Citizen Lab researchers discovered that mercenary hackers delivered zero-click spyware through targeted ads, infecting 45 Al Jazeera devices without any user interaction. The AdFection campaign operated via Israeli firm Discover-Tech, which brokers between ad vendors and spyware providers, marking the first confirmed case of zero-click mercenary malware distributed through advertising networks on both iOS and Android.
Background
Zero-click exploits represent the most sophisticated form of mobile malware, requiring no user interaction to compromise devices. Mercenary spyware has been increasingly weaponized against journalists and media organizations, prompting urgent calls for enhanced security awareness in newsrooms.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Oct 16, 2026 at 04:32 AM
- Score
- 9.0 / 10