As part of a series of articles on the topic of VPNSecurity issues, which are extracts from the larger comprehensive report: ‘Masked Identities, Unmasked Truths: The Paradox of VPN Security’, this article will explore the technical vulnerabilities of VPNs. VPN protocols provide secure, encrypted connections for data transmission across the Internet and other public networks. The most used VPN protocols are PPTP, L2TP/IPsec, IKEv2, OpenVPN, SSTP, WireGuard, and HSTS. To better understand why VPNs do not provide the degree of security that has been assumed for years, it is relevant to inspect the protocols quickly. The VPN protocols, such as PPTP, L2TP/IPsec, OpenVPN, WireGuard, or IKEv2, may have vulnerabilities in their design or implementation. Some of those vulnerabilities have been hard and painfully discovered, so expanding on this topic is relevant to this analysis. Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) was designed to provide a simple and secure way to connect to corporate networks from remote locations. It allows users to connect to the company's private network over the public Internet using a unique tunneling protocol and encrypting transmitted data. It was developed by the public-private partnership of Microsoft and US Robotics in the 1990s as a part of the Windows/ dial-up networking framework. It has quickly become one of the most widely used protocols for creating VPNs and has almost completely replaced the older Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP). An over 33 years protocol that is still in use, even when multiple justifications can be provided. In simple terms, unacceptable. The primary security threat from PPTP is that it utilizes the outdated Microsoft Point-to-Point Encryption (MPPE) algorithm, as the protocol is from the 1990s. Recently, this has been exposed as being insecure and easily hackable. The outdated encryption algorithms used in the PPTP protocol are easily broken through "man in the middle" type attacks or strong password brute force attacks, thus allowing anyone with the proper knowledge to intercept communications passing through the system. Attackers may use standard techniques like packet sniffing to get basic information like IP addresses, port numbers, and user credentials. It is easy for attackers to decode PPTP traffic because the MPPE encryption protocol has been broken for many years. Additionally, the MPPE protocol suffers from a "dictionary attacks" vulnerability, making it possible to crack encryption without breaking the encryption key. Thus, PPTP networks are particularly vulnerable to brute-force password-cracking attacks, which can be launched remotely without detection, even when using relatively strong passwords. The other security threat to PPTP is its native support of Microsoft's Challenge-Handshake Authentication Protocol (MS-CHAP) authentication system. This authentication system is used to authenticate the user's identity, but in the past, it has been proven to be easily cracked and manipulated. Additionally, PPTP may not work correctly with firewalls and other network-level security solutions due to the packet structure and encapsulation of the traffic. Firewalls cannot effectively protect PPTP traffic because they can traverse most firewall configurations using GRE (Generic Routing Encapsulation) packets. This means that PPTP networks cannot be covered at the network level and often require encrypting the content of all data sent over the network. Finally, PPTP is an older protocol and is no longer fully supported on most current operating systems. This means that the latest security patches and bug fixes are not available for these systems, and as such, PPTP networks may be vulnerable to known security exploits or unknown vulnerabilities. It is highly recommended to update all approaches to the latest security versions to protect them from these threats. Overall, due to its outdated encryption algorithms and authentication protocol adopted, PPTP is no longer considered a secure protocol and should not be used in a production environment. It is highly recommended to migrate to a more secure protocol such as OpenVPN, IPSec, or SSH encrypted tunnels, as these protocols utilize better encryption and authentication methods and a much higher level of security. Furthermore, it is also essential to use strong passwords, implement additional layers of security such as two-factor authentication and network firewalls, and use VPN concentrators to ensure the security and privacy of data sent over the network. Such steps are crucial for ensuring the security of any network and should not be overlooked. Layer Two Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) is an old protocol that is still used, primarily due to its broad compatibility with most operating systems, but it does not provide encryption for the data that is transmitted; the reason why this protocol is usually combined into the IPsec protocol, which supports additional layers of security toward the data transmission, but still, obsolete and in use. For example, my location may be in Stinesville, Indiana, and my VPN location is in Vancouver, Canada; without advanced caching techniques, the data packet will experience many hops before reaching its destination. Unless you are required to link to a server in a precise place, picking a VPN connection in nearby regions is often better. Other factors harm latency, for example, type of internet connection, broadcast delay, style and content of the websites, specific kind of layer three devices (routers mainly), and Wi-Fi characteristics, to mention a few. To mitigate these cybersecurity issues, it is crucial to stay updated with security patches, use reputable VPN software and hardware, follow best practices for configuration, and regularly review and update security measures based on the latest industry recommendations and standards. To find out more about the subject and gain an understanding of the paradoxical nature of VPN security and the risks it poses download the full report ‘Masked Identities, Unmasked Truths: The Paradox of VPN Security’.Technical Vulnerabilities of VPN Protocols
Internet Key Exchange version two (IKEv2) is a newer, more secure VPN protocol. It provides strong authentication, encryption, and integrity protection for transmitted data, helping to protect it from being intercepted. It is more secure than PPTP and L2TP/IPsec but is less widely compatible. While IKEv2 is generally considered secure, users should be aware of a few probable security issues as:
FAQs
Technical Vulnerabilities of VPNs? ›
VPN software (OpenVPN,
One prevalent threat is man-in-the-middle or meddler-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks, where an unauthorized actor intercepts communications between a user's device and the VPN server. In such instances, attackers can potentially capture and manipulate data. Additionally, malware over VPNs poses a significant risk.
What are the common vulnerabilities exposed in VPN a survey? ›The latest Vulnerabilities have been exposed and indexed in context to VPN Hardware's/Software's/Configurations and Implementations. In this paper, it has been decided to analyze the exposed VPN vulnerabilities, along with the ongoing issues which have not been listed to date through the survey.
What are the attacks of VPN? ›If a device connects to a network or host that is already infected, the VPN will tunnel this traffic, potentially spreading the infection throughout the network. The encrypted nature of VPN traffic can bypass security measures like firewalls, making it difficult to detect and stop malware or other threats.
How are VPNs exploited? ›The attack works by targeting a shared resource on VPN servers called the “connection tracking frameworks,” which are responsible for many VPN functions. This includes keeping tabs on user connections, routing web traffic, and masking the user's real IP address.
What's the downside of VPN? ›One of the primary concerns when using VPNs is the potential decrease in internet speed. Encrypting data and routing it through remote servers can introduce latency, resulting in slower connections. The additional steps involved in VPN tunneling can cause a noticeable impact on upload and download speeds.
Is VPN a high risk VPN? ›Using a reliable virtual private network (VPN) can be a safe way to browse the internet. VPN security can protect from IP and encrypt internet history and is increasingly being used to prevent snooping on by government agencies. However, VPNs won't be able to keep you safe in all scenarios.
What are the 4 main types of vulnerability in cyber security? ›- Process (or procedural) vulnerabilities.
- Operating system vulnerabilities.
- Network vulnerabilities.
- Human vulnerabilities.
One way VPNs can be hacked is by breaking through the encryption. Hackers can make use of cryptographic attacks to break poorly implemented encryption ciphers. However, it's important to mention that breaking encryption takes a considerable amount of effort, time and resources to do so.
What cybersecurity vulnerability does use of a VPN guard against? ›Yes, VPNs protect users from hackers. They hide users' real IP addresses, making it challenging for hackers to target them, and they can prevent various types of cyber attacks, including DDoS attacks, Man-in-the-Middle attacks, malware infections, session hijacking, and phishing attempts.
What blocks VPN? ›
VPNs typically get blocked due to government censorship, copyright concerns, streaming location restrictions, or school and workplace restrictions.
Does a VPN cause issues? ›However, poor-quality VPNs can slow download speeds and increase latency to an unusable degree. This can be a major issue if your internet connection is already quite slow or if you're doing something speed-sensitive, such as streaming, gaming, or torrenting.
How do you secure a VPN? ›- Choose a strong encryption protocol.
- Use a reliable VPN provider.
- Configure your firewall and router.
- Use strong authentication methods.
- Monitor and audit your VPN activity.
- Here's what else to consider.
In most jurisdictions, the use of VPNs is legal. Some countries such as the U.S. and the U.K. allow citizens to use these tools to protect their online privacy and access geo-restricted content. In contrast, many countries ban VPNs as part of broader efforts to control internet access and suppress dissenting voices.
Can someone steal my data through VPN? ›It's important to remember that VPNs do not work in the same way as comprehensive anti-virus software. While they will protect your IP and encrypt your internet history, but that is as much as they can do. They won't keep you safe, for instance, if you visit phishing websites or download compromised files.
How secure is a VPN really? ›A good VPN uses the highest levels of encryption technology to keep your data private and your connection secure, while a proxy connection only offers standard levels of security. It's also important to note that proxies only offer protection within the application it's configured for.
Is VPN safe or risky? ›A VPN may boast strong protocols and military-grade encryption, but that doesn't mean it's infallible. It can't prevent cookie tracking, viruses, or malware, and it can't protect against phishing scams. Data leaks could occur. But most pivotally, a VPN is only as secure as the company that runs it.
Is it suspicious to use a VPN? ›While they will protect your IP and encrypt your internet history, but that is as much as they can do. They won't keep you safe, for instance, if you visit phishing websites or download compromised files. When you use a VPN, you are still at risk of: Trojans.
How secure is my VPN connection? ›You can tell if a VPN is safe by performing DNS and WebRTC leak tests. These tests will tell you if your VPN is leaking your visited websites or private IP address. Can you be tracked if you use a VPN? Typically, you cannot be tracked if you use a VPN that blocks your web activity and IP addresses.