Feds open criminal probe into WikiLeaks CIA document dump: report

Authorities are opening a federal criminal investigation into WikiLeaks’s publication of troves of documents detailing purported CIA hacking programs, CNN reported Wednesday.

The FBI and CIA will collaborate on the probe, according to CNN, which reported that it is focused on determining how the anti-secrecy organization obtained the documents and whether they were leaked by an employee or contractor.

WikiLeaks published nearly a gigabyte of files on its website Tuesday, including descriptions of CIA hacking capabilities and covert cyber bases in Europe.

{mosads}The group redacted names of agents and third parties who appeared in the documents, and did not release the computer code needed to conduct cyber attacks. 

Federal officials have not publicly confirmed the authenticity of the archive of files, but current and former lawmakers and intelligence officials have treated the documents as authentic.

Many have worried that WikiLeaks may eventually release the computer code, which could put smartphones or smart televisions at varying degrees of risk.

The attacks listed in the WikiLeaks documents are overall not meant for bulk data collection and often require physical access to devices. Even if code was released, a hacker would need to physically tamper with a smart television to infect it with the CIA’s purported malware. 

Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) immediately called for a congressional investigation following the release of the documents Tuesday.

“I am deeply disturbed by the allegation that the CIA lost its arsenal of hacking tools. The ramifications could be devastating.”