WikiLeaks have revealed yet another major exploit used by CIA and other intelligence agencies of America to target Microsoft Windows systems around the world.
The spyware codenamed “Athena”, was apparently created by CIA and Siege Technologies, a cyber security tech firm. This spyware works for nearly all versions of Windows: from XP to 10 and allows the attacker to take full control of the computer.
Within the spyware are 2 modules, primary module is Athena, which can attack Windows XP to Windows 10. Moreover, there’s Hera, which can attack Windows 8 to Windows 10.
Once installed, the malware provides a beaconing capability (including configuration and task handling), the memory loading/unloading of malicious payloads for specific tasks and the delivery and retrieval of files to/from a specified directory on the target system. It allows the operator to configure settings during runtime (while the implant is on target) to customize it to an operation.
This spyware can hijack an entire computer, allowing the perpetrator to steal data and send it elsewhere, such as CIAs servers, as well as delete data and perform additional infections of a PC by installing more malicious software.
CIA Spyware Ending Up in Wrong Hands:
It is worth noting that, Athena is the 9th Vault 7 release of CIA hacking tools. WikiLeaks has been revealing one tool at the end of each week over the past two months.
In the recent WannaCry ransomware attacks, the hackers used similar tools created by CIA and other agencies to infect millions of computers worldwide and demand ransom in return.
This emphasizes the need to stop intelligence agencies from creating such horrifying tools and software that can end up in wrong hands. Not to mention that agencies spying on people and infecting their computers is a major crime itself.
