Israeli firm Discover-Tech turned everyday online ads into a 'zero-click' spyware weapon targeting NATO and Al Jazeera, researchers say
A generic depiction of computer hacking. Researchers at Citizen Lab have confirmed Israeli advertising firm Discover-Tech silently infected at least 45 devices belonging to journalists and Al Jazeera staff using spyware…
Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto has revealed the first confirmed case of government-grade spyware silently infecting devices through ordinary online adverts — no click required. Israeli advertising firm Discover-Tech allegedly ran its Controlium platform as a front to funnel spyware from Israeli firm Candiru onto at least 45 devices at Al Jazeera in 2024 and 2025. Researchers say ads from Discover-Tech appeared across nearly 200,000 websites and apps, reaching sensitive networks including NATO, the US Department of Defense and the International Atomic Energy Agency. Google has now suspended Discover-Tech from its advertising platforms after a joint investigation confirmed systematic policy violations.
Citizen Lab's Bill Marczak warned the findings are 'surely just the tip of the iceberg' of how online ads are being abused for mass espionage.
The only protection against AdFection attacks, researchers say, is blocking ads as thoroughly as possible — intelligence agencies including the NSA and CIA appear to already know this.
Discover-Tech's ads were pumping out at least 10 million times a day globally, with cookie-matching arrangements allowing it to track targets even beyond the reach of its own adverts.
