Security

Investigation Reveals Israeli Firm’s Spyware Distribution Through Online Advertising

Published

10 hours ago

October 15, 2026

An Israeli firm is sending spyware through online ads, researchers say

An Israeli Ad Tech Firm Collaborated with Spyware Companies to Target Devices via Online Ads

A recent investigation by security researchers at Citizen Lab and Confiant revealed that an Israeli ad tech firm engaged in partnerships with spyware companies to infect devices, including those at Al Jazeera, through the delivery of online ads. This discovery marks the first instance of a zero-click attack, a type of hacking that necessitates no user interaction, being facilitated through targeted advertising, as highlighted by NBC News.

Discover-Tech: A Front for Malicious Advertising Campaigns

The ad firm in question, Discover-Tech, masquerades as a conventional online advertising agency but serves as a conduit for hacking groups to disseminate harmful ads across the internet. Through its platform “Controlium,” Discover-Tech enables its spyware partners to meticulously profile and de-anonymize millions of individuals, identify their devices, and subject them to zero-click hacking techniques. This platform also allows for the selection of targets based on their IP address, mobile ad ID, or browser identifier.

Collaboration with Candiru and Targeting of Al Jazeera

One of the key collaborators of Discover-Tech is Candiru, an Israeli spyware company that has faced sanctions from the US government. In the years 2024 and 2025, Discover-Tech facilitated the distribution of Candiru-affiliated spyware through ads to Al Jazeera, a prominent news network based in Qatar. Researchers have identified a minimum of 45 devices at the news outlet that were targeted during this period.

Industry Response and Recommendations for Enhanced Security

Following the revelation, Citizen Lab and Confiant have urged the advertising industry to bolster security measures on their platforms. Both Google and Beeswax, a subsidiary of Comcast specializing in advertising, have promptly removed Discover-Tech from their services. Additionally, IAB Europe has suspended the company from its list of approved vendors, as reported by Reuters. Researchers advise individuals at heightened risk of targeting to utilize ad blockers, disable ad tracking, and routinely reset their mobile ad IDs for added protection.