While the whole world tries to deal with the threat of the devastating WannaCry ransomware, WikiLeaks has released a new batch of CIA leaks on Vault 7. This time it describes two more CIA malware for the platform of Windows.
Are called AfterMidnight and Assassin. Both malicious applications are designed for monitoring and reporting actions from the victim's computer to a remote CIA apparently controlled by the CIA.
Since March, to WikiLeaks has published hundreds of thousands of documents and secret hacking tools that claim to come from the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
This latest batch is the 8 version of the Vault 7 series.
AfterMidnight
According to WikiLeaks, AfterMidnight allows its operators to dynamically load and execute malicious payload on the target system.
The master controller of the malicious payload is a disguised DLL (Dynamic Link Library) file and executes "Gremlins" (small payloads hidden in the target machine), undermining the functionality of the targeted software, or providing services to others. Gremlins.
After AfterMidnight is installed uses an HTTPS-based Listening Post (LP) system called Octopus to check for any scheduled events. If one is found, the malware downloads and stores all necessary data before loading all new gremlins into memory.
According to the user guide provided in the last leak of WikiLeaks, the local storage made by AfterMidnight is encrypted with a key that is not stored on the target machine.
A special payload, called AlphaGremlin, contains a custom script, which allows operators to schedule custom tasks to run on the target system.
Assassin
Assassin is similar to AfterMidnight and is described as "an automated implant that provides a simple collection platform on remote computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system."
Once installed on the victim's computer, this tool places malicious “implants” inside a procedure Windows services, allowing operators to perform malicious tasks on an infected machine, just like with AfterMidnight.
Assassin consists of four subsystems: Implant, Builder, Command and Control, and Listening Post.
The 'Implant' provides the basic logic and functionality of this tool to the victim's machine, and is “interested in communications and any task execution. It is configured using the 'Builder' and deployed on the target computer via a specific carrier.
The Builder sets up 'implants' and 'Deployment Executables' before deployment and "provides a custom command-line interface for setting up the implant configuration before building it," says tool guide.
The “Command and Control” subsystem acts as an interface between the operator and the Listening Post (LP), while the LP allows the Implant Assassin to communicate with the command subsystem and control (Command and Control) through a server on the Web.
Please be reminded that last week WikiLeaks released a tool for man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks, called Archimedes, allegedly created by the CIA to target computers within a local area network (LAN).
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This practice by US intelligence services that knows the weaknesses and does not disclose it to development companies is also the cause of its spread WannaCry ransomware. The SMB flaw discovered by the NSA has never been revealed where it should be until the leaked Shadow Brokers one month ago.
Here we should mention that Microsoft, through Brad Smith, condemned the practice of the American company serviceof intelligence, saying the "broad damage" caused by WannaCry happened because of the NSA, CIA and other intelligence agencies.
Since March, WikiLeaks has made 8 publications in the "Vault 7" series, which include large leaks:
"Year Zero"The CIA is using popular hardware and software.
"Weeping Angel"The spying tool that the service uses to penetrate smart TVs, turning them into disguised microphones.
"Dark Matter"Exploits targeting iPhones and Mac.
"Marble"The source code of a secret anti-forensic framework. It's essentially a obfuscator that the CIA uses to hide the real source of malware.
"GrasshopperA framework that allows the intelligence service to easily create custom malware to infringe on Microsoft Windows and bypass any protection from viruses.
"Scribbles” a piece of software designed to add 'web beacons' to classified documents to allow intelligence to monitor leaks.