Inside the story of the US defense contractor who leaked hacking tools to Russia | TechCrunch

TechCrunch

by Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai

February 25, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

A former executive at U.S. defense contractor L3Harris has been sentenced to seven years in prison for selling highly sensitive hacking tools to a Russian firm. Peter Williams, a 39-year-old Australian citizen who once led Trenchant—a division of L3Harris that develops cyber surveillance tools—pleaded guilty to stealing and leaking zero-day exploits, which are software vulnerabilities unknown to the vendor. These tools were sold to Operation Zero, described by U.S. authorities as one of the world’s most dangerous exploit brokers, for $1.3 million in cryptocurrency between 2022 and 2025. Williams exploited his access to L3Harris’ secure networks, downloading sensitive software onto a portable hard drive and later to his personal computer. He initially contacted Operation Zero under a pseudonym, raising questions about whether the Russian group knew of his true identity. Trenchant specializes in identifying flaws in major tech companies like Google and Apple, creating exploits that could potentially grant access to millions of devices globally. The U.S. Department of Justice warned that the tools Williams sold posed significant risks, potentially enabling unauthorized access to critical systems worldwide. The case highlights the growing concern over the misuse of zero-day exploits by state-sponsored actors and private brokers. It also underscores the ethical dilemmas faced by cybersecurity professionals, particularly those with insider access to sensitive technology. The incident has sparked broader debates about the responsible use of hacking tools and the need for stronger safeguards against such leaks. For tech enthusiasts and cybersecurity experts, this story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of weaponizing digital vulnerabilities and the potential consequences of betrayal within the intelligence community.

Verticals

techstartups

Originally published on TechCrunch on 2/25/2026