Tech sector scrambles after CIA hacking allegations

The tech sector was scrambling to understand the implications of an alleged broad CIA hacking arsenal, capable of spying on phones and other connected devices. Major tech firms said Wednesday they were looking at the allegations raised in the documents released by WikiLeaks on Tuesday. "While our initial analysis indicates that many of the issues leaked today were already patched in the latest iOS, we will continue work to rapidly address any identified vulnerabilities," Apple said in an emailed statement.
Samsung offered a similar response, saying, "We are aware of the report in question and are urgently looking into the matter." Microsoft, meanwhile, said, "We're aware of the report and are looking into it."
Security analysts, however, said the documents, if authentic, were not on the same scale as the explosive 2013 revelations from former national security contractor Edward Snowden, who revealed mass surveillance tools used by the National Security Agency. "These are targeted mechanisms, they can't be used for bulk intelligence," said Joseph Hall, a technologist with the Center for Democracy and Technology, a digital rights organisation.
"It means they can't attack things in the middle and the core of the network, they have to go to the endpoints, and that's actually a nice thing. You have to be more precise about who you are targeting." But Hall said the report raises questions about the US government's pledge to disclose security flaws to technology firms under a so-called "vulnerabilities equities process." That pledge means "security flaws should get back to the companies so they can get fixed, and not languish for years," Hall said.
The WikiLeaks documents, the authenticity of which has not been verified, said the CIA tools could turn smart TVs into listening devices, bypass popular encryption apps, and possibly control connected automobiles. The hacking tools have targeted iPhones, Android systems such as the personal phone reportedly still used by President Donald Trump, popular Microsoft software, and Samsung smart TVs, the documents indicated.