Wikileaks Reveals 'Athena' Cia Spying Programme Targeting All Versions Of Windows

WikiLeaks has published a novel batch of the ongoing Vault vii leak, detailing a spyware framework – which "provides remote beacon together with loader capabilities on target computers" – allegedly existence used past times the CIA that works against every version of Microsoft's Windows operating systems, from Windows XP to Windows 10.

Dubbed Athena/Hera, the spyware has been designed to accept total command over the infected Windows PCs remotely, allowing the means to perform all sorts of things on the target machine, including deleting information or uploading malicious software, together with stealing information together with post them to CIA server.

The leak, which includes a user manual of Athena, overview of the technology, together with demonstration on how to role this spyware, reveals that the computer program has 2 implications:

• Primary: Athena for XP to Windows 10 
• Secondary: Hera for Windows eight through Windows 10

According to the whistleblower organization, Athena has the mightiness to allow the CIA agents to alter its configuration inward existent time, piece the implant is on target "to customize it to an operation."

"Once installed, the malware provides a beaconing capability (including configuration together with chore handling), the retentiveness loading/unloading of malicious payloads for specific tasks together with the delivery together with retrieval of files to/from a specified directory on the target system," WikiLeaks claims.

The leaked documents propose that Athena, written inward Python programming language, was developed inward August 2015, only a calendar month afterward Microsoft released its Windows 10 operating system.

Interestingly, ane document also suggests that the CIA agents stimulate got been advised to brand certain that the spyware should non larn caught past times antivirus software programs, peculiarly Kaspersky AV software.

Athena has been developed past times the CIA inward cooperation amongst Siege Technologies – an American cyber safety theater that offers offensive cyber nation of war technologies together with works inward closed cooperation amongst the United States of America government.

However, WikiLeaks has non provided whatsoever particular virtually the operations existence conducted past times the means using Athena, but it is non difficult to imagine how the word means would locomote using this computer program to spy on their targets.

Last week, WikiLeaks dumped 2 apparent CIA malware frameworks – AfterMidnight together with Assassin – for the Microsoft Windows platform that has been designed to monitor together with study dorsum actions on the infected remote host figurer together with execute malicious actions.

Since March, the whistleblowing grouping has published nine batches of "Vault 7" series, which includes the latest together with final calendar week leaks, along amongst the next batches:

• Archimedes – a man-in-the-middle (MitM) assault tool allegedly created past times the CIA to target computers within a Local Area Network (LAN).
• Scribbles – a slice of software allegedly designed to embed 'web beacons' into confidential documents, allowing the spying means to rails insiders together with whistleblowers.
• Grasshopper – let on a framework which allowed the means to easily exercise custom malware for breaking into Microsoft's Windows together with bypassing antivirus protection.
• Marble – revealed the root code of a clandestine anti-forensic framework, basically an obfuscator or a packer used past times the CIA to cover the actual root of its malware.
• Dark Matter – focused on hacking exploits the means designed to target iPhones together with Macs.
• Weeping Angel – spying tool used past times the means to infiltrate smart TV's, transforming them into covert microphones.
• Year Zero – dumped CIA hacking exploits for pop hardware together with software.