Targeted advertising platforms can be exploited to deliver spyware to users' devices without their knowledge or consent.

Citizen Lab finds Candiru's mercenary spyware on the phones of Al Jazeera journalists, infected using Discover Tech to deliver the malware using targeted ads. https://citizenlab.ca/research/how-discover-tech-turned-targeted-ads-into-a-pipeline-for-spyware/

Citizen Lab - Zero-click mercenary spyware delivered via targeted ads infected devices at Al Jazeera. https://citizenlab.ca/research/how-discover-tech-turned-targeted-ads-into-a-pipeline-for-spyware/

Discover-Tech, a company deeply embedded in the digital advertising ecosystem, weaponized ads to profile millions of people in many countries and to help infect 45+ devices within the news network Al Jazeera with Candiru spyware. In this new @citizenlab report, we document the first public technical confirmation of a zero-click mercenary spyware attack delivered via targeted ads: https://citizenlab.ca/research/how-discover-tech-turned-targeted-ads-into-a-pipeline-for-spyware/

Exposing AdFection: How Discover-Tech Turned Targeted Ads Into a Pipeline for Zero-Click Mercenary Spyware (The Citizen Lab) https://citizenlab.ca/research/how-discover-tech-turned-targeted-ads-into-a-pipeline-for-spyware/ http://www.memeorandum.com/261015/p52#a261015p52

Citizen Lab reports that Discover-Tech used targeted ads to profile millions and deliver zero-click spyware, with Al Jazeera devices reportedly targeted and infected. The findings spotlight risks in the online ad ecosystem. 🔍📱 #Spyware #AdTech https://citizenlab.ca/research/exposing-adfection-executive-summary/ #Privacy #Security #Surveillance #MassSurveillance

Exposing AdFection: How Discover-Tech Turned Targeted Ads Into a Pipeline for Zero-Click Mercenary Spyware - The Citizen Lab https://citizenlab.ca/research/how-discover-tech-turned-targeted-ads-into-a-pipeline-for-spyware/

Citizen Lab reports that Discover-Tech used targeted ads to profile users and deliver Candiru spyware to devices at Al Jazeera—turning ad infrastructure into a zero-click attack pipeline. 📱🕵️ #CyberSecurity #Spyware https://citizenlab.ca/research/how-discover-tech-turned-targeted-ads-into-a-pipeline-for-spyware/ #Privacy #Security #Surveillance #MassSurveillance

Exposing AdFection: How Discover-Tech Turned Targeted Ads Into a Pipeline for Zero-Click Mercenary Spyware - The Citizen Lab https://citizenlab.ca/research/how-discover-tech-turned-targeted-ads-into-a-pipeline-for-spyware/ This is the first-ever public confirmation of zero-click mercenary spyware delivered via targeted ads. We call the technique AdFection, and show how it was used to infect devices at Al Jazeera with Candiru’s spyware. We also unco --- 36 uses from 31 accounts #toplink