A stolen cache of files that may belong to the National Security Agency contains genuine hacking tools that not only work, but show a level of sophistication rarely seen, according to security researchers.

That includes malware that can infect a device’s firmware and persist, even if the operating system is reinstalled.  

“It’s terrifying because it demonstrates a serious level of expertise and technical ability,” said Brendan Dolan-Gavitt, an assistant professor at New York University’s school of engineering.

He’s been among the researchers going over the sample files from the cache, after an anonymous group called the Shadow Brokers posted them online.

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