This allowed the company to collect user information and redirect traffic through affiliate networks for profit.Īlso, we can’t help but mention how the service has been associated with morally ambiguous actions.
Hotspot shield vpn server android#
A 2016 report exposed some of its questionable practices, such as injecting JavaScript codes for advertising and tracking in its free Android app. Despite its controversial past, the service has not leaked any personal data. No, Hotspot Shield VPN hasn’t had any data leaks in the past. Did Hotspot Shield Leak Personal Data in the Past? Aside from Hotspot Shield, Pango and Aura also own a range of other VPNs, such as Betternet, VPN360, and UltraVPN - none of which are known as high-end no-logs VPNs. This acquisition isn’t ideal as the US has intrusive privacy laws and is a member of the 5 Eyes Alliance, known for sharing mass surveillance data.Ĭompanies operating in such invasive jurisdictions may be compelled to retain and share users' information. In July 2020, Aura, the parent company of Pango, acquired Hotspot Shield. Hotspot Shield is a US-based security company. So, let’s see where Hotspot Shield comes from and what that means for its users. It’s important to know where your chosen VPN comes from, as these online services abide by the laws of their home country. Hotspot Shield, however, denies any wrongdoing. The service is based in the US and has been accused of collecting data and having connections with US authorities. Hotspot Shield's situation is highly problematic. The following table provides an overview of its key features and capabilities. To start, let’s review some basic information about the service. In this review, we’ll take a closer look at both the premium and free versions of Hotspot Shield. However, privacy-conscious users who desire more control and transparency over their VPN may want to consider other alternatives. Fortunately, the service hasn't had a major data breach before.įor casual users who want a quick and easy VPN for streaming, torrenting, and gaming, Hotspot Shield could be a good option. But it says these logs are anonymous and not shared or sold to anyone. Hotspot Shield also keeps users' data logs. Additionally, the service hasn’t undergone an independent audit.Īlso, remember that the US belongs to the Five Eyes Alliance and has strict surveillance laws. While Hotspot Shield meets most essentials, such as AES-256 encryption, a kill switch, and protection from malicious and phishing sites, it lacks some of the advanced features that other VPNs offer at the same price range.
It can also bypass geo-restrictions on many popular streaming platforms.īut is it a good choice? To find out, we’ll test and compare it with the other best VPN services on the market in this hands-on Hotspot Shield VPN review. The service boasts a network of over 3,000 servers in 80+ countries and allows P2P traffic on all servers.
Yibelo has also publicly released a proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit code-just a few lines of JavaScript code-that could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to extract sensitive information and configuration data.Hotspot Shield is a US-based VPN service known for its reliable speeds, particularly with its own Hydra protocol. "User-controlled input is not sufficiently filtered: an unauthenticated attacker can send a POST request to /status.js with the parameter func=$_APPLOG.Rfunc and extract sensitive information about the machine," the vulnerability description reads. There are other multiple endpoints that return sensitive data including configuration details," Yibelo claims.
" generates a sensitive JSON response that reveals whether the user is connected to VPN, to which VPN he/she is connected to what and what their real IP address is & other system juicy information. This server hosts multiple JSONP endpoints, which are surprisingly accessible to unauthenticated requests as well that in response could reveal sensitive information about the active VPN service, including its configuration details. The vulnerability, assigned CVE-2018-6460, has been discovered and reported to the company by an independent security researcher, Paulos Yibelo, but he made details of the vulnerability to the public on Monday after not receiving a response from the company.Īccording to the researcher claims, the flaw resides in the local web server (runs on a hardcoded host 127.0.0.1 and port 895) that Hotspot Shield installs on the user's machine. However, an 'alleged' information disclosure vulnerability discovered in Hotspot Shield results in the exposure of users data, like the name of Wi-Fi network name (if connected), their real IP addresses, which could reveal their location, and other sensitive information.
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