Wikileaks also claims that the CIA runs a “very substantial effort to infect and control” Microsoft Windows users with malware or malicious software. This is done via zero-day exploits, viruses that infect software distrusted on CDs, malware on USB sticks, and systems that hide data in image files.
“We are aware of the report and we are looking into it,” a Microsoft spokesperson told CNBC.
Encrypted messaging services such as Signal and Facebook-owned WhatsApp were also named in the documents. Wikileaks said that because the CIA was able to exploit Android and iOS, they were able to collect audio and message traffic from these apps before they became encrypted.
Signal and WhatsApp have not responded to a request for comment by CNBC. However, Open Whisper Systems which develops Signal, said that the CIA method was about getting malware onto phones rather than breaking the encryption technology used by Signal.
Andy Yen, a co-founder of encrypted email service ProtonMail, explained this point.
“The core cryptographic algorithms and techniques used by ProtonMail and other encrypted services remain secure,” Yen said in a blog post on Wednesday.
“The exploitation of user endpoints (mobile phones, personal computers, etc) is actually not a new technique, but one that has existed since the first malware was created. This unfortunately is not something that cryptography is designed to defend against, as encryption by itself cannot guarantee the security of end-user devices.”
