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:
- Iranian hackers allegedly breached FBI Director Patel’s personal emails
March 27, 2026
Hackers breached FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal email, according to sources familiar with the situation. The majority of the emails were from prior to 2019, according to sources, and appear to be from before his tenure at the FBI. There were a few emails from 2022, sources told ABC News. “The FBI is aware of malicious ...
- Coruna: the framework used in Operation Triangulation
March 26, 2026
On March 4, 2026, Google and iVerify published reports about a highly sophisticated exploit kit targeting Apple iPhone devices. According to Google, the exploit kit was first discovered in targeted attacks conducted by a customer of an unnamed surveillance vendor. It was later used by other attackers in watering-hole attacks in Ukraine and in financially motivated ...
- Infiniti Stealer: A new macOS infostealer using ClickFix and Python/Nuitka
March 26, 2026
A previously undocumented macOS infostealer has surfaced during our routine threat hunting. Malwarebytes Labs researchers initially tracked it as NukeChain, but shortly before publication, the malware’s operator panel became publicly visible, revealing its real name: Infiniti Stealer. This malware is designed to steal sensitive data from Macs. It spreads through a fake CAPTCHA page that tricks ...
- Cloud Phones: The Invisible Threat
March 25, 2026
What began as a simple scheme to inflate social media metrics has evolved into a sophisticated threat that is quietly reshaping the economics of digital fraud. Over the past decade, fraud prevention teams have invested heavily in device fingerprinting and emulator detection and that investment paid off; classic emulators and bot activities became predictable, easy ...
- Millions possibly affected by data breach at dermatology giant QualDerm
March 25, 2026
Dermatology management services giant QualDerm suffered a cyberattack in late 2025 which saw it lose sensitive personal and healthcare data on more than three million people. The company is now notifying affected individuals by mail, noting in a breach notification letter that between December 23 and 24, 2025, a threat actor managed to access “a limited ...
- AI Drives Cyber Attacks That Unfold in Minutes
March 24, 2026
Artificial intelligence is speeding up timelines for cyber attacks, a new report has found, creating what the authors call a widening “cybersecurity speed gap” between bad actors and defense efforts. The report from Booz Allen Hamilton, published this month, shows that cyber criminals are now moving from initial access to broader system compromise in less than ...