Citizen Lab says spyware makers infect devices through online ads
Original title: Governments are hacking people with ‘zero-click’ spyware by showing them online ads
Researchers say Israeli firm Discover-Tech links ad vendors to Candiru and Bindecy zero-click spyware.
The Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto says government spyware makers abuse global advertising networks to hack devices by serving malicious online ads. The Thursday report says Israeli company Discover-Tech lets spyware makers target specific people or devices almost anywhere with spyware that can invisibly steal data. Citizen Lab says Discover-Tech presents itself as a legitimate ad firm while bridging ad vendors and the mercenary spyware ecosystem. It says at least Candiru and Bindecy used the platform for zero-click infections that do not require opening a message or clicking a link.
Unconfirmed: The targeting claims come from Citizen Lab; company responses are not in the item.
- Citizen Lab describes Discover-Tech as a bridge into the mercenary spyware ecosystem.
- Candiru and Bindecy are named as users of the advertising platform.
- The spyware can infect a device without a click or opened message, researchers say.
- The products can invisibly steal data from targeted people or devices.
Impact: Invisible theft of data from targeted devices
- Vendors
- Discover-Tech
- Organizations
- The Citizen LabUniversity of Toronto
- Countries
- Israel
From the original article
2 min read at databreaches.netZack Whittaker reports: Security researchers at digital rights unit The Citizen Lab say government spyware makers are abusing global advertising networks to target and hack devices by serving malicious online adverts. A new report published Thursday by the University of Toronto lab, which investigates surveillance and digital rights abuses, said an Israeli company called Discover-Tech...
By Dissent · databreaches.net
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