A report from the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab says an online advertising campaign dubbed AdFection infected devices without user interaction. The report attributes the operation to Israeli digital ad agency Discover-Tech, which allegedly facilitated mercenary spyware companies, including U.S.-blacklisted firm Candiru.
The campaign used advertising platforms from major technology companies, including Google, to direct targets to malicious servers that could install spyware. Simply loading a webpage or app displaying a malicious ad could trigger the infection process.
The ads reportedly appeared on sensitive networks, including government and international agency websites, raising security concerns.