COTTONMOUTH-III: NSA Exploit of the Day

Today's item from the NSA's Tailored Access Operations (TAO) group implant catalog:

COTTONMOUTH-III (TS//SI//REL) COTTONMOUTH-III (CM-III) is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) hardware implant, which will provide a wireless bridge into a target network as well as the ability to load exploit software onto target PCs.
(TS//SI//REL) CM-III will provide air-gap bridging, software persistence capability, "in-field" re-programmability, and covert communications with a host software implant over the USB. The RF link will enable command and data infiltration and exfiltration. CM-III will also communicate with Data Network Technologies (DNT) software (STRAITBIZARRE) through a covert channel implemented on the USB, using this communication channel to pass commands and data between hardware and software implants. CM-III will be a GENIE-compliant implant based on CHIMNEYPOOL.
(TS//SI//REL) CM-III conceals digital components (TRINITY), USB 2.0 HS hub, switches, and HOWLERMONKEY (HM) RF Transceiver within a RJ45 Dual Stacked USB connector. CM-I has the ability to communicate to other CM devices over the RF link using an over-the-air protocol called SPECULATION. CM-III can provide a short range inter-chassis link to other CM devices or an intra-chassis RF link to a long haul relay subsystem.
Status: Availability -- May 2009
Unit Cost: 50 units: $1,248K

Page, with graphics, is here. General information about TAO and the catalog is here.