Citizen Lab Reveals 'AdFection': How Ad Networks Enabled Zero-Click Spyware Attacks
Researchers at The Citizen Lab have disclosed the first public technical evidence of 'AdFection,' a zero-click spyware campaign delivered through targeted online ads. The attack, attributed to the Israeli firm Discover-Tech and spyware vendor Candiru, infected 45 devices belonging to Al Jazeera in 2024 and 2025. By exploiting real-time bidding infrastructure, attackers could automatically install malware without user interaction. Major ad platforms, including Google and Beeswax, have since banned Discover-Tech, though experts warn that the structural design of the ad ecosystem remains vulnerable to similar abuses.