Infosec exec sold eight zero-day exploit kits to Russia: DoJ • The Register

https://www.theregister.com/2026/02/15/exl3harris_exec_sold_8_zeroday/

Publish Date: 2026-02-15 18:22:00

Infosec in Brief The former General Manager of defense contractor L3Harris’s cyber subsidiary Trenchant sold eight zero-day exploit kits to Russia, according to a court filing last week.

We first wrote about this case in October 2025, when former Trenchant boss Peter Williams pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of trade secrets – but court records didn’t detail exactly what he stole.

That changed last week when the US Department of Justice published a sentencing memorandum [PDF] that frames Williams’ conduct as a betrayal of his employer and the US government, and the cause of significant harm to US national security.

Williams “made it possible for the Russian Broker to arm its clients with powerful cyber exploits that could be used against any manner of victim, civilian or military around the world,” the DoJ said. The broker Williams worked with regularly provided exploits to the Russian government, the DoJ alleged.

Along with the damage he caused to US national security, the DoJ said that Williams’ actions also led to the loss of more than $35 million for L3Harris and Trenchant, contributing to the government’s call to sentence him to the maximum term allowed under federal guidelines.

The sentencing memo notes that Williams could be incarcerated for up to 108 months (9 years), followed by three years of supervised release. An Australian citizen, Williams has agreed to be deported to his home country after his prison term.

In addition to his time behind bars, the DoJ has also asked the judge to force Williams to pay $35 million in restitution and additional forfeitures of items linked to his crimes.