Researchers say targeted ads delivered zero-click spyware to Al Jazeera devices
publishers 15articles 17first reported 15 Oct, 10:00 UTCdeveloping since 15 Oct · 8 editions
Researchers at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab say an Israeli advertising company’s platform was used to deliver zero-click spyware through online advertisements, including in attacks targeting at least 45 devices at Al Jazeera during 2024 and 2025.
Citizen Lab’s report says Discover-Tech, which presents itself as a digital advertising firm, operated a platform called Controlium that could profile and identify internet users before selecting particular devices for surveillance. Malicious code could then be delivered when an advertisement appeared, without requiring the user to click a link or take any other action.
The researchers linked the Al Jazeera attacks to spyware associated with Israeli developer Candiru. They also found that another spyware maker, Bindecy, used Discover-Tech’s platform. Citizen Lab said it could not determine which governments were behind the attacks.
According to the researchers, Discover-Tech advertisements reached millions of users across multiple countries and appeared through widely used websites and apps. The broader extent of any successful infections remains unclear. Citizen Lab described its findings as the first publicly documented technical evidence of sophisticated mercenary spyware being delivered through targeted advertising.
Google said it blocked Discover-Tech from its advertising platforms after a joint investigation with Citizen Lab and security firm Confiant. Reuters reported that advertising company Beeswax also removed Discover-Tech and that IAB Europe suspended it from its approved-vendor list. Discover-Tech and the spyware companies had not publicly commented in the reports.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 6 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 6 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 15
- Source articles
- 17
- Given to the writer
- 8, 6 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 8
- This version written
- 6 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and published it as written.
Written by a language model from the sources above, then checked by a second model that may only cut, attribute or correct. How it works →