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Comment by rfrank | Hacker News Reader

Yeah, that cache of zero days and all those DLLs aren't for mass surveillance. Ok. That's super duper believable.

I do not understand your response. You have not refuted my comment at all.

By design, a zero day cannot be reasonably used for mass surveillance. Every endpoint targeted increases the chance of discovery. This is how many would probably prefer to see a spy agency be operating; Focus on their specific targets instead of dragnet surveillance.

As for this specific release, it requires physical access (and a very outdated OS).

Why should I believe the CIA isn't using its "targeted" tools on say, American ISPs or carriers, giving them access to a dragnet level of data through a single "targeted" attack? The CIA is not staffed by reasonable people, and I have 0 reason to trust they operate in good faith or with the best interest of anyone but their own organization in mind. Which they like to demonstrate by being consistently Caught In the Act influencing foreign elections, trafficking drugs, etc. Any tool they have will be abused.

I definitely am not trying to make you believe anything, nor am I defending any past actions of the CIA (I don't know enough about all that to have an opinion). My comment is only based on my own review of all documents released so far in Vault 7. All indications show that these tools are made for use on specific targets, applied on devices by a human operator or asset.

It's very clear we have different ideological opinions on the actions of the CIA. The actions of US intelligence agencies over the last decade (at least) is absolutely disgusting.

That may be the case. I was only replying to "that cache of zero days and all those DLLs aren't for mass surveillance" from your comment, again, due to the fact that zero days cannot be reasonably used for mass surveillance as it would drastically shorten their lifetime.

Replying here because I can't on your post.

If the CIA is able to use those zero days on systems which provide them access to larger sets of information, then what you're saying is objectively wrong.

https://www.sbir.gov/sbirsearch/detail/1203207. Like I said, differently ideology.

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