burned agent
Discovered spy asset
A burned agent is a spy or intelligence operative whose cover has been blown—their true identity or affiliation has been discovered by the opposition.
Once burned, an agent can no longer work covertly in that theater: After the leak, three of our agents in Moscow were burned.
The term extends to anyone whose usefulness in a particular role has been compromised by exposure.
- scorchedBurned on surface
- spyCovert information gatherer
- charredBurned until black
- compromisedMade vulnerable to harm
- singedSuperficially burned
exposed · cover blown · asset · blackened · cover · blown · intelligence · defector · come in from the cold · smoldering · informant · deep cover · betrayed · sleeper · extraction · extraction team · CIA · double-cross
burned agentcovert operative
Hidden intelligence agent
undercover agent · sleeper agent · deep cover agent · mole · NOC
burned, burn, burns, burning, burner, burners, burnout, sunburn, sunburned