When Ads Become Attack Vectors: The New Era of Zero-Click Web Attacks

When Ads Become Attack Vectors: The New Era of Zero-Click Web Attacks

Recent cyberattacks targeting Al Jazeera demonstrated an emerging security risk where online advertising infrastructure was reportedly used to deliver sophisticated zero-click spyware, challenging the traditional assumption that users must click a malicious link to become compromised. 

This special OWASP Cairo event will explore what this incident means for application security and cybersecurity awareness, how advertising and browser technologies can become part of the modern attack surface, and what individuals, developers, and organizations can do to reduce their exposure.

Session: When Ads Become Attack Vectors
In this practical session, Ayman Mohamed will explain the concept behind ad-based zero-click attacks and the application-security risks associated with browsers, online advertising, tracking, and third-party content. The session will include defensive demonstrations using different tools to explore and block advertising traffic, along with a controlled demonstration of browser-side security risks and practical approaches to reducing exposure.

Event speaker: Ayman Mohamed
Ayman Mohamed is a cybersecurity leader with more than 17 years of experience spanning software development, ethical hacking, application security, and DevSecOps. He began his career identifying vulnerabilities in major global enterprises, earning recognition from Visa and other Fortune 500 companies, before working as a Senior Security Analyst at Citi Group and holding engineering roles at IBM, CAS, and SiliconExpert. A board member of the OWASP Cairo Chapter, Ayman is also the founder of Secyour.pro, the Estonia-based cybersecurity practice of Homains, where he focuses on automating security and compliance through its Secyour Markup Language (SML). Today, his work increasingly focuses on AI security, including leading Maestro, a platform designed to enable AI agents to operate securely within enterprise environments through isolation, least-privilege access, and human oversight.