The latest WikiLeaks revelations have now outlined how the CIA was able to hack into different Apple products, specifically the MacBook Air, to gain access to a target user's data. The agency apparently used a tool called DarkSeaSkies, which essentially give CIA operative access to the target user's email communication data, browsing history, YouTube cache, and other relevant information sent over the internet.

According to a report from RT, the tool itself can be physically installed onto a target Apple MacBook Air laptop in under 29 seconds. A CIA agent will, of course, need to have physical access to the laptop itself, but he or she doesn't really need a lot of time with the device due to the efficiency of the installation process.

#Vault7: #DarkMatter documents explain the techniques used by CIA to gain 'persistence' on Macs and iPhones https://t.co/iJv6S1v9u0 pic.twitter.com/vX86Uf7z0h

— RT (@RT_com) March 23, 2017

The report also reveals that the DarkSeaSkies tool basically runs in the background of the MacBook Air and is virtually undetectable. Users will not notice any changes in the way they use the laptop and the tool does not interrupt any of the device's normal operations. The tool is loaded onto a MacBook Air via a thumb drive, which then runs three main components, namely DarkMatter, SeaPea, and NightSkies.

MacBook Air Installation Process

As explained in "User Requirements" process document, via WikiLeaks, DarkMatter installs itself on the laptop's kernel-space and then proceeds to install the two other components. SeaPea is the tool that injects the Nightskies component and then hides it within the system. Nightskies then transmits any data and files to a Listening Post (LP) that collects all of its data.

If the tool is unable to communicate with a CIA LP, it will automatically delete itself from the system. The entire installation process is done within just a few seconds, roughly 23 seconds to select the thumb drive as the boot devices and six seconds for the tool to install itself and reboot the machine.