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Online ads weaponised to deliver ‘zero-click’ spyware, researchers say
The Guardian • • business
Key Points:
- Researchers at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab revealed that an Israeli advertising agency, Discover-Tech, has been serving online ads that deliver “zero-click” spyware, compromising millions of devices including those at Al Jazeera.
- Discover-Tech’s platform, Controlium, enables clients to mass-profile internet users and covertly hack targets without any interaction from victims, making the spyware infections stealthy and rapid.
- The spyware can harvest sensitive data, including messages, photos, emails, and can record calls or activate microphones, targeting government officials, journalists, activists, and embassy workers worldwide.
- Ads served by Discover-Tech have reached users globally, including in Yemen, Brazil, Mexico, Czechia, and networks of major organizations such as the UN, NATO, and the International Atomic Energy Agency.
- Citizen Lab and other researchers call for urgent regulatory and cybersecurity interventions to address the systemic risks posed by the weaponization of the online advertising ecosystem.
