WebRTC Leak Test: What It Is and How to Fix It

A WebRTC leak exposes your real IP address to websites even when you're connected to a VPN. Use the free test below to find out if your browser is leaking right now — then follow the steps to fix it.

Run the Free WebRTC Leak Test →

What Is WebRTC?

WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) is a technology built directly into modern browsers — Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, and Opera all include it. It was designed to enable peer-to-peer features like video calls, voice chat, and file sharing without needing a plugin or app.

Unlike regular web traffic that routes through your browser's HTTP connection, WebRTC establishes direct communication channels between devices. That's what makes it fast for video calls — and what makes it a serious privacy risk if you use a VPN.

What Is a WebRTC Leak?

A WebRTC leak happens when your browser uses WebRTC's peer-to-peer connection mechanism to reveal your real IP address — including your local network IP and your public IP — to websites, even if you're behind a VPN.

When you connect to a VPN, all your traffic is supposed to route through the VPN server. Your real IP should be hidden. But because WebRTC operates at the browser level and bypasses your normal network stack, it can communicate your device's true IP directly to any site that requests it.

The result: a site can see both your VPN's IP and your real one — defeating the entire purpose of using a VPN.

This isn't a bug in any one browser or VPN. It's a structural behavior of how WebRTC works, and it affects nearly every major browser by default.

How Does a WebRTC Leak Expose Your IP?

To establish a peer-to-peer connection, WebRTC uses a protocol called ICE (Interactive Connectivity Establishment). As part of this process, it collects what are called ICE candidates — a list of all possible network paths between devices.

This list includes:

• Your local IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.x) — assigned by your router
• Your public IP address — your real IP as seen by the internet
• STUN server responses — a third-party server confirms your public IP to help establish the connection

When a website embeds a small JavaScript request, your browser responds with these ICE candidates — even if you never actually make a video call. The site receives your real public IP before you click anything.

VPNs intercept traffic at the network layer, but this ICE candidate exchange happens inside the browser's own runtime, outside the scope of what most VPN clients intercept.

Who Is at Risk?

You are potentially at risk if you:

• Use a VPN for privacy and connect through Chrome, Firefox, or Edge
• Use a browser extension VPN (these are especially vulnerable)
• Access geo-restricted content and need your real location hidden
• Work remotely and connect to internal resources over VPN

How to Test for a WebRTC Leak

Testing takes under 30 seconds.

Step 1: Note your real IP without VPN

Go to the VPN leak test tool without your VPN connected. Note the public IP shown.

Step 2: Connect to your VPN

Enable your VPN and wait for it to confirm the connection.

Step 3: Run the test again

Reload the leak test page and compare results.

How to Fix a WebRTC Leak

Fix 1: Use a VPN That Blocks WebRTC at the Client Level

Full desktop VPN clients operate at the OS network driver level and intercept all outgoing traffic including WebRTC's UDP packets. Browser extension VPNs do not.

Recommended options: PureVPN, IPVanish, Surfshark

After switching, re-run the leak test to confirm.

Fix 2: Disable WebRTC in Your Browser

Firefox

1. Type about:config in the address bar
2. Search for media.peerconnection.enabled
3. Double-click to set it to false
4. Restart Firefox

Chrome

Use the uBlock Origin extension → Settings → Advanced → enable Prevent WebRTC from leaking local IP addresses

Edge

1. Go to edge://flags
2. Search for Anonymize local IPs exposed by WebRTC
3. Set to Enabled and relaunch

Brave

1. Go to brave://settings/privacy
2. Set WebRTC IP Handling Policy to Disable Non-Proxied UDP

Disabling WebRTC will break Google Meet, Discord web, and Zoom web. If you need those, use Fix 1 instead.

Fix 3: Switch to a Privacy-Focused Browser

• Brave — restricts WebRTC IP exposure natively
• Firefox — supports full WebRTC disabling via about:config
• Tor Browser — disables WebRTC entirely by default

WebRTC Leaks vs. DNS Leaks

Summary

• Fastest fix: uBlock Origin in Chrome
• Most reliable fix: Switch to a full desktop VPN — PureVPN, IPVanish, or Surfshark
• Most thorough fix: Disable WebRTC in browser settings

Always verify after making changes. Run the free WebRTC leak test to confirm — it takes 10 seconds.

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Originally published at examineip.com