Zero-click spyware delivered via ads: Israeli firm is #1 Starlink ad bidder in 105 countries
basedjensen · x · 2026-10-28
A new Citizen Lab investigation confirms the first in-the-wild "AdFection" attacks: zero-click mercenary spyware infections delivered through seemingly normal ads. Israeli company Discover-Tech's ad pipeline planted Candiru spyware on 45+ devices at Al Jazeera English, and data shows it became the #1 bidder for Starlink ads in 105 countries — 66,208 impressions, 12.9% of all Starlink ads — including countries where Starlink is banned. The same pipeline reached NATO, the European Parliament, dozens of government networks, US nuclear giant Westinghouse, and showed signs of display at the US DoD, IAEA and ICC. Researchers advise blocking ads now.
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