Apple Claims WikiLeaks CIA Vault 7 ‘Dark Matter’ Security Exploits Have Already Been Fixed

Apple claims that the security exploits for their devices revealed in the WikiLeaks CIA Vault 7 release dubbed “Dark Matter” have already been patched.

The Dark Matter documents released by WikiLeaks, which Breitbart reported on yesterday, appear to show multiple methods that the CIA may have used to access Mac and iOS users devices. Apple has since claimed that the exploits detailed in the documents have since been patched and are not an issue for current Mac and iOS users.

Apple’s statement on the WikiLeaks documents claims:

We have preliminarily assessed the Wikileaks disclosures from this morning. Based on our initial analysis, the alleged iPhone vulnerability affected iPhone 3G only and was fixed in 2009 when iPhone 3GS was released. Additionally, our preliminary assessment shows the alleged Mac vulnerabilities were previously fixed in all Macs launched after 2013.

We have not negotiated with Wikileaks for any information. We have given them instructions to submit any information they wish through our normal process under our standard terms. Thus far, we have not received any information from them that isn’t in the public domain. We are tireless defenders of our users’ security and privacy, but we do not condone theft or coordinate with those that threaten to harm our users.

Apple claims the exploits published by WikiLeaks are outdated and were fixed between 2009 and 2013. However, physical exploits such as the one reportedly found in thunderbolt-to-ethernet connectors are often quite hard to guard against. TechCrunch compiled a list of steps to undertake in order protect Mac and iOS users:

• Always update to the latest version of iOS to get the most recent security fixes
• Use a strong passcode (at least six numbers or, even better, an alphanumeric password)
• Update your iPhone over the air by going to the Settings app on your phone so you don’t have to use iTunes
• Keep your phone with you so you’re sure nobody is installing a custom firmware behind your back