Google and Comcast have removed Discover-Tech from their advertising platforms, and IAB Europe has suspended the firm following the investigation. Researchers identified billions of bidding records and discovered that the firm's source code was left publicly accessible on a login page. In addition to targeting Al Jazeera, the pipeline reached governments in the EU, the United Nations, the US Department of Defense, and critical infrastructure including rail, ports, and nuclear energy systems.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
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Google and Comcast Ban Israeli Ad Firm Over Global Spyware Pipeline
Cybersecurity6 days ago
Discover-Tech’s bidding system deployed infections to devices belonging to election commissions, semiconductor factories, and heads of state, including those in the European Union, according to a report by Citizen Lab and Confiant. The Israeli firm used an automated pipeline to bid on device identifiers and IP addresses in exchanges, including Google Ads, to deliver zero-click mercenary spyware from the company Candiru, now rebranded as Integrity Labs. The operation, termed AdFection, infected more than 45 devices at Al Jazeera and monitored hundreds of millions of users across 200,000 websites and apps.
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