Its latest assessment points the finger at China even while acknowledging it has "low confidence" in its own conclusion, noting in its statement both scenarios - lab and natural origin - remain plausible.
"CIA continues to assess that both research-related and natural origin scenarios of the COVID-19 pandemic remain plausible," the agency said in a statement.
The report was declassified and released on Saturday on the orders of US President Donald Trump's choice to lead the US spy agency, John Ratcliffe, who was sworn in on Thursday as director.
The findings are not based on new evidence, but fresh analysis of intelligence about the spread of the virus, its scientific properties and the work and conditions of China's virology labs.
For years, the CIA has said it is unclear whether COVID-19 was the result of a lab incident or a natural origin.
