Researchers: VPN Service Hola Big Security Risk

The free VPN service Hola appears not to be used for DDoS attacks, malware also communicated over the network. In addition, the software is such a big security risk that users can better remove VPN service, say researchers at security company Vectra.

Last week Hola came into the news because it resold the bandwidth of users to other parties. Someone who knew the company did then the bandwidth to be used for a DDoS attack. Also, researchers discovered several vulnerabilities, making it possible to track users and to execute arbitrary code on computers. The CEO of Hola promised improvement and suggested that the vulnerabilities were corrected, although researchers contradict this.

Malware

The DDoS attack via the VPN service is no exception, because cyber criminals Hola appear to have been longer in sight.During investigation of the Hola protocol Vectra researchers discovered five malware instances that also use the protocol."Not surprisingly, this means that the bad guys already realized the potential of Hola before the power of public reports published by the good guys", so put them in this analysis .

The investigation revealed further problems upwards. In addition to behave like a botnet contains Hola according to researchers various opportunities that seem to have been a targeted by introducing a human-driven cyber attack on the network from which the computers of the Hola-user stand.

It also appears Hola additional software without knowledge or consent of the user to download and install. This is possible because Hola after installation installs its own certificate on the computer. This additional code can be installed and run without the user would not be informed. "These capabilities allow a skilled attacker to execute almost everything," said the researchers. They also advise users to remove the software.

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VPN Service Hola Used For DDoS Attack On 8Chan

The popular free VPN service Hola has recently been used to carry out a DDoS attack on the 8Chan website. Hola is as an extension for Google Chrome easy to install and use, which besides being free explains the popularity. In order not to pay for the traffic of users makes the VPN service using a P2P system where the traffic of users is through the connection of other users.

What many users do not know is that the company behind the VPN service sells the users of bandwidth via a service called Luminati. Luminati gives people to pay for access to the Hola network, for example, to commercial traffic anonymous routing.In this way Hola remains free to users. Via Luminati However, it is also possible to use the bandwidth of Hola users for DDoS attacks.

On May 24 was Luminati used as botnet to attack the 8Can website, so let investigator Nikoloz Kokhreidze Monday already know. The founder of 8Chan, Fredrick Brennan, then placed a warning on the website that users Hola better not use. "Hola is the most unethical VPN've ever seen," he observes. In a response to Business Insider Hola let know that the party that the DDoS attack conducted could use any VPN service. In addition, it should also be obvious to users how Hola works, but is there because of all the fuss surrounding private details are put on the website.

Owner Hide My Ass Multimillionaire By Selling VPN Service

The Czech anti-virus company AVG has the VPN service Hide My Ass adopted , allowing the 26-year-old developer and owner multimillionaire has become. The sale has Jack Cator, the Briton who the VPN service a decade ago in one afternoon put together, earned 35 million euros.

In addition, AVG will pay another 17.5 million if the VPN service over the next year is able to achieve certain goals. Cator decided to develop the VPN service because he was at school some music and games sites could not visit. Through a VPN enabled him to reach those websites because first connection was made with another machine, where websites could then be visited.

The then 16-year-old Cator thought to be desired quality of existing VPN services and decided to build his own VPN solution, so let him across the BBC know. In just one afternoon he set Hide My Ass in each other, which was in ten years one of the leading VPN providers in the world, with 250,000 paying users. Despite the acquisition Cator will remain as director of Hide My Ass.