Israeli ad firm linked to spyware delivery via online ads
Researchers say Discover-Tech used ad networks to track users and deploy Candiru spyware on Al Jazeera devices.
KEY POINTS
- Israeli firm Discover-Tech used online ad infrastructure to distribute Candiru spyware
- At least 45 Al Jazeera devices infected in first documented 'AdFection' zero-click attacks
- Discover-Tech reached 120,000+ websites and 75,000 apps via partnerships with Google, Comcast, Yandex
- Company held certified partner status with Google until recently
- Researchers warn online advertising ecosystem poses systemic security threat
Researchers from Citizen Lab and Confiant say Israeli ad-tech company Discover-Tech operated a vast network reaching over 120,000 websites and 75,000 apps. The firm allegedly served malicious ads that could identify, track, and extract phone numbers from visitors without any clicks.
Some advertisements delivered Candiru spyware, a surveillance tool blacklisted by the U.S. government, onto target devices. At least 45 devices belonging to Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera were infected in what researchers call the first documented case of "AdFection" attacks.
“The way online advertising works today is a systemic security threat.”
Discover-Tech held certified partner status with Google and participated in ad auctions on platforms run by Comcast and Yandex. The company, founded in 2020, did not respond to requests for comment from multiple outlets.
Citizen Lab researcher Wolfie Christl described the current online advertising model as a systemic security threat affecting states, businesses, and civil society alike. Confiant estimated Discover-Tech served at least 10 million ads daily worldwide.
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