Israeli Firm Used Online Ads to Deliver Zero-Click Spyware, Researchers Say
The Story
An Israeli ad tech firm, Discover-Tech, worked with spyware companies to infect devices, including at Al Jazeera, by displaying online ads, according to a joint investigation by security researchers at Citizen Lab and Confiant.
This marks the first time researchers have found technical evidence of a zero-click attack, which requires no user action, delivered through targeted advertising. Discover-Tech operates a platform called "Controlium" that enables its spyware partners to profile, de-anonymize, fingerprint devices, and target individuals with zero-click hacking.S. government. Discover-Tech ads delivered Candiru-linked spyware to at least 45 Windows devices at Al Jazeera, a Qatar-based news network, between 2024 and 2025.
Discover-Tech's online ads, often for ordinary products, reached over 120,000 websites and 75,000 apps through its various partnerships, Citizen Lab reported. Confiant cofounder Jerome Dangu stated that Discover-Tech pumped out at least 10 million ads daily, potentially affecting hundreds of millions of people globally. The ads only needed to load on a website for the spying to occur, allowing Discover-Tech to identify and track users, and sometimes extract phone numbers.
The technique, which researchers dubbed "AdFection," exploits real-time bidding systems used by platforms like Google. Discover-Tech's ads appeared on sensitive networks worldwide, including institutional sites of NATO, the United Nations, the European Parliament, European Commission, and Council of the EU. Wolfie Cristl, a senior researcher at Citizen Lab, called online advertising a systemic security threat.
Discover-Tech was registered in 2020 and has facilitated mercenary spyware since at least 2024. Google and Comcast-owned Beeswax have since removed Discover-Tech from their platforms, and IAB Europe suspended the company from its list of approved vendors. Discover-Tech did not respond to requests for comment.
The Spread
The coverage 13 sources
- Center-LeftAl-MonitorIsraeli firm used online ads to run vast spy operation, researchers say (opens the publisher’s site)
- Center-LeftThe VergeAn Israeli firm is sending spyware through online ads, researchers say (opens the publisher’s site)
- Center-LeftWired‘Nightmare Scenario’: Zero-Click Spyware Is Infecting Phones via Targeted Ads (opens the publisher’s site)
- CenterBloombergIsraeli Firms Placed Spyware at Al Jazeera via Ads, Report Says - Bloomberg.com (opens the publisher’s site)
- CenterCyberScoopAdFection: How mercenary spyware invades victims’ devices through targeted advertising (opens the publisher’s site)
- CenterFinancial TimesNew ‘zero-click’ spyware hacked phones using targeted ads (opens the publisher’s site)
- CenterReutersIsraeli firm used online ads to run vast spy operation, researchers say (opens the publisher’s site)
- CenterTechCrunchCitizen Lab says governments are abusing online ads to hack people with ‘zero-click’ spyware (opens the publisher’s site)
- CenterThe Arab WeeklyIsraeli firm accused of using online ads to run spy operation around the world (opens the publisher’s site)
- Center-RightThe Jerusalem PostOnline ads helped deliver Israeli spyware to devices visiting Al Jazeera, 120,000 websites (opens the publisher’s site)