Wikileaks releases Finfisher malware to help developers defend against it

WIKILEAKS HAS RELEASED Finfisher "weaponised malware" that it claims is being used by governments around the world to spy on journalists and activists, in order to help developers defend against it.

Finfisher, which was first revealed in Wikileaks documents published in December 2011, can be used to intercept data from Mac OS X, Windows and Linux computers, as well as mobile devices running Android, Blackberry, iOS, Symbian and Windows Phone.

Wikileaks editor in chief Julian Assange said, "Finfisher continues to operate brazenly from Germany selling weaponised surveillance malware to some of the most abusive regimes in the world. The Merkel government pretends to be concerned about privacy, but its actions speak otherwise.

"Why does the Merkel government continue to protect Finfisher? This full data release will help the technical community build tools to protect people from Finfisher including by tracking down its command and control centers."

In its latest internet splash, Wikileaks has decided to make the weaponised malware available to download, so developers and security researchers can build defences against it. According to Wikileaks, the software is still being used by governments and other organisations across the world to spy on journalists, activists and political dissidents.

"In order to challenge the secrecy and the lack of accountability of the surveillance industry, analyzing the internals of this software could allow security and privacy researchers to develop new fingerprints and detection techniques, identify more countries currently using the Finfisher spyware and uncover human rights abuses," Wikileaks said.

Wikileaks added that Finisher's revenues from sales of its malware to such organisations totals around 50m with its customers including law enforcement and government agencies in Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Estonia, Hungary, Italy, Mongolia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa and Vietnam.

Privacy International deputy director Eric King praised Wikileaks' latest move in a statement seen by The Guardian. He said, "These new documents from Wikileaks give us greater insight into how companies like Finfisher and the governments they supply compromise our personal devices, and spy on the most private parts of our lives.

"More transparency is needed to hold companies like Finfisher to account, as well as the governments purchasing such equipment. Without public scrutiny of the surveillance technology industry, activists will continue to be targeted by repressive regimes and the damaging practices of Finfisher will be allowed to continue unabated."

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Wikileaks releases Finfisher malware to help developers defend against it