Qualified triples from the transcripts. Origin, speaker, and evidence stay attached. These are not independently verified facts.
National Security Agency USES zero-day exploit
The NSA later added budget to buy exploit capabilities from outside sources and is said to have purchased vulnerabilities externally.
Explicit Confidence 96% · Nicole Perlroth EP 98 Details
“there was a line item added to their black budget, and it wasn’t very big; it was something like $25.1 million to buy these capabilities in 2013. We know that they have purchased these vulnerabilities from the outside.”
Missile Defense Agency USES zero-day exploit
A zero-day seller told Nicole that the Missile Defense Agency bought zero-day exploits.
Attributed Confidence 91% · Nicole Perlroth EP 98 Details
“the Missile Defense Agency I learned played in this market. I had never heard of the Missile Defense Agency until someone who sells zero-day exploits told me that they sold to the Missile Defense Agency”
Apple USES bug bounty
Apple eventually offered a bug bounty, although Nicole says it could not match government prices.
Explicit Confidence 97% · Nicole Perlroth EP 98 Details
“Apple was one of the last companies, major companies, in Silicon Valley to start offering a bug bounty”
Central Intelligence Agency USES zero-day exploit
The CIA is listed among agencies participating in the market for privately developed zero-day exploits.
Attributed Confidence 87% · Nicole Perlroth EP 98 Details
“agencies like the CIA ... were trying to play the NSA’s game but didn’t have the same talent pool in-house”
Nicole Perlroth USES Signal
Nicole says she sometimes uses Signal for sensitive conversations with sources.
Explicit Confidence 98% · Nicole Perlroth EP 98 Details
“If I have to, I’ll use Signal, the encrypted messaging app”
NotPetya USES zero-day exploit
The NotPetya attack used the exploit code that had been held by the NSA and later dumped online by the Shadowbrokers.
Explicit Confidence 94% · Nicole Perlroth EP 98 Details
“It was used in a NotPetya attack”
Roman Khaykin ASSOCIATED_WITH Black Cube
Roman Khaykin was contracted by Black Cube and managed the New York surveillance work.
Explicit Confidence 96% · Jack Rhysider EP 99 Details
“it was this Khaykin guy who was being contracted by Black Cube”
Igor ASSOCIATED_WITH Black Cube
Igor says he and his friend worked as subcontractors for Black Cube, although he initially did not know the client was Black Cube.
Explicit Confidence 98% · Igor EP 99 Details
“We were working for Black Cube which is an Israeli intelligence company.”
Black Cube operation against Citizen Lab ASSOCIATED_WITH NSO Group
The operation might have been connected to NSO Group, but Jack says there is no hard evidence definitively linking it to NSO.
Uncertain Confidence 91% · Jack Rhysider EP 99 Details
“It’s not clear exactly if it is and there isn’t any hard evidence which definitely links it”
Ronan Farrow AUTHORED The Catch and Kill
Ronan Farrow authored or presented The Catch and Kill podcast, whose first episode retells the story from his perspective.
Explicit Confidence 95% · John Scott-Railton EP 99 Details
“Ronan Farrow’s podcast called The Catch and Kill”
Black Cube operation against Citizen Lab INVOLVES counter-surveillance
The operation included counter-surveillance intended to detect whether the Black Cube operative was being followed.
Explicit Confidence 99% · Igor EP 99 Details
“my job now involves a counter-surveillance role”
Black Cube operation against Citizen Lab INVOLVES John Scott-Railton
John Scott-Railton was the target of the Black Cube operation involving the false Michel Lambert identity.
Explicit Confidence 99% · Igor EP 99 Details
“He said, this is the target. So, this is who’s gonna be at the meeting who Black Cube is targeting.”
Harvey Weinstein surveillance campaign INVOLVES Jodi Kantor
The campaign involved surveillance of Jodi Kantor along with Ronan Farrow.
Explicit Confidence 99% · Igor EP 99 Details
“they assigned us to follow Ronan Farrow and Jodi Kantor”
Harvey Weinstein surveillance campaign INVOLVES Harvey Weinstein
The surveillance campaign was connected to Harvey Weinstein's effort to suppress reporting about sexual-harassment allegations against him.
Explicit Confidence 98% · Igor EP 99 Details
“we are working on the Harvey Weinstein story”
“Weinstein discovered that Ronan Farrow was working on this story and hired Black Cube to also spy on Farrow”
Harvey Weinstein surveillance campaign INVOLVES Black Cube
The Harvey Weinstein surveillance campaign involved Black Cube, which Weinstein allegedly hired to investigate and discredit journalists and victims.
Explicit Confidence 98% · Jack Rhysider EP 99 Details
“Harvey Weinstein had hired Black Cube to spy on his victims”
Black Cube operation against Citizen Lab INVOLVES CPW Consulting
The operation involved the purported company CPW Consulting, which was challenged by Raphael Satter as apparently nonexistent.
Explicit Confidence 94% · Raphael Satter EP 99 Details
“I’d like to speak to you about your company, CPW Consulting.”
Black Cube operation against Citizen Lab INVOLVES covert recording
The operation involved attempts to record John Scott-Railton making embarrassing, racist, or antisemitic statements.
Explicit Confidence 98% · Igor EP 99 Details
“trying to get them to say something racist or antisemitic or something that’s embarrassing on tape”
Black Cube operation against Citizen Lab INVOLVES FlameTech
The operation involved the fabricated digital identity's purported company, FlameTech, which John describes as appearing fake.
Explicit Confidence 96% · John Scott-Railton EP 99 Details
“some company; FlameTech. But it all looked fake.”
Black Cube operation against Citizen Lab INVOLVES Bahr Abdul Razzak
Bahr Abdul Razzak was approached in a meeting conducted under a false pretext as part of the operation.
Explicit Confidence 96% · John Scott-Railton EP 99 Details
“My colleague, Bahr Abdul Razzak, is a very thoughtful, smart guy. He immediately recognized that something was amiss”
Black Cube operation against Citizen Lab INVOLVES social engineering
The operation used a false pretext about financial solutions for refugees and a fabricated identity to elicit information from Citizen Lab personnel.
Explicit Confidence 99% · John Scott-Railton EP 99 Details
“somebody who claimed to be interested in financial solutions in banking for refugees”
“this person is obviously coming under a false pretense”
Black Cube operation against Citizen Lab INVOLVES digital identity
The operation used a thin, apparently fabricated digital identity for the operative who approached Citizen Lab.
Explicit Confidence 99% · John Scott-Railton EP 99 Details
“the digital identity that the guy had created was almost paper-thin”
Harvey Weinstein surveillance campaign INVOLVES Ronan Farrow
The campaign involved surveillance of Ronan Farrow while he was investigating Harvey Weinstein.
Explicit Confidence 99% · Igor EP 99 Details
“they assigned us to follow Ronan Farrow and Jodi Kantor”
Black Cube operation against Citizen Lab INVOLVES Black Cube
The operation against Citizen Lab involved Black Cube operatives and contractors.
Explicit Confidence 98% · Igor EP 99 Details
“I understand the agent is the operative from Black Cube”
Aharon Almog-Assoulin MEMBER_OF Black Cube
Uvda recognized Michel's photograph and identified him as someone who works for Black Cube.
Attributed Confidence 94% · Jack Rhysider EP 99 Details
“Uvda recognized the photo of Michel and was able to identify him as someone who works for Black Cube.”
Raphael Satter MEMBER_OF Associated Press
Raphael Satter identifies himself as a journalist with the Associated Press.
Explicit Confidence 99% · Raphael Satter EP 99 Details
“I’m a journalist with the Associated Press”