Israeli firm's digital ads enabling installation of 'zero-click' spyware
Researchers at the University of Toronto have identified an Israeli firm, Discover-Tech, using digital ads to deliver 'zero-click' spyware. The software, Controlium, profiles users and covertly compromises devices without any interaction.
Why it matters
Exposes a significant vulnerability in the digital advertising ecosystem that is being weaponized for mass surveillance and targeted hacking.
Millions of users worldwide have been served ads by Discover-Tech since 2024, say researchers. Millions of users worldwide have been served ads by Discover-Tech since 2024, say researchers. Hacking Online ads weaponised to deliver ‘zero-click’ spyware, researchers say Discover-Tech’s Controlium software lets clients mass-profile internet users then covertly hack targets, say researchers at University of Toronto
Prefer the Guardian on Google An Israeli advertising agency has been serving millions of online adverts that allow “zero-click” spyware to be used against targets, researchers at a Canadian university have said .
Citizen Lab, a digital investigations research unit at the University of Toronto, said it believed dozens of devices at the Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera had been compromised by spyware delivered through ads run by Discover-Tech, which describes itself as a specialised digital advertising agency.
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