Can the CIA hack Linux? WikiLeaks' new dump reveals spy agency's OutlawCountry malware

WikiLeaks has released the user manual for yet another alleged CIA hacking tool called OutlawCountry. The malware allegedly targets Linux operating systems (OS) and allows spies to steal data from targeted computers. OutlawCountry has been designed to work under the radar so victims and targeted systems remain none-the-wiser as the malware goes about infiltrating files.

Although Linux is not widely used among the consumer base, in comparison to its competitors Windows or Mac, the OS is still popular among some. Notably, Linux is popularly used in some of the world's fastest supercomputers. However, WikiLeaks' latest dump indicates that even this particular OS may now be in danger of being increasingly targeted by hackers.

"OutlawCountry allows for the redirection of all outbound network traffic on the target computer to CIA controlled machines for ex- and infiltration purposes. The malware consists of a kernel module that creates a hidden netfilter table on a Linux target; with knowledge of the table name, an operator can create rules that take precedence over existing netfilter/iptables rules and are concealed from an user or even system administrator," WikiLeaks said in its blog, explaining the malware's capabilities.

According to WikiLeaks, not much is known about the malware's "installation and persistence methods". The whistleblowing site said that the spy agency's operators would instead need to depend on other CIA exploits and backdoors to infect systems with the malware.

This is WikiLeaks' second Vault 7 dump in a week. So far, the whistleblowing organisation has released details of 14 alleged CIA exploits, detailing all the different and terrifying ways the spy agency could have hacked and spied on Americans as well as foreign targets.