Description

Citizen Lab has exposed a sophisticated cyberespionage campaign that exploited targeted online advertisements to deliver mercenary spyware without requiring victims to click links or interact with malicious content. Researchers named the technique “AdFection,” highlighting the growing risks associated with the misuse of digital advertising infrastructure.The investigation revealed that devices associated with Al Jazeera were targeted between 2024 and 2025 using spyware linked to Candiru, which has been associated with the name Integrity Labs. Researchers identified at least 45 targeted devices and assessed the connection to Candiru with high confidence. The advertising campaigns were reportedly purchased through Discover-Tech, an Israeli advertising technology company. The attack exploited real-time advertising systems that collect information such as IP addresses, browser cookies, device identifiers, and location data. Discover-Tech’s Controlium platform reportedly enabled customers to select specific targets and deliver specially controlled advertisements. These advertisements could execute scripts that contacted remote servers and requested additional JavaScript, potentially leading to browser exploitation and spyware installation.Researchers discovered that the malicious advertisements communicated with a server that selectively delivered code to intended targets. Devices outside the selected group received empty responses, helping conceal the operation from advertising vendors and routine security checks. Network evidence showed a sequence of connections involving Discover-Tech infrastructure, spyware validation servers, and command-and-control systems. Investigators also recovered a Windows DLL from a compromised device containing hardcoded command-and-control domains. Its technical characteristics reportedly resembled infrastructure associated with earlier Candiru operations.The investigation uncovered additional security weaknesses in Controlium, including a potentially exploitable authentication implementation and an unauthenticated endpoint that exposed login records. Researchers analyzed nearly four billion advertising bid records covering approximately 200,000 websites and applications over four months.