WebRTC Leak: Why Your Real IP Bypasses Your VPN

You've paid for a premium VPN, you've connected to a Swiss server, and you think you're anonymous. But a single browser feature might be shouting your real IP address to every site you visit: WebRTC.

What is WebRTC?

Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC) is an open-source project that enables browsers to have voice/video calls and P2P file sharing without plugins. To work efficiently, it needs to find the "best path" between two users.

The Leak Mechanism

To establish a P2P connection, WebRTC must gather your Local IP and Public IP. It does this via "STUN" servers. The problem? Most browsers allow JavaScript to query these IPs directly, bypassing the VPN tunnel in many configurations.

How to Protect Yourself

• Disable WebRTC: Use extensions like "WebRTC Leak Prevent" or manually disable it in about:config (Firefox).
• Browser Settings: Some browsers like Brave have built-in WebRTC leak protection.