Israeli firm used online ads to plant zero-click spyware, researchers say
An Israeli firm is sending zero-click spyware through online ads
Researchers at Citizen Lab and Confiant have uncovered the first technical evidence of a zero-click attack delivered through targeted advertising. The Israeli ad tech firm Discover-Tech allegedly operated a platform called Controlium that let spyware partners profile and infect devices via malicious ads, including at Al Jazeera, where at least 45 devices were targeted in 2024 and 2025. Google and Beeswax have since removed Discover-Tech from their platforms.
It operates a platform known as “Controlium” that allows its spyware partners to “precisely profile and de-anonymize millions of individuals, fingerprint their devices, and target them with a form of zero-click hacking.”