Security researchers behind a new study have issued a chilling warning about more than 20 of the top Android VPN apps found on the Google Play Store. According to the study, three different families of VPN clients available on Google Play share the same infrastructures and codebases, despite all appearing as unconnected apps on Google’s app store. Additionally, because they share such similarities, especially in the codebase, the security researchers say they all share the same security flaws.
There’s a great deal of concern here, of course, including the lack of disclosure that more than 20 of the most downloaded VPNs on Google Play are associated somehow. First, the security researchers note how troubling it is that these VPNs are giving consumers a false sense of choice, as present themselves as unique, competing VPN services, only for them to all be basically the same at a foundational level.
Further, though, is the fact that all of these VPNs share the same security flaws. As TechRadar explains, these flaws make it easier for hackers to decrypt user traffic and conduct other attacks, so even if you install one over the other, you’d still be opening yourself up to the possible exploitation of these flaws. Some of these apps have even been found to have ties to Russia and China, raising more concerns over how they might be gathering data from U.S. citizens.
How to check if you’re affected
If you’re curious whether or not you’ve fallen prey to these shenanigans, then you’ll be happy to know that the security researchers did release a list of the apps they found that are in the same families and are affected by these flaws, as well as how many times these apps have been downloaded from the Play Store. Here’s a list of all the affected VPN apps:
- Turbo VPN
- Turbo VPN Lite
- VPN Monster
- VPN Proxy Master
- VPN Proxy Master – Lite
- Snap VPN
- Robot VPN
- SuperNet VPN
- Global VPN
- XY VPN
- Super Z VPN
- Touch VPN-Stable & Secure
- VPN ProMaster-Secure your net
- 3X VPN – Smooth Browsing
- VPN Inf
- Melon VPN – Secure Proxy VPN
- X-VPN
- Fast Potato VPN
- Tetra VPN
- VPN – Super Unlimited Proxy
- Secure VPN Safer Internet
Using a VPN is one of the best ways to boost your privacy when browsing the internet, and everyone should consider using a VPN. But not all VPNs can be trusted, as clearly indicated by this research. Even if you don’t download apps from untrusted sources, it’s hard to avoid security issues completely. This is especially true when the developers aren’t being wholly honest about their connections to each other.
Until Google requires that disclosure, though, and comes up with a way to keep app developers from bypassing it, this is a very real problem that Android users will have to contend with. If you are running one of the apps listed above, then it is highly recommended that you change your VPN as soon as possible.
