Governments are hacking people with ‘zero-click’ spyware by showing them online ads


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 allows spyware makers to use its advertising platform to target specific people or devices almost anywhere in the world with spyware capable of invisibly stealing their data.

The researchers say Discover-Tech presents itself as a legitimate advertising firm, but instead serves as a “bridge between ad vendors and the mercenary spyware ecosystem.”

Read more…
Source:  TechCrunch News


Sign up for the Cyber Security Review Newsletter
The latest cyber security news and insights delivered right to your inbox


Related:

  • German Banking Regulator BaFin’s Website Hit by Cyber Attack

    September 4, 2023

    German banking regulator BaFin said its website has only been partially accessible since Friday after a so-called distributed denial of service attack. BaFin took security and defensive measures after the attack which also restrict access to the website, according to a spokeswoman. All of BaFin’s other systems are working without disruption, she said. Read more… Source: Yahoo! News  

  • Sweden: Significant increase in cyberattacks and they’re more advanced

    September 4, 2023

    Cyberattacks against Swedish authorities have increased in number and are more protracted and advanced, according to an investigation by Swedish Radio News. The Social Insurance Agency, Försäkringskassan, has seen such attacks double over three years, it says. Read more… Source: Radio Sweden  

  • Half of large Swiss firms have faced cyberattacks

    September 4, 2023

    A full 45 percent of companies in Switzerland counting 250 employees or more have already been hit by at least one cyberattack, according to the report. Based on a survey of 400 board members from both larger, listed companies and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), the study found that only 18 percent of firms with under ...

  • Rockwell Automation Integer Overflow Vulnerability

    September 1, 2023

    Rockwell Automation’s ThinManager is designed for managing thin clients, mobile devices, cameras, and industrial devices. Comprising both client and server components, the client facilitates device configuration while the server handles data transfer and client requests. To maintain data consistency across the system, ThinManager servers synchronize using messages sent via port TCP/2031. These messages, based on a ...

  • Anonymous Sudan hacks X to put pressure on Elon Musk over Starlink

    August 31, 2023

    A hacking group called Anonymous Sudan took X, formerly known as Twitter, offline in more than a dozen countries on Tuesday morning in an attempt to pressurise Elon Musk into launching his Starlink service in their country. X was down for more than two hours, with thousands of users affected. “Make our message reach to Elon ...

  • CISA Releases Four Industrial Control Systems Advisories

    August 31, 2023

    CISA released four Industrial Control Systems (ICS) advisories on August 31, 2023. These advisories provide timely information about current security issues, vulnerabilities, and exploits surrounding ICS. ICSA-23-243-01 ARDEREG Sistemas SCADA ICSA-23-243-02 GE Digital CIMPLICITY Read more… Source: U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency