Israeli firm’s digital ads enabling installation of ‘zero-click’ spyware, researchers say

Israeli surveillance firm "Discover-Tech" utilized online ads to infect millions of mobile devices with spyware, according to a new investigation by the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab and cybersecurity firm Confiant Threat Intelligence. The method, dubbed "AdFection," weaponized legitimate ad systems for espionage purposes, allowing spyware manufacturers to target and track victims without user interaction.

This technique, which exploits real-time bidding used by platforms like Google, can enable large-scale surveillance and reconnaissance. The ad-based infection technique was discovered on devices belonging to journalists and staff at the Al Jazeera media network. The operation targeted 45 devices, some of which were infected with Israeli-made spyware called Candiru.

Discover-Tech's platform, Controlium, allegedly facilitated surveillance for commercial spyware operators, allowing them to identify, track and target devices. The investigation found that Discover-Tech's ads appeared on nearly 200,000 websites and mobile apps in dozens of countries. NATO, the United Nations, and European institutions were among the high-profile websites affected.

The findings have sparked calls for further investigation, with European lawmakers warning that the EU's democratic institutions are vulnerable to spyware.