Ordinary Ads Deliver Zero-Click Spyware to 45 Al Jazeera Devices
Citizen Lab and Confiant revealed that ordinary programmatic ads were used to target and install zero-click spyware, infecting at least 45 Al Jazeera devices.
Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto and cybersecurity firm Confiant exposed Israel-based Discover-Tech, describing the technique it used as "AdFection," according to a report published by ETV Bharat.
The report explained that ordinary-looking ads were used to identify target devices and install spyware on them without the user clicking on anything.
The report analyzed 3.7 billion ad bids between March and June 2026, noting that 442 million of them were winning bids. It stated that at least 45 devices belonging to Al Jazeera were infected with Candiru spyware.
In the wake of this, Google banned the company, and IAB Europe suspended its membership, according to the source.
What do these terms mean?
Spyware: Software installed on a device without the owner's knowledge to monitor activity and steal data.
Programmatic Advertising: The automated buying and selling of ad space via platforms that select the audience and display in fractions of a second.
Zero-click attack: An attack that requires no interaction from the victim, as simply displaying the malicious content on the device is enough to trigger execution.
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