WebRTC and IP leak risk

WebRTC helps video calls work peer-to-peer, but ICE candidate gathering can reveal local network addresses — a problem for VPN users who expect their real IP to stay hidden.

What WebRTC exposes

When a page creates an RTCPeerConnection, the browser may gather host, srflx (server-reflexive/public), and relay ICE candidates. Trackers abuse this to learn addresses that differ from the IP seen in normal HTTP requests.

Privacy browsers and extensions can block or proxy WebRTC. VPNs hide your public IP in HTTP traffic but may still leak via WebRTC unless the browser is configured to use the VPN interface only.

What we test

Whether ICE gathering completes or is blocked
Candidate types observed (no raw addresses stored in logs)
Leak-likely vs blocked vs timeout outcomes

FAQ

Does WebRTC always leak my IP?

No. Many modern browsers limit mDNS host candidates or disable non-proxied UDP when a VPN is active. Results vary by browser, OS, and extension stack.

Should I disable WebRTC entirely?

Only if you do not need video calls in the browser. Prefer browser-specific WebRTC policies or a VPN-aware browser profile first.

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