AdFection: How mercenary spyware invades victims’ devices through targeted advertising
Researchers have identified a technique, dubbed AdFection, in which mercenary spyware is delivered to targets through the online advertising ecosystem. The findings carry implications for ad industry practices and for regulators overseeing both surveillance tools and digital advertising.
Why this matters: The ad system you scroll past every day may be the delivery mechanism. Spyware vendors are not just exploiting app stores or phishing links anymore. They are apparently using the same targeting infrastructure advertisers use to reach you with sneaker ads. That means your device can be compromised just by being the right target at the right moment, with no click required. Regulators have spent years trying to rein in ad tracking for privacy reasons. This adds a harder argument: that the same data pipelines can be weaponized against specific people.
Who should care: Lawyers · Compliance · Privacy officers · Cybersecurity
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