Leak VPN Providers Can Reveal IP Address Users

A vulnerability in some VPN providers can ensure that the real IP address of users is revealed, warns VPN provider Perfect Privacy. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a secure connection between a computer and a server elsewhere on the Internet.

This connection is encrypted which others can not observe. All Internet traffic to and from the computer goes through this route shielded and can on this part will not be overheard. Additionally, VPN users can thus protect their IP address as websites visited only see the IP address of the VPN provider. According Perfect Privacy walk users of some VPN providers still risk their real IP address is known.

Port forwarding

The problem is with VPN providers offering port forwarding. It does not matter whether users of the VPN providers themselves use port forwarding, only the attacker must set it. To determine the IP address of a victim, there must be fulfilled several conditions. For example, the attacker must have an active account with the same VPN provider and the victim. The attacker must know the 'exit' IP address of the victim and the victim to open a file or page.

An attacker who port forwarding is activated can then request to see the image or website which the real IP address of the victim is from. In total, nine tested Perfect Privacy VPN providers, of which five were found vulnerable. These parties have been notified. The problem, however, with other VPN providers are not tested, warns Perfect Privacy.

BitTorrent

According to security expert Darren Martyn can leak be used to expose BitTorrent users who illegally download copyrighted material. To shield their IP address are BitTorrent users who use a VPN service. By leak holders can still see the IP addresses of illegal downloaders. Martyn expects that companies connected with suing copyright infringers concerned will use this vulnerability to sue BitTorrent users.

Survey: Most VPN Services Leak IPv6 Traffic

Twenty percent of European Internet users use a VPN service to encrypt its Internet or IP address to foreclose, but many of these services leakage data users, say researchers at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL).

VPN services are among others used to visit for example censored or domestically not accessible websites, but also to encrypt traffic so for example, the home network can not monitor this. The researchers looked at the services of the 14 most popular VPN providers and found that there are 11 user information leaked, so leave them in their research report ( pdf know).This involves things like websites visited and the content of comments posted online. The problem is not with websites visited via HTTPS.

IPv6

The problem is caused by the leakage of IPv6 traffic, also referred to as "IPv6 leakage". IPv6 is the successor to IPv4, which is the standard now. The Internet Protocol is the communications protocol that is used to identify hosts on networks, and to determine their location. The advantage of IPv6 is that many more addresses are available, and provides the protocol features that are not present in IPv4. Many network operators steps now to IPv6, but many VPN services protect only IPv4 traffic.

For the study the fourteen most popular VPN providers were used and made from different devices with a Wi-Fi network connection. Attacks were carried out from this access point that could perform attackers. There was passive monitoring place where unencrypted data was stored, and "DNS hijacking, in which the users' browser was redirected to another location.

The researchers also looked at the safety of different mobile platforms when using VPN services and discovered that Apple's iOS offers more protection, but data from Android users can leak. "There are several reasons why someone wants to hide his identity and it is worrying that they are at risk, even though they use a service that is precisely designed to protect them," said QMUL researcher Gareth Tyson. He is particularly concerned about people living in repressive regimes and surfing via a VPN.