Vrede too wrote:WikiLeaks publishes mammoth haul of CIA spying secrets in Vault 7 release
... The documents that make up the ‘Vault 7’ Project say that the CIA has developed software to enable hackers to spy on people through televisions, mobile phones and computers....
WikiLeaks claims that the U.S. government agency has an extensive global covert hacking programme, featuring malware that is able to use the most popular consumer electronic products to listen to what people are saying.
The organisation said in a statement: “‘Year Zero’ introduces the scope and direction of the CIA’s global covert hacking program, its malware arsenal and dozens of ‘zero day’ weaponised exploits against a wide range of U.S. and European company products, include Apple’s iPhone, Google’s Android and Microsoft’s Windows and even Samsung TVs, which are turned into covert microphones.” ...
The files also contain claims that the CIA’s secret hacking division produced a huge amount of weaponised malware to infest iPhone and Android phones – and lost control of it....
This source is said by the organisation to want a public debate on whether the CIA now has too much power.
Wikileaks added: “In a statement to WikiLeaks the source details policy questions that they say urgently need to be debated in public, including whether the CIA’s hacking capabilities exceed its mandated powers and the problem of public oversight of the agency....
“The source wishes to initiate a public debate about the security, creation, use, proliferation and democratic control of cyberweapons.”
Further information in the documents allege that the CIA deliberately hid their ability to hack smartphones and TVs worldwide from their makers – despite President Obama’s pledge to reveal their knowledge....
And yet nothing revealed is surprising at all. Americans practically asked for it via the "Patriot" act. One thing I'm surprised to have not read yet is exploits/backdoors on routers. I'm sure that'll come out or is part of the documents as well.
Windows 10's tracking has turned me off enough to run Linux most of the time.