What is WebRTC?

The Web Real-Time Communications (WebRTC) technology enables browsers to communicate with devices lacking static web addresses. WebRTC can access your PC’s or smartphone’s microphone and camera and send media files with minimal lag. The technology powers popular videoconferencing tools, messengers, and streaming services.

However useful, WebRTC has a security loophole every VPN user should be aware of. Some WebRTC-based browsers and apps can reveal your real IP address even during active VPN connections. Called a WebRTC leak, this vulnerability threatens your online privacy and security.

How 7VPN protects you from WebRTC leaks

7VPN
Chrome
Safari
Mozilla Firefox
Microsoft Edge
  • 7VPN boasts built-in VPN leak protection based on filtering WebRTC requests, binding WebRTC traffic to your VPN-assigned IP address, and enforcing WebRTC control in browser extensions.
  • With 7VPN, you don’t have to disable WebRTC in browsers, although you can do that for extra protection. For more information, flick through the browser icons above.
  • You can download 7VPN for all popular operating systems, including iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and Linux.
  • Install 7VPN to prevent WebRTC leaks and enjoy safe browsing!
  • Verified WebRTC leak protection tools for Chrome include extensions like WebRTC Leak Prevent and WebRTC Network Limiter.
  • However, these tools merely change WebRTC security and privacy settings, reducing leaks but not eliminating them.
  • To prevent WebRTC leaks in Chrome, download 7VPN — a reliable virtual private network with advanced data encryption mechanisms, built-in ad-blocking software, and a wide choice of server locations.
  • Safari offers more advanced protection against WebRTC leaks compared to other browsers, blocking access to your device’s microphone and camera. However, it does not allow to turn off WebRTC completely.
  • Another way to prevent WebRTC leaks in Safari is by disabling the Legacy WebRTC API in the developer settings. It also helps if you update your browser regularly.
  • A surefire way to suppress WebRTC leaks on Apple devices is to purchase a reliable VPN solution for iOS and macOS. 7VPN will secure your IP address and data when using audio and video streaming apps.
  • To minimize the risk of WebRTC IP leak, change the Firefox configuration settings by typing “about:config” in the address bar and pressing “enter.” Once you accept the warning prompt, type “media.peerconnection.enabled” in the search bar and double-click on the entry to set the value to “false”.
  • Note that disabling WebRTC in Firefox will affect the performance of websites and apps relying on this technology.
  • 7VPN allows you to use media streaming apps in Firefox without restrictions, eliminating WebRTC leaks.
  • Microsoft Edge users can safeguard their IP by changing the default browser settings. For this, type “edge://flags” in the address bar, press “enter,” use the search box to find WebRTC, and turn off the “enable media router” flag. Next, restart the browser.
  • Keeping your browser up to date and using extensions like WebRTC Control can be helpful, too.
  • However, installing VPN services with built-in WebRTC leak protection capabilities remains the only way to use audio and video streaming apps in browsers while protecting your privacy.
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Frequently asked questions

What is WebRTC in VPN?

In the context of virtual private networks, WebRTC is primarily associated with online privacy concerns stemming from how the communication technology works behind the scenes.

Unlike HTTPS websites, whose location is known to the entire Internet, your devices are protected by firewalls and network address translation (NAT) technology.

To establish peer-to-peer connections between devices using web and mobile browsers, WebRTC turns to session traversal utilities for NAT (STUN) servers. These servers help translate your local IP address into a public IP address, bypassing NAT restrictions. STUN requests are sent outside of the VPN tunnel, revealing your IP address and location to a website’s or application’s host.

This undermines the very concept of virtual private networks — especially if you download a VPN for streaming to view location-restricted content.

Does WebRTC work over VPN?

When you are connected to a virtual private network, your traffic is encrypted and routed through the VPN server before reaching its destination. This helps protect your data and hide your IP address from the websites or services you access.

WebRTC, on the other hand, is a technology built into modern web browsers that enables real-time communication, such as audio, video, and data sharing, directly between browsers. It can potentially bypass the VPN and reveal your real IP address, compromising your privacy.

The interaction between WebRTC and VPN can result in IP leaks, where your real IP address and whereabouts are inadvertently exposed despite being connected to a VPN. This occurs because WebRTC can utilize all available network interfaces, including your physical network interface, which may reveal your real IP address to third parties.

Can WebRTC bypass VPN?

The short answer is yes, but a WebRTC leak’s impact on your cybersecurity depends on several factors, including your browser and operating system, as well as your preferred VPN service and its configuration.

To avoid WebRTC leaks, we recommend you install a reliable VPN client and run WebRTC tests when connecting to websites and apps with audio and video streaming capabilities.