Millions of phones exposed to Israeli spyware operation through online ads, researchers say
www.politico.eu
EU and NATO websites displayed online ads linked to Israeli hacking software.

An Israeli surveillance technology firm has run a large-scale operation to infect mobile phones with spyware using online advertisements to hack the devices, researchers said on Thursday.

Here is a bit more information that might help, I posted this in privacy too.

  • NarrativeBear@lemmy.world
    141·
    4 days ago

    I don’t really full understand the concept of “zero click” ads, and how that could possibly work. I would assume a browser should be robust enough to block unwanted downloads?

    Pretty scary stuff if just seeing a ad on a random website is enough for something to be installed on a phone or a pc.

    Anyone with more knowledge, can you elaborate?

    Also, I am using a full network ad blocker similar to Pihole. I barely see any ads on websites or apps, when connected to my home network (either through WiFi or VPN to my home)

    • Em Adespoton@lemmy.ca
      18·
      4 days ago

      “Zero click” means you’ve already given something permission to run on your device.

      In this case, the ad network had permission to run scripts on the device, and they abused that privilege to run scripts that could install spyware.

      People like us who have always blocked active scripts and ads aren’t vulnerable to most of these “zero click” attacks because we already distrust the mechanisms they abuse.

      It’s why I prefer my email and texts to be pute text too, with no automation set to take action based on incoming unvetted content.

      • AgentSeven@lemmy.zip
        14·
        4 days ago

        It’s why I prefer my email and texts to be pute text too, with no automation set to take action based on incoming unvetted content.

        An excellent point, I disable loading email images in every client I use, even if for no other reason than not giving them a way to recognize that the email was read and subsequently list me as a live target.

    • CrossingtheAbyss@lemmy.today
      9·
      3 days ago

      Once an ad loaded, code inside it could contact a Discover-Tech server. That server decided whether the visitor was a chosen target. If the details matched, it could return JavaScript that loaded more code and began the infection process. No click was needed.

      This method works because modern ads are not always simple pictures or videos. They can include code for measuring views, tracking users, and loading content from other companies.

      Real-time bidding systems also share data within a fraction of a second so advertisers can decide whether to buy an ad slot. That data may include a device ID, IP address, location, and browser details. AdFection used this design to find selected devices and send code only to them, making the activity harder for ad platforms and security researchers to catch.

      https://cybersecuritynews.com/0-click-spyware-infects-devices/