Exposing AdFection: How Discover-Tech Turned Targeted Ads Into a Pipeline for Zero-Click Mercenary Spyware - The Citizen Lab
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This is the first-ever public confirmation of zero-click mercenary spyware delivered via targeted ads. We call the technique AdFection, and show how it was used to infect devices at Al Jazeera with Candiru’s spyware. We also uncover Discover-Tech, and show how the company helps mercenary surveillance vendors track and hack devices around the world.

"Devices at international news network Al Jazeera were infected with mercenary spyware from Candiru (rebranded as “Integrity Labs”) via targeted online advertisements.

The malicious advertisements were purchased by Discover-Tech, an Israeli company that presents itself as a legitimate advertising company, but which we found operates as a facilitator for multiple mercenary spyware partners.

Discover-Tech operates a platform called Controlium that enables its mercenary partners to de-anonymize, fingerprint, and automatically infect devices the moment an advertisement is rendered — a form of zero-click attack."

  • Confused_Emus@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    43·
    11 days ago

    The hell is wrong with these peo-

    an Israeli company

    Oh, never mind. Kinda buried the part of the headline that would have made this not surprising at all.

  • bedwyr@piefed.caEnglish
    8·
    11 days ago

    So I have ublock on firefox, so it likely didn’t get past my content blocker?

    Sounds like another FLAME repurpose on this malware.