Earlier in March, WikiLeaks began "Vault 7," a project focused on sharing exploits created and used by the United States Central Intelligence Agency, beginning with leaking 8,761 documents discovered within an isolated network in Langley, Virginia. Following the release of iOS-related documents, as well as some Mac exploits, Vault 7's publications didn't specifically include Apple products for much of the year.

Now, the leakers have shared two new exploits that are said to have been created under the codenamed "Imperial" project by the CIA. The first is called "Achilles," and WikiLeaks said it allows an operator to trojan a disk image installer on a Mac computer, giving the operator "one or more desired...executables" for a one-time execution. This means that a .dmg file could be downloaded by a user, containing malicious content, and dragged into their application directory without knowing.

MacBook Pro snow leopard
In the Achilles user guide, it's explained that the trojaned .dmg file would behave similarly to the original file, and that all of the operator's intended executables would run the first time the app is launched. Afterwards, all traces of Achilles would be "removed securely" from the .app file and that file would "exactly resemble" the original, un-trojaned application. Achilles was only tested on OS X 10.6, which is Apple's Snow Leopard operating system that launched in 2009.

Achilles is a capability that provides an operator the ability to trojan an OS X disk image (.dmg) installer with one or more desired operator specified executables for a one-time execution.

The second exploit is called "SeaPea," and is described as a Rootkit for OS X that provides an operator with "stealth and tool launching capabilities." SeaPea hides files and directories, socket connections, and processes from the user, allowing the operator to access a Mac computer without their presence being known.

SeaPea was tested on Macs running both OS X 10.6 and OS X 10.7 (Lion), and requires root access to be installed on the Mac in question. The vulnerability would remain on the computer until the hard drive was reformatted or the user upgraded to the next major OS version.

SeaPea is an OS X Rootkit that provides stealth and tool launching capabilities. It hides files/directories, socket connections and/or processes. It runs on Mac OSX 10.6 and 10.7.

Among the Imperial documents is an automated implant for Windows devices called Aeris, which rounds out all of the leaked CIA files published by WikiLeaks today. Another Vault 7 release earlier this summer focused on the use of modified versions of router firmware to turn networking devices into surveillance tools, called "Cherry Blossom."

Due to the older Mac software used for testing Achilles and SeaPea, it's likely that such exploits have already been addressed by Apple in the numerous updates that have been released since Snow Leopard in 2009 and Lion in 2011. The previous vulnerabilities leaked by WikiLeaks in March were quickly addressed by Apple, which said that it had fixed the "alleged" vulnerabilities in iPhone 3G devices (called "NightSkies") back in 2009, and the Sonic Screwdriver Mac exploit in all Macs released after 2013.

Top Rated Comments

lunarworks Avatar
95 months ago
Guess all those Snow Leopard fanatics are going to have to finally upgrade... ;)
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
826317 Avatar
95 months ago
I don't understand how Americans let alone the rest of the world are not up in arms about these state funded programs..
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
simonmet Avatar
95 months ago
Funny that this article doesn’t have the “Due to the political nature...” “warning” and restrictions but far less political and controversial ones often do.

I don’t believe all this secrecy is ultimately benefial or worth the risks to privacy and misuse.

The code name “Imperial” says it all. Our governments think they’re imperial masters/overloads and we are subjugated like pawns to them.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
2b1ask1 Avatar
95 months ago
I don't understand how Americans let alone the rest of the world are not up in arms about these state funded programs..
Agreed.

Because the same state funded programs pay "influencers' all over the internet to scream "conspiracy theory" when this stuff gets released.

Simple.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Westside guy Avatar
95 months ago
In the Achilles user guide, ...
It's a bad state of affairs when a piece of government spyware is more user-friendly than the majority of applications out there.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OLDCODGER Avatar
95 months ago
Guess all those Snow Leopard fanatics are going to have to finally upgrade... ;)
Lol, not a chance!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

mac mini thermal architecture feature

New Mac Mini Has Modular Storage, 256GB Model Will Have Faster SSD

Friday November 8, 2024 7:06 am PST by
Apple has returned to using two 128GB storage chips in the new Mac mini with 256GB of storage, according to a partial teardown video shared on social media today. This means the base-model Mac mini with the M4 chip will not have significantly slower SSD speeds compared to higher-end configurations of the computer with 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB of storage, as multiple NAND chips allows for faster SSD...
best buy holiday

Best Buy Reveals Black Friday Plans With Sitewide Sales Available Now

Friday November 8, 2024 10:05 am PST by
Black Friday sales are continuing today with Best Buy kicking off early Black Friday deals that will last for the next few days. Similar to other retailers, Best Buy's early Black Friday event includes sitewide savings on Apple products, headphones, TVs, monitors, video games, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may...
iphone passcode green

Cops Suspect iOS 18 iPhones Are Communicating to Force Reboots, Making Unlocking Harder

Thursday November 7, 2024 2:20 pm PST by
Law enforcement officials in Detroit, Michigan are warning other police officers about an alleged iPhone change that causes Apple devices stored for forensic examination to spontaneously restart, reports 404 Media. iPhones that are undergoing examination have apparently been rebooting, which makes them harder to unlock with brute force methods, and Michigan police think that it's due to a...
Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.2 Beta 2

Monday November 4, 2024 12:34 pm PST by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 updates to developers, and Apple is continuing to refine the Apple Intelligence capabilities. There are also a handful of smaller features that are worth knowing about. Find My Find My has a new option to Share Item Location with an "airline or trusted person" that can help you locate something that you've misplaced....
M4 MacBook Pros Thumb

M4 MacBook Pro Reviews: Processor Benchmarks Impress, New Nano-Texture Option Worth the Extra $150

Thursday November 7, 2024 6:14 am PST by
The first wave of reviews of Apple's new M4-powered MacBook Pro models were published this morning. We've collected some of the latest impressions from YouTube channels and select media outlets below. Apple last month announced the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, adding next-generation M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, with Thunderbolt 5 ports on higher-end models, display and camera ...
High Power Mode Feature 2

Apple Expands High Power Mode to MacBook Pro and Mac Mini Models With M4 Pro Chip

Thursday November 7, 2024 12:15 pm PST by
High Power Mode is available on the 14-inch MacBook Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini models with the M4 Pro chip, according to Ars Technica's Andrew Cunningham. The feature was previously limited to Macs with Apple's highest-end "Max" chip, so this is the first time it is available on Macs with a "Pro" chip. This is the second time that Apple has expanded availability of High Power...
early apple watch black friday

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Watch Deals

Wednesday November 6, 2024 6:33 am PST by
Black Friday is just around the corner, and Apple Watch deals have begun appearing ahead of the shopping holiday on November 29. In this article, we'll take a look at all of the best early Black Friday Apple Watch deals, including the new Series 10 models. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small...
iOS 18 Notes Feature

How to Fix iPhone Notes Disappearing After Accepting New iCloud Terms

Thursday November 7, 2024 7:57 am PST by
Apple in September updated its iCloud terms and conditions with some minor changes, and this week it has been notifying iPhone users that they must accept the revised terms in order to continue using iCloud. Unfortunately, after accepting the new terms, some iPhone users have seen all of their notes disappear in the Notes app. While some users have turned to social media to justifiably panic ...