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[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE] · [TECHNOLOGY]

3 clusters · 47 sources · 11 days · First seen · Last updated

Discover-Tech digital surveillance allegations

Overview

Research has identified the Israeli advertising technology firm Discover-Tech as a central actor in sophisticated cyber espionage and surveillance operations.

Initial findings from Citizen Lab and Confiant detailed a campaign known as ‘AdFection’, which utilized the firm’s Controlium platform to deliver zero-click spyware through malicious digital advertisements. This operation, active between March and June 2026, targeted over 70,000 mobile applications and 120,000 websites. The campaign reportedly reached high-profile entities including NATO, the United Nations, and the European Parliament, as well as staff at Al Jazeera. The spyware used in these attacks was attributed to Candiru, an Israeli firm previously blacklisted by the United States. New details indicate that at least 45 devices belonging to Al Jazeera staff were targeted during 2024 and 2025.

Subsequent research by TrendAI, a unit of Trend Micro, identified Discover-Tech as a leading bidder for advertisements targeting Starlink satellite internet users across more than 100 countries. Referred to by researchers under the codename ‘Shadow-Earth-79’, this activity suggests that real-time bidding (RTB) systems may be exploited to geolocate or surveil users, including those in nations where Starlink service is restricted or banned. TrendAI noted that the ad auction process allows bidders to access technical data, such as IP addresses and device characteristics, which can be aggregated to track individuals. Discover-Tech showed dominant bidding activity in markets with low legitimate Western advertising demand, such as Syria, Libya, Yemen, and South Sudan, and was the second-largest bidder in Afghanistan. Researchers noted that monitoring Starlink users is particularly valuable as the service allows users to bypass national telecommunications infrastructure and censorship.

Entities

Discover-Tech · TrendAI · Trend Micro · Starlink · SpaceX

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Timeline

  1. [TECHNOLOGY] 6 sources
    Discover-Tech accused of tracking Starlink users via fake ads

    Israeli company Discover-Tech is accused of using digital advertising auctions to track the locations and activities of Starlink users across more than 100 countries.

  2. [TECHNOLOGY] 31 sources
    Discover-Tech accused of targeting Starlink users for surveillance

    Israeli ad-tech firm Discover-Tech allegedly used digital advertising auctions to target Starlink users in over 100 countries for potential geolocation and surveillance.

  3. [TECHNOLOGY] 11 sources
    Discover-Tech used online ads to deliver zero-click spyware

    Researchers have uncovered ‘AdFection’, a technique where Israeli firm Discover-Tech used targeted ads to deliver zero-click spyware to millions, including Al Jazeera journalists and government entities.

Sources

90minutos.co · ad-hoc-news.de · aksam.com.tr · apokalypsnu.nl · atitudinea.ro · businessam.be · businesstechweekly.com · canaltech.com.br · curl.haxx.se · cybernoz.com · de.rt.com · econoTimes.com · french.almanar.com.lb · ghanaguardian.com · gizmodo.com · insidebusiness.ng · it-daily.net · karar.com · key4biz.it · kion546.com · lajornadasanluis.com.mx · lowyat.net · mayacomunicacion.com.mx · meobserver.org · minhaoperadora.com.br · n1info.hr · nemosnewsnetwork.com · news.az · novaramedia.com · ocafezinho.com · ogunhaber.com · oslobodjenje.ba · ppc.land · presshub.ro · profit.ro · researchsnipers.com · rocketnews.com · sofx.com · srnnews.com · techcentral.ie · techgear.gr · tedroid.com · tek.sapo.pt · timesnownews.com · unkreativ.net · viagemegastronomia.com.br · weekly.ascii.jp

This summary has been updated 6 times: see revision history