WikiLeaks has released documents detailing BothanSpy and Gyrfalcon, tools supposedly used by the CIA to steal SSH credentials from Windows and Linux systems.
BothanSpy is described as a tool that steals credentials for active SSH sessions from Xshell, an SSH, Telnet, and rlogin terminal emulator for Windows.
BothanSpy collects SSH credentials and sends them to the attacker’s server without writing any data to the compromised machine's disk using a mode called “Fire and Forget”. Using this mode, the stolen credentials are written to a file on the disk.
The second tool, Gyrfalcon 2.0, is designed to steal SSH credentials from the OpenSSH client on Linux platforms. This tool is a library loaded into the OpenSSH client process address space. Gyrfalcon collects OpenSSH session traffic including sensitive information like usernames and passwords, then compresses and encrypts the stolen data, and stores it in a file, requiring a third-party application to exfiltrate the file.
This leak is part of the ‘Vault 7’ operation where WikiLeaks has described several tools allegedly used by the CIA, including tools like Brutal Kangaroo which was leaked last week and is designed for accessing air-gapped networks. WikiLeaks has also exposed details regarding tools made to replace legit files with malware, hacking smart TVs, and creating customer malware installers.
Security researchers have found links between the tools detailed by WikiLeaks and the malware often used by the hacker group deemed, "Longhorn" and "The Lamberts."
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