Researchers at Citizen Lab uncovered that Israeli ad firm Discover‑Tech has been serving programmatic ads that enable installation of “zero‑click” spyware through a platform called Controlium. Controlium profiles and deanonymises users at scale, harvesting identities and IPs when a user is shown a bespoke, seemingly benign ad, then allows mercenary spyware vendors to push malicious code that installs without any user interaction in seconds. Citizen Lab found dozens of compromised devices at Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera and says millions of people worldwide have been served Discover‑Tech ads since 2024, including in Yemen, Brazil, Mexico and Czechia; related analysis by Confiant shows ads appearing on networks belonging to government entities and international organisations.
The reporting details how the split‑second programmatic ad auction ecosystem is being weaponised: data brokers and ad vendors compile device and cross‑site tracking profiles that attackers can use to target and silently hack specific individuals. The spyware delivered via Controlium can extract messages, photos and emails, record calls and remotely activate microphones, giving full access to a victim’s device. Researchers call for urgent action from cybersecurity agencies, regulators and lawmakers to investigate the companies involved and fix the systemic risks that allowed these operations to go undetected for years.
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