Is Your VPN Leaking?

Posted on March 20, 2022 • by Dilara Yavuz

People use VPNs for various reasons—to protect their privacy, to get around censorship, or to access region-blocked content. But what if your VPN is leaking? That means that your actual IP address is being exposed, which could put your privacy at risk. You might be surprised to learn that many VPNs are leaking your data, making you vulnerable to hackers and other privacy threats. In this blog post, we’ll explain Is Your VPN Leaking? what VPN leaks are and how to protect yourself from them. So if you’re concerned about your privacy, be sure to read on!

What Are VPN Leaks?

A VPN leak is when your actual IP address is exposed, despite using a VPN. This can happen for various reasons, but it usually comes down to either your VPN’s security protocols or your web browser’s settings. In some cases, it might even be due to your ISP. Either way, if your VPN is leaking, it’s not doing its job correctly.

There are two main types of leaks:

DNS leaks
WebRTC leaks

DNS leaks: This leak occurs when your DNS requests are sent outside the encrypted VPN tunnel. This means that your ISP (or anyone else) can see which websites you’re trying to access.

WebRTC leaks: These types of leaks are similar, but they occur through your web browser instead of your DNS server. This can expose your real IP address and location to websites, even if you’re using a VPN.

Steps to check If VPN Leaking?

Step#01: Check your real IP

Go to Google and search for “check my IP address” and check your real IP. Remember that your VPN should be disabled while checking your IP.

Step#02: Log in to VPN

Sign in to the VPN you are using and connect to your preferred server. Make sure again that you are connected to your VPN.

Step#03: Check your IP again

Repeat step no. 01 and check the IP address of your system again. This should be the new IP address according to your VPN and the region you selected.

Step#04: Perform IP leak test

The best way to check for VPN leaks is to use a tool like the ones below:

This website, “DNSLeakTest.com,” offers a simple test to see if your DNS requests are being leaked. Just visit the site and click “Standard Test.” If you see any results that show your true IP address or location, then you have a DNS leak.
This test, “WebRTC Leak Test,” is similar to the one above, but it checks for WebRTC leaks instead of DNS leaks. To use it, visit the site and click “Start Test.” Again, if you see any results that expose your real IP address or location, you have a WebRTC leak.

What Can You Do About VPN Leaks?

The good news is that there are a few things you can do to protect yourself from VPN leaks.

1. First, make sure that you’re using a reputable VPN service. This might seem obvious, but it’s worth repeating: a good VPN will have robust security protocols in place to prevent leaks. So if you’re not sure whether your VPN is up to the task, do some research and read reviews before signing up.

2. Second, check your web browser’s settings. In particular, look for any settings related to WebRTC and make sure that they’re disabled. This will help to prevent any WebRTC leaks.

3. Finally, keep an eye on your ISP. If you notice that your VPN is leaking despite taking these precautions, your ISP may be the culprit. In this case, you might need to switch to a different ISP.

VPN leaks can be a serious privacy threat, but they don’t have to be. By using a reputable VPN and taking some simple precautions, you can protect yourself from these leaks and keep your data safe.

How to Prevent VPN Leaks?

There are a few different ways to prevent VPN leaks. The first is to use a VPN that offers robust security protocols, like OpenVPN or IKEv2. These protocols are designed to protect against leaks, so make sure your VPN uses one of them. You can also check your browser’s settings to ensure they’re not exposing your IP address. In Firefox, you can do this by going to Preferences > Advanced > Network > Settings and ticking the “Disable WebRTC” box. Chrome users can enable the same setting by going to chrome://flags/#disable-webrtc.

Finally, you can also use a VPN leak test to check for leaks. This is a simple tool that scans your VPN’s connection and exposes any leaks. You can find several leak test tools online, but our favorite is ipleak.net.

So if you’re concerned about your privacy, be sure to take these steps to protect yourself from VPN leaks!

Worst Examples of IP Leak Disasters

1. In 2017, a major security flaw was discovered in the popular VPN service Hola. This flaw allowed anyone to access the Hola network and see the actual IP addresses of users. This mishap led to a major privacy breach for Hola users, as their true identities and locations were exposed to the world.

2. In 2018, another major VPN leak was discovered. This time, the leak affected the VPN service SuperVPN. The leak exposed the actual IP addresses of over half a million SuperVPN users, putting their privacy at risk.

These are just two examples of how serious VPN leaks can be. If you’re using a VPN, it’s essential to be aware of the risks and take steps to protect yourself from VPN and cybersecurity-related threats.