{"id":237,"date":"2023-04-11T05:17:49","date_gmt":"2023-04-11T05:17:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dataprot.net\/?p=237"},"modified":"2023-05-06T05:33:54","modified_gmt":"2023-05-06T05:33:54","slug":"webrtc-leak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dataprot.net\/guides\/webrtc-leak\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Stop a WebRTC Leak on Your Favorite Browser"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
As we have moved so much of our lives online, privacy has become a priority. For that particular reason, we at DataProt advise using one of the recommended VPN services to protect your information and privacy. However, not everything can be solved with a gadget-like extension or app. It\u2019s important to familiarize yourself with potential breaches and vulnerabilities some VPNs have; a WebRTC leak is one of the most common ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
WebRTC: What Is It and Why It\u2019s Useful<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) is open-source software that\u2019s free to use and add through JavaScript APIs (Application Programming Interface) to allow for video and audio communication through P2P (peer-to-peer) protocols.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The technology reduces video and audio lagging, even for large files. WebRTC is an excellent choice for software enabling group calls and webinars with improved sound quality. Now that we have answered: \u201cWhat is WebRTC?\u201d we\u2019ll move on to analyzing why it represents a potential privacy issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
WebRTC and IP Address Leaks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
WebRTC is supported by modern browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera, Brave, Edge, etc. Because of browser vulnerabilities, leaving your public IP address unprotected may cost you your anonymity through a WebRTC STUN (Session Traversal Utilities for NAT) server request, even though your VPN is properly functioning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Windows makes it possible to send data over routes that weren\u2019t set up as the default ones, and a STUN server sends requests to any interface it can reach from the user\u2019s side. A UDP packet can sometimes include your actual IP address, and a WebRTC IP leak is the result of that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Testing for Leaks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Thankfully, plenty of services online test for potential leaks so you can diagnose your VPN. According to our tests, ExpressVPN prevents IP leaks and has an online service for checking if WebRTC is enabled and if the IP address is encrypted and tunneled through VPN. Websites like BrowserLeaks test WebRTC<\/a> as well, and you can get an in-depth report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n