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 The primary security threat from PPTP is that it utilizes the outdated Microsoft Point-to-Point Encryption (MPPE) algorithm, as the protocol is from the 1990s.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 The outdated encryption algorithms used in the PPTP protocol are easily broken through "man in the middle" type attacks or strong password brute force attacks, thus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? ›
Key VPN vulnerability exploits
The report identifies ransomware attacks (42%), malware infections (35%), and DDoS attacks (30%), as the top threats exploiting VPN vulnerabilities.
Key VPN vulnerability exploits
The report identifies ransomware attacks (42%), malware infections (35%), and DDoS attacks (30%), as the top threats exploiting VPN vulnerabilities.
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 is the danger of VPNs? ›Even if a VPN says it provides bulletproof security, even if it says there is no record at all, you can never be sure. After all, data is being sent through a third party, so it can be compromised, because we don't know how data is actually processed. In addition, VPN's own software may contain viruses and malware.
What are the threats of VPN servers? ›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 attacks of VPN? ›Respondents identified ransomware (42%), malware (35%), and DDoS attacks (30%) as the top threats exploiting VPN vulnerabilities, underscoring the breadth of risks organizations face due to inherent weaknesses in traditional VPN architectures. The risk of lateral movement can't be ignored.
What is the drawback of using VPN? ›VPNs can sometimes lead to a reduction in internet speed. The encryption and routing processes can slow down your connection, especially if you're connecting to a geographically distant server. Streaming services, social media and other platforms block VPN users to prevent fraudulent activities.
How are VPNs compromised? ›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 are the 4 main types of vulnerability in cyber security? ›- Process (or procedural) vulnerabilities.
- Operating system vulnerabilities.
- Network vulnerabilities.
- Human vulnerabilities.
VPNs encrypt all of your internet activity, including your session ID. This makes it extremely difficult for cybercriminals to steal your session ID and use it to compromise your accounts.
What is the problem with VPN? ›
Common VPN issues include your VPN not connecting, your IP address still being visible despite the VPN saying it's connected, and your VPN continuously disconnecting. It's usually possible to overcome these issues by resetting your internet, restarting your VPN software, or changing your VPN server/protocol.
Why you shouldn't use VPN all the time? ›While people sometimes use VPNs to bypass geo restrictions or for malicious deeds, some websites block access if a user's VPN is on. In such cases, disabling a VPN might be necessary. Avoiding software conflicts. Some applications or services, such as online games or streaming services, may clash with a VPN.
What are the risks of SSL VPN? ›Further, without additional software or hardware needed, the SSL VPN's biggest security risk is in the browser itself. Malware attacks, including man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks and adware, usually target browsers.
What are vulnerabilities of VPNs? ›- VPNs Can't Enforce Authentication Policies. ...
- VPNs Connect From Any Device—Even If That Device is Corrupted. ...
- VPNs are All or Nothing Systems. ...
- VPN Maintenance Can Be Challenging. ...
- Layer Additional Security Features Onto a VPN.
Given that a VPN is solely an encrypted tunnel and provides no security on either end, they are a popular means for attackers to backdoor an environment. Malware planted on the machine of any VPN user can piggyback on an infected file and safely ride the VPN to the enterprise's broader network.
Why are VPNs unethical? ›VPNs are illegal in countries with governments that practice online surveillance or censorship. This is because a powerful VPN like NordVPN helps you bypass those practices by hiding your IP address and online activities from authorities and internet service providers (ISPs).
How is VPN unsafe? ›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.
Why are VPNs insecure? ›VPNs are insecure because they expose entire networks to threats like malware, DDoS attacks, and spoofing attacks. Once an attacker has breached the network through a compromised device, the entire network can be brought down.