• Game and Cheating: In "Gorilla Tag", players use arm movements to control their characters. Some kids found a way to cheat by side-loading a VPN onto Meta's VR headsets to get ahead. The VPN introduces a delay, making it easier to tag opponents.
• VPN and Proxy: The free VPN app, Big Mama VPN, is selling access to users' home internet connections. This rerouting of traffic, known as a residential proxy, is popular with cybercriminals for various malicious activities like cyberattacks and using botnets.
• Trend Micro's Discovery: Trend Micro first spotted Meta's VR headsets in its threat intelligence residential proxy data. The VR headsets were the third most popular device using the Big Mama VPN app. Using a free VPN like Big Mama opens people to privacy and security risks.
• Big Mama's Services: Big Mama consists of a free VPN app and a proxy network. The proxy network allows buying shared access to "real" IP addresses. It is advertised for various uses but is also linked to cybercrime on underground forums.
• Ownership and Operations: Big Mama's website has few details about ownership. A person named Alex A responded to WIRED, denying advertising and saying they block certain activities. Trend Micro found a security vulnerability in the VPN which was fixed.
• Overall Risks: Downloading and using a free VPN always comes with privacy or security concerns. Side-loading VPNs onto VR headsets like Oculus devices adds to these risks.