TVs can be infected by the malware which can activate and record data from the microphone. Infected smartphones can also have their audio, text, and geo-location routed to the CIA. The CIA can also activate a smartphone's camera according to the document. The CIA had access to 24 "zero days" allowing them to bypass security measures in apps like WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, Weibo, and Confide. Should the CIA have this much access to your life in the name of National Security?

via Wikileaks

 

[RETG]

No but they do and can. However, I highly doubt they will listen to the conversations of those on this forum, nor take your photo while drinking coffee in the AM. But the government has been gaining too damn much overreach into the lives of US citizens in the past twenty years. (But I say that as I look at the piece of black tape over my laptop's camera and a piece over my Moto Z front camera. But it is not due to the US government.)

Wait until info on the other Vaults are released.

 

[jkaod]

I agree. They have way more to do that spy on normal boring US citizens....that is unless you're not normal and boring.
Like you said, just wait.
Vault 9 information is particularly troubling.

 

[mountainbikermark]

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[Narsil]

And the leak states that the CIA technology was compromised and other nations (and organizations) now have the exact same ability.

 

[liftedplane]

AAAAND not surprised at all..

NOTHING.. I MEAN ABSOLUTELY NOTHING is hack proof, or pirate proof, or completely safe.

The only thing about this is the stuff being leaked to the private sector, or state governments or police using this to spy on regular folks... THAT I wouldn't be surprised about... The CIA doesn't care about you but the local police might.

 

[Dusty]

And the leak states that the CIA technology was compromised and other nations (and organizations) now have the exact same ability.

I doubt that that's true. It may have confirmed their suspicions that we had the capability but we aren't the leaders in crypto/digital/cyber warfare. At best it's a 6 way horse race, and the 6 leaders have just about the same capabilities. We may still be the leader in money, facilities, and deployment volume. But as far as programming capability, concepts, and hardware - the ability to effectively act in cyberspace isn't exclusive to the U.S. and our capabilities aren't unique.

 

[Narsil]

I'm confused. You first state that you doubt it's true and then state that it is, in essence, true.

 

[Jonny Kansas]

Then, there's Google's claim that many of these vulnerabilities have already been patched. Google says it’s already fixed many exploits from WikiLeaks’ CIA document dump

I'm still of the mind that nothing is private on a connected device, as others have already mentioned. I don't really have anything to hide, so they can have at my chat and browsing history. I don't point any of my cameras at myself while I'm not clothed or otherwise compromised, so I don't worry about that sort of thing.

 

[Dusty]

I'm confused. You first state that you doubt it's true and then state that it is, in essence, true.

I part that I doubt is that this leak has given a nation capabilities that they didn't have before. We aren't the "leaders" in cyber warfare. It's a pretty even race right now; I would say the only ones who now have access to tech they didn't have before is in the private (mom's basement) arena. The thing about this kind of tech is that all you really need is a population of capable programmers and access to the internet and *poof* you're a world power in cyber warfare. That's why the Pentagon reports, something insane, like thousands of attempted breaches EVERY DAY.