Wikileaks Reveals 'Athena' Cia Spying Plan 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 in addition to loader capabilities on target computers" – allegedly beingness used yesteryear 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, in addition to stealing information in addition to post them to CIA server.

The leak, which includes a user manual of Athena, overview of the technology, in addition to demonstration on how to role this spyware, reveals that the computer programme 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 inwards existent time, piece the implant is on target "to customize it to an operation."

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

The leaked documents advise that Athena, written inwards Python programming language, was developed inwards August 2015, simply a calendar month later Microsoft released its Windows 10 operating system.

Interestingly, 1 document also suggests that the CIA agents stimulate got been advised to brand certain that the spyware should non instruct caught yesteryear antivirus software programs, specially Kaspersky AV software.

Athena has been developed yesteryear the CIA inwards cooperation amongst Siege Technologies – an American cyber safety theater that offers offensive cyber nation of war technologies in addition to works inwards unopen cooperation amongst the USA government.

However, WikiLeaks has non provided whatever particular close the operations beingness conducted yesteryear the means using Athena, but it is non difficult to imagine how the intelligence means would endure using this computer programme to spy on their targets.

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

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

• Archimedes – a man-in-the-middle (MitM) assail tool allegedly created yesteryear 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 in addition to whistleblowers.
• Grasshopper – let on a framework which allowed the means to easily practise custom malware for breaking into Microsoft's Windows in addition to bypassing antivirus protection.
• Marble – revealed the rootage code of a hole-and-corner anti-forensic framework, basically an obfuscator or a packer used yesteryear the CIA to cover the actual rootage of its malware.
• Dark Matter – focused on hacking exploits the means designed to target iPhones in addition to Macs.
• Weeping Angel – spying tool used yesteryear the means to infiltrate smart TV's, transforming them into covert microphones.
• Year Zero – dumped CIA hacking exploits for pop hardware in addition to software.

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