RKS Global experts re-examined 30 popular Russian Android apps and found that all of them are now capable of detecting VPNs. Moreover, according to network logs, some apps send this information to their servers for further analysis.
Seven apps—Wildberries, 2GIS, MTS, Ozon, MegaMarket, RuStore, and Odnoklassniki—can now retrieve a full list of installed VPN clients on a device. Previously, this approach was only seen in isolated cases.
The study is titled " Detecting Surveillance in 30 Popular Russian Apps " (PDF). The experts examined APK files from RuStore and Google Play using static analysis: they decompiled the apps and tested them against 68 checkpoints in 12 categories. However, the authors emphasize a limitation of their methodology: dynamic testing on real devices was not conducted. The intensification of such checks is due to regulatory recommendations. Previously, the Ministry of Digital Development asked telecom operators and IT companies to take measures against the use of block circumvention tools. Since April 15, many Russian platforms began restricting access to users with VPNs enabled , and the actual list of such services turned out to be broader than initially expected. The Ministry of Digital Development also stated that Russian services are available to users abroad . If a website or app mistakenly requests to disable the VPN, even when not in use, users are advised to contact the support team for the specific service. Simultaneously, test projects for Android have become publicly available, demonstrating methods for detecting VPNs and proxies on the device. Among them is RKNHardering . @ Anti-Malware
Seven apps—Wildberries, 2GIS, MTS, Ozon, MegaMarket, RuStore, and Odnoklassniki—can now retrieve a full list of installed VPN clients on a device. Previously, this approach was only seen in isolated cases.
The study is titled " Detecting Surveillance in 30 Popular Russian Apps " (PDF). The experts examined APK files from RuStore and Google Play using static analysis: they decompiled the apps and tested them against 68 checkpoints in 12 categories. However, the authors emphasize a limitation of their methodology: dynamic testing on real devices was not conducted. The intensification of such checks is due to regulatory recommendations. Previously, the Ministry of Digital Development asked telecom operators and IT companies to take measures against the use of block circumvention tools. Since April 15, many Russian platforms began restricting access to users with VPNs enabled , and the actual list of such services turned out to be broader than initially expected. The Ministry of Digital Development also stated that Russian services are available to users abroad . If a website or app mistakenly requests to disable the VPN, even when not in use, users are advised to contact the support team for the specific service. Simultaneously, test projects for Android have become publicly available, demonstrating methods for detecting VPNs and proxies on the device. Among them is RKNHardering . @ Anti-Malware