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Discover-Tech spyware ads linked to 45 Al Jazeera infections

By Drooid · Oct 15, 2026, 2:31 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Discover-Tech’s advertising platform delivered zero-click spyware that could hijack devices without user interaction.
Citizen Lab reported Candiru and Bindecy used those ads to infect 45 Al Jazeera computers in 2024 and 2025.
Researchers accessed Discover-Tech’s public login pages, reconstructed its Controlium dashboard, and downloaded employee login records.
Ad bidding data showed Discover-Tech ads ran on thousands of apps and sites, including military and agency networks, March-June 2026.
Google, IAB Europe, Beeswax, Vungle and Eskimi removed or suspended Discover-Tech from their platforms after the report.

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Story summary

Discover-Tech’s advertising platform delivered zero-click spyware that could hijack devices without user interaction.
Citizen Lab reported Candiru and Bindecy used those ads to infect 45 Al Jazeera computers in 2024 and 2025.
Researchers accessed Discover-Tech’s public login pages, reconstructed its Controlium dashboard, and downloaded employee login records.
Ad bidding data showed Discover-Tech ads ran on thousands of apps and sites, including military and agency networks, March-June 2026.
Google, IAB Europe, Beeswax, Vungle and Eskimi removed or suspended Discover-Tech from their platforms after the report.