Zero-Click Spyware Delivered via Targeted Ads: AdFection

(citizenlab.ca)

131 points | by jcomp 5 hours ago

7 comments

  • Frieren 55 minutes ago
    Ads providers should be held responsible for delivering malware. All the tracking (that includes fingerprinting for clients that do not want to be tracked) should also be illegal.

    How is this acceptable for society goes beyond me. And then corporations blame individuals when they get scammed. It is your fault that we have all your information and leak it everywhere, when it is not just directly sold.

    And add jail time to fines. Fines means nothing for the rich.

    • iamflimflam1 28 minutes ago
      That would mean some google people going to jail...
      • yummypaint 9 minutes ago
        If such a thing were passed, it can't apply retroactively. But yes, google people would go to jail when they inevitably flout it as they are accustomed to doing. We should make this happen.

        People in the US have a unique window of opportunity starting TODAY (Oct 2026) in many places with early voting. I implore everyone who is able to vote in the midterms to do so.

      • tikimcfee 11 minutes ago
        Stop, stop, I can only dream so hard.
  • fhdkweig 2 hours ago
    A later submission has more comments: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50103000 , 57 comments 1 hour ago
  • saagarjha 39 minutes ago
    I’m a little confused how mobile ad targeting ends up as a DLL hijack?
    • nielsbot 35 minutes ago
      mobile ads can deliver JS-based exploits
      • saagarjha 25 minutes ago
        But how do the DLLs hack you
  • the_giraffe 31 minutes ago
    Someone should look at mergers of large digital advertising companies after Trump's most recent election... And then look at the timing of it. The countries involved happened to be Israeli and have many employees based out of Argentina. Which is crazy since the United States, Israel and Argentina happened to become extremely close after that election cycle...

    The CTO happens to have worked for Radware

    https://radware.com/

    https://www.innovid.com/about-us/news/mediaocean-completes-a...

  • kotaKat 1 hour ago
    Apps should be required to disclose every single ad network they use as part of their app store disclosures. I want a lot more transparency as to where the ads are coming from inside the app itself.

    I've witnessed consumer apps throwing quite heinous malware/sketchware advertisements and watched the banners rotate between 4-5 different ad vendors to keep things hot and spicy.

    • itopaloglu83 1 hour ago
      The incentives are lopsided, there’s so much money to be made by selling access to you and your devices, and controlling you, than just taking your money.
      • Firaxus 53 minutes ago
        Indeed, it seems there are some externalities that a 100% free market doesn’t protect against for which regulation is probably the best tool.

        A regulation here that applies to all app stores is even business friendly as an appstore which wanted to do this already wouldn’t be punished by trying to do this on their own, for the reasons you mentioned.

  • kleiba2 5 hours ago
    uBlock Origin ftw
    • rwaksmunski 19 minutes ago
      And wBlock on Safari.
    • tamimio 11 minutes ago
      Plus a dns based blocker for other apps. Android has an option ready for that, iPhone it will be like VPN.
    • dominojab 1 hour ago
      [dead]