Can a VPN Be Hacked? Yes. Here's What to Know

Yes, a VPN can be hacked or bypassed, but almost always indirectly. The weak spots are usually devices, apps, browsers, accounts, outdated protocols, or the VPN gateway, not the underlying encryption.

Good operational hygiene, modern protocols, and a hardened device remove most real world risk.

Can VPN be hacked?

How VPNs help and what they do not do

• What a VPN does: hides your IP from sites and observers, encrypts traffic to the VPN server, can reduce some tracking, and helps on untrusted Wi Fi.
• What a VPN does not do: it does not make you invisible to services where you log in, it does not fix account breaches at those services, and it does not remove device malware.

Threat model basics

1. Who do you want to hide from local network, ISP, advertising trackers, a school or employer, a platform, or a government
2. What can they do log DNS, inject ads, block ports, subpoena providers, compromise routers, or phish credentials
3. Where are your weak links reused passwords, stale software, browser leaks, risky extensions, or a compromised phone

Main attack surfaces

1) Endpoint compromise

If your device is infected, an attacker can read your data before it enters the tunnel. This is why pairing a VPN with reputable antivirus is essential.

2) Account takeover and metadata exposure

Phishing, weak passwords, and stale 2FA put your accounts at risk. A VPN will not stop a criminal from logging in with your password. For P2P expectations, see will a VPN hide torrenting from your ISP.

3) Weak or deprecated protocols

PPTP with MS CHAPv2 can be cracked and should be retired. Microsoft is deprecating PPTP and L2TP in future Windows Server versions in favor of modern alternatives.

4) Client design flaws and routing leaks

The 2023 TunnelCrack research showed that poorly isolated routes can force some traffic outside the tunnel on untrusted Wi Fi until clients are patched. Disable local network access when needed, prefer strict kill switch settings, and keep clients updated.

5) Browser leaks like WebRTC and DNS

Browsers can reveal your real IP through WebRTC unless you disable or limit it, or use settings that prevent the leak. If your goal is location privacy, see will a VPN hide your location. For tracing concerns beyond basic IP masking, can a VPN be traced explains how tracing can still occur through metadata, traffic patterns, or endpoints.

6) Gateway or appliance vulnerabilities

Enterprise SSL VPNs have had serious CVEs that enabled code execution or post exploitation persistence until patched. This is why fast patching is non negotiable for organizations.

7) Provider operational failures

Some providers have been caught logging despite marketing claims. UFO VPN exposed millions of log entries, including IPs and passwords, contradicting its no logs promises. Choose vendors that publish audits and demonstrate real world resilience.

Documented cases and what they prove

• NordVPN 2018 Finland server incident. A third party data center left a remote management system exposed. One rented server was accessed. NordVPN says no user activity or credentials were exposed and it later accelerated security hardening. Read NordVPN’s incident response.
• ExpressVPN Turkey 2017 server seizure. Police seized a server during a high profile investigation and found no usable logs, which the company said confirmed its no logs architecture. Coverage of the Turkey server seizure.
• UFO VPN exposed logs in 2020. An unsecured database exposed millions of user log files, despite a no logs claim. See the UFO VPN data exposure report.
• TunnelCrack 2023 client side design flaws. Researchers showed route manipulation could leak traffic off tunnel on many clients. Read the TunnelCrack research summary.
• iOS VPN connection leaks. Proton reported that iOS historically did not terminate existing connections when a VPN connects, which could allow limited traffic to bypass the tunnel until reconnection. Proton’s disclosure.
• Enterprise VPN exploitation. Fortinet and Ivanti VPN appliances have had widely exploited flaws that required urgent patching or even emergency disconnects. CISA on Top Routinely Exploited Vulnerabilities and CISA emergency directive coverage for Ivanti.

How to secure your VPN and reduce risk

1) Use modern, well implemented protocols

Pick WireGuard, IKEv2, or OpenVPN. WireGuard has a small, auditable codebase and OpenVPN is battle tested. Avoid PPTP and plan to retire L2TP where possible.

If you need a fresh public endpoint or rotation, can a VPN change your IP address clarifies what actually changes when you connect.

2) Turn on a kill switch and prevent leaks

Enable the client kill switch plus IPv6 and DNS leak protection. After connecting, run a DNS and WebRTC leak test. Disable or limit WebRTC if it reveals your real IP.

3) Patch your client and OS

Install updates for the VPN app, network drivers, and the OS. TunnelCrack class issues were mitigated by client and OS level changes.

4) Harden your browser

Limit or disable WebRTC if you need stronger IP privacy in the browser. Use only trusted extensions and retest after changes.

5) Lock down accounts

Use a password manager and unique passwords. Turn on hardware key or app based 2FA for your VPN account and important services.

6) Prefer trustworthy providers

Look for published third party audits of infrastructure and no logs claims, recurring verification, and clear breach reporting. If your work stack includes Microsoft cloud, using a VPN with Office 365 explains performance and access considerations.

Most secure practical options

• WireGuard with a kill switch and IPv6 support, for a smaller attack surface.
• OpenVPN with modern ciphers, tls crypt, and DNS leak protection.
• IKEv2 with strong suites on mobile for quick reconnection.

Layer a VPN with antivirus and device hardening

A VPN encrypts traffic in transit. Antivirus and endpoint protection stop the things a VPN cannot, like credential stealers, trojans, and malicious sites.

For a lightweight suite that plays nicely with VPN clients and adds web shield, real time protection, and ransomware defenses, consider TotalAV.

Combine it with a reliable VPN such as ExpressVPN and NordVPN.

Troubleshooting quick wins

Speed drops or instability

Try another protocol or server, or switch transport from UDP to TCP in OpenVPN. If the VPN app affects your connection, can a VPN cause internet problems covers common causes and easy fixes.

Websites still know where you are

Check for IP or GPS leaks and disable high precision location while connected. See will a VPN hide your location for tests and fixes.

Ads still appear

VPNs are not ad blockers unless they include a filter. For expectations and options, see will a VPN block ads.

Extra context many people miss

• Your provider can see some service telemetry like connection times and bandwidth unless systems are engineered and audited to avoid retention. can a VPN provider see data explains the difference between traffic content and service telemetry.
• Changing your IP is table stakes. can a VPN change IP address shows how and when it works.
• A VPN affects how sites see your region and can interact with age gates. can a VPN bypass age verification explains the legal and technical parts.

Frequently asked questions

Step by step security checklist

1. Pick a modern protocol in your app settings and enable the kill switch.
2. Update your VPN app and OS, then reboot.
3. Connect, then test for leaks. If WebRTC shows your real IP, disable or limit WebRTC and retest.
4. Turn on multi factor authentication for your VPN and critical accounts.
5. Install and configure antivirus with web protection enabled. Keep signatures auto updating. You can install TotalAV Total Security to add that extra layer.
6. On public Wi Fi, connect to the VPN before opening apps or sites.
7. On iOS and Android, enable always on VPN or equivalent and use a strict kill switch if your provider supports it.