A Chrome VPN extension may pose a danger to your privacy.
It’s no secret that many users of a VPN free trial consider using a not only as an app, but also in the form of an extension. Chrome users are not an exception to the rule: but an application titled “FreeVPN.One” having over 100,000 installs and previously considered safe, may not be so safe anymore.
Beyond the VPN Free Trial: What’s Happening?
Researchers at Koi Security have discovered that even though the free VPN extension is rated 3.8 with over 1,000 ratings on Google Play and claims to further your privacy on the Web, the app is far from innocent. According to Koi Security, the VPN free trial:
- After the users of the VPN free trial open a page, the VPN silently grabs a screenshot and sends it to a webpage aitd[.]one/brange.php together with the page URL, tab ID, and an identifier that identifies a particular user. Researchers allege that the VPN extension is able to do that because it injects a script into any website that is visited.
- Once a website is visited and has fully rendered on the screen, the script allegedly takes a screenshot of the page in question.
- After a screenshot is taken, it’s uploaded to the aforementioned webpage.
It is also alleged that the VPN free trial extension also collects device information and forwards it to – you guessed it – the same URL.
Is the VPN Training an AI Detector?
Once we visit the URL, we see an innocent-looking page under the guise of an AI Threat Detector:
The website itself may be looking innocent and may have a goal to actually help end users from the looks of it, but why use screenshots from the users of the VPN free trial to perform such actions? According to Koi Security, the monitoring of the users of the VPN is likely to have begun in or around April of 2025 with the addition for the VPN to access any URLs you’ve visited. In July 2025, the gap between security and privacy invasion has widened and the aforementioned domain was registered.
The researchers also allege that in the latest update of the VPN free trial developers have obfuscated the way the extension captures and uploads screenshots to the server by introducing AES-256-based encryption with RSA keys.
The reasons behind such a decision remain unknown, but with allegations including silent screenshots, the harvesting of device details, and some more, it isn’t looking good for the free VPN provider. Users of the VPN free trial can only hope things turn around and privacy-invading features are removed, but for now, it’s advised to switch to other VPN free trial providers and use other features instead.
Privacy-conscious users are advised to peruse data breach search engines such as BreachDirectory.com – not only will it allow you to check whether your personal information, including an IP address, is compromised in any known data breaches, but it also allows you to search through a variety of other data sources such as Pastebin and even YCombinator data also allowing you to conduct due diligence on IP or email addresses and beyond.
Take BreachDirectory.com for a spin today and until next time!
Summary
Researchers at Koi Security discovered something astonishing: a popular free VPN app on Google App Store may be spying on its users. According to them, the VPN may take screenshots of the pages visited by users and even collect device information.
To stay safe, employ trusted VPN services, make wise decisions in real life, and make use of data breach search engines like BreachDirectory.com to stay safe on the Web, too.
FAQ
What is a VPN Free Trial?
A VPN free trial is a feature of many VPNs that allow its users to use the VPN for free for a limited amount of time before needing to pay for the application.
Is FreeVPN.One Dangerous?
FreeVPN.One may be a dangerous VPN free trial extension. According to security researchers, the free VPN may take screenshots of visited pages, collect device information, and do other things, possibly invading the privacy of its users.
How Can I Protect Myself Beyond Using a VPN Free Trial?
To protect yourself online beyond using a VPN free trial, consider using data breach search engines. Data breach search engines like the one available at BreachDirectory.com will tell you whether your identity is in danger and allow you to search through a wide variety of data classes to know whether your identity is at risk of being stolen or perform due diligence if you so desire.