Zerosecurity
  • Home
  • Security
    • Exploits
    • Mobile Security
  • Malware
  • Data Breaches
  • Crypto
  • Privacy
  • Downloads
    • Malwarebytes
    • Exploits
    • Paper Downloads
    • Software & Service Reviews
No Result
View All Result
SUBSCRIBE
Zerosecurity
  • Home
  • Security
    • Exploits
    • Mobile Security
  • Malware
  • Data Breaches
  • Crypto
  • Privacy
  • Downloads
    • Malwarebytes
    • Exploits
    • Paper Downloads
    • Software & Service Reviews
No Result
View All Result
Zerosecurity
No Result
View All Result
Home Privacy

Chrome Browser Extension Vytal Prevents Privacy Leaks

Christi Rogalski by Christi Rogalski
June 19, 2022 - Updated on June 20, 2022
in Privacy, Tools
0
Vytal Chrome Extension spoofs location data
79
SHARES
1.3k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Released in 2008, Google Chrome is a cross-platform web browser. With over 3.2 billion internet users worldwide, there’s no denying that Chrome is the most popular browser today. Chrome is many user’s preferred browser because it regularly receives new features and has a large number of extensions/plugins available. Google Chrome recently welcomed a new browser extension called Vytal. Vytal is more of a VPN tool that can spoof your location data and user agent without routing your traffic through a server.

You might also like

GIFs in messaging apps are tracking you

Google Chrome exposes user extensions to fingerprinting

Are Bluetooth signals being used to track smartphones?

What exactly is Vytal?

Vytal is a new open-source Google Chrome extension designed to perform different functions that are similar to a VPN. This tool will spoof your location data, timezone, user agent, and locale.

Vytal works by restricting web pages from using programming APIs that have the ability to locate your geographic location. Interestingly, the browser extension is also effective even when using a VPN. One highlight of Vytal is that it addresses most users’ challenges while using a VPN service. But what exactly are these challenges?

No doubt, VPNs are very effective for hiding IP addresses. Once your device’s IP address is concealed, it becomes impossible for people to discover your physical location directly. But many services utilize JavaScript functions to query specific data from web browsers which allows them to detect your location, timezone, and local time? These are some of the challenges that Vytal helps to address.

How does Vytal work?

A couple of days ago, the developer of Vytal “z0ccc” shared information regarding the new Google Chrome extension on Y Combinator’s Hacker News. Explaining the function of the VPN tool, z0ccc mentioned that it could effectively spoof timezone, geolocation, locale, and user agent. The developer further revealed that Vytal uses a chrome.debugger API to make the spoofing process successful.

Here’s a brief of what z0ccc said regarding this new Chrome extension:

“Vytal uses Chrome.debugger to spoof data. This enables the data to be spoofed in various places, including web workers, frames, and during the website’s initial loading period. The extension also keeps the spoofing process undetectable.”

Does Vytal have any limitations?

To better understand how Vytal compares to other browser extensions, you can visit their site. z0ccc specifically designed this website to show the different types of data that can be retrieved from your PC even if you have a reliable VPN.

The developer has pointed out some limitations with the new extension. One of them is a slight delay in user experience. This delay will surface when you open a new tab and last until the debugger starts mocking the data. This delay is not serious as there’s a good reason why the extension behaves that way. The lag or delay is there to enable each visited website to get the original value of the data before Vytal comes in to change it.

If Firefox is your browser of choice, Vytal currently doesn’t support any other browsers but Chrome. However, z0ccc already promised to add more features and to continue to make regular updates. Hopefully, the developer will extend this service to other major browsers very soon.

To download the Vytal extension, you can check GitHub or Google Chrome Web Store.

Tags: extensionGoogle ChromeVPN
Share32Tweet20
Christi Rogalski

Christi Rogalski

Christi began her InfoSec carrier at the Illinois Institute of Technology where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Cybersecurity and Information Technology. Her passions include learning about new threats in the security world, investing, and playing with her dog, Pablo.

Recommended For You

GIFs in messaging apps are tracking you

by Christi Rogalski
July 19, 2022
0
GIFs in messaging apps are tracking you

Today, the dynamic moving image, GIF sent to a friend or colleague, perfectly expresses our emotions and lightens the mood of the receiver(s). However, several concerns have been...

Read more

Google Chrome exposes user extensions to fingerprinting

by Kyle
July 1, 2022
0
Google Chrome Extension fingerprinting source

Security researcher, z0ccc, has released a new tool that proves that Google Chrome extensions can be fingerprinted which allows tracking of its users online. Tracking users online is...

Read more

Are Bluetooth signals being used to track smartphones?

by Christi Rogalski
June 17, 2022
0
Bluetooth research leads to tracking

Can Bluetooth signals be used to track smartphones? Many people would say "No" to this question. However, a team of engineers at the University of California San Diego...

Read more

How Apple Stopped $1.5 billion Worth of Fraudulent Transactions in 2021

by Christi Rogalski
June 8, 2022
0
Apple app store security fraud

Apple has recently released statistics on the number of fraudulent and untrustworthy transactions that have passed through the Apple App Store in 2021. In combination, they have stopped...

Read more

Tails OS Developers Warn Users to not use their Operating System

by Kyle
May 28, 2022
0
Tails OS 5.0 zero-day

The developers of the popular Tails OS (operating system) are warning its users to cease use of their tool due to privacy concerns after the discovery of a...

Read more
Next Post
Syslogk Linux Rootkit triggers with magic packets

Syslogk Linux Rootkit triggers with magic packets

Related News

BlueSky Ransomware backdoors KMSAuto activator

BlueSky Ransomware Infects KMSAuto Activator users

July 20, 2022 - Updated on July 22, 2022
BlackCat Ransomware aka “ALPHV” infections on the rise

BlackCat Ransomware aka “ALPHV” infections on the rise

June 16, 2022 - Updated on July 20, 2022
GIFs in messaging apps are tracking you

GIFs in messaging apps are tracking you

July 19, 2022
Zerosecurity

We cover the latest in Information Security & Blockchain news, as well as threat trends targeting both sectors.

Categories

  • Crypto
  • Data Breaches
  • DotNet Framework
  • Downloads
  • Exploits
  • Exploits
  • Information
  • Legal
  • Malware
  • Malware Analysis
  • Mobile Security
  • Paper Downloads
  • Piracy
  • Privacy
  • Programming
  • Public
  • Security
  • Security
  • Software & Service Reviews
  • Technology News
  • Tools
  • Tutorials
  • Video Tutorials
  • Whitepapers
  • Zero Security
  • Contact Us
  • List of our Writers

© 2022 ZeroSecurity, All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Security
  • Exploits
  • Data Breaches
  • Malware
  • Privacy
  • Mobile Security
  • Tools
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022 ZeroSecurity, All Rights Reserved.