FBI's Magic Lantern Revealed

CNET News.com is the first to follow my story on the FBI's secret spyware software (though it forgot to credit Wired News -- an honest oversight, I'm sure). The FBI euphemistically calls its software a "computer and internet protocol address verifier," or CIPAV. From the FBI affidavit (.pdf)

In general, a CIPAV utilizes standard Internet computer commands commonly used over local area networks (LANs) and the Internet to request that an activating computer respond to the CIPAV by sending network level messages, and/or other variables, and/or information, over the Internet to a computer controlled by the FBI. The exact nature of these commands, processes, capabilities, and their configuration is classified as a law enforcement sensitive investigative technique, the disclosure of which would likely jeopardize other on-going investigations and/or future use of the technique.

The warrant was executed(.pdf) June 13th at 5:49PM.