GoKawiilCitizen Lab links Israeli firm Discover-Tech to spyware delivered via online ads
Citizen Lab researchers report that Discover-Tech, an Israeli advertising company, has been used by spyware vendors Candiru and Bindecy to deliver zero-click hacking tools through malicious online ads. The group says at least 45 Windows computers at Al Jazeera were infected in 2024 and 2025 after exposure to tainted ads, though it could not identify which governments ordered the attacks.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The findings suggest advertising networks could serve as a largely invisible delivery mechanism for government spyware, reaching targets without requiring them to click a link or open a file. Citizen Lab's Bill Marczak frames this as the first concrete technical evidence of a threat long suspected but previously unproven, which could prompt scrutiny of ad-tech platforms as a surveillance vector.
- Citizen Lab identifies Discover-Tech as a bridge between ad networks and spyware makers Candiru and Bindecy.
- At least 45 Al Jazeera Windows devices were reportedly hacked via malicious ads in 2024-2025.
- Researchers say it's the first confirmed case of zero-click spyware delivered through online advertising, with government backers unidentified.
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Published there as: “Citizen Lab says governments are abusing online ads to hack people with ‘zero-click’ spyware”
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