How to prevent Opera browser VPN from leaking your IP address information

Opera VPN has a flaw that leaks your local and public IP addresses through WebRTC making your connection less private, but here's how to fix it.

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@Pureinfotech
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Opera VPN IP address leak via WebRTC

Opera has built a VPN feature on its web browser with the goal to help users to protect the online privacy, but it also allows users to access content that may be restricted in their location.

While the “browser VPN” seems like a good take on other companies that offer similar benefits for a price, there is a big security problem. Opera’s VPN exposes data that should be encrypted to keep you anonymous on the web, such as your private and public IP address information.

You can verify this issue by enabling Opera’s browser VPN feature and visiting the WebRTC IP leak tester. In the page, you will notice that your local IP address and the one assigned from your ISP are exposed for anyone to see with the right tools, which makes the connection less private.

Fortunately, there is a rather quick solution for Opera VPN problem — Just follow the step below.

How to stop leaking your IP address info using Opera VPN 

  1. Install the WebRTC Leak Prevent extension for Opera.

  2. Click Menu on the browser.

  3. Select Extensions and click Manage Extensions.

    Opera mange extensions

  4. Click the Options button for WebRTC Leak Prevent.

  5. Click the drop-down menu for “IP handling policy” and select the Disable non-proxied UDP (force proxy) option.

  6. Check the Prevent WebRTC from using non-proxied UDP option.

    WebRTC Leak Prevent Opera extension to protect VPN

  7. Click Apply settings.

  8. Restart the web browser.

You can once again go to WebRTC IP Leak tester and test again and you will now see that neither your local IP address nor your public IP address are longer exposed since WebRTC is being blocked by the extension.

IP address information blocked using WebRTC Leak Prevent extension on Opera web browser

By blocking WebRTC you will make your connection more private, and this is perhaps one of the reasons many users have been reporting that the browser VPN built into Opera doesn’t work to access video streaming services, such as Hulu or Netflix.

It’s important to note that is not a bug, most web browsers like Chrome and Firefox exposes your IP address information when an STUN request is made through WebRTC. Nonetheless, browser VPN for Opera it’s still on development, and the IP address information leak is a known issue that may get fixed later on. In the meantime, this workaround should keep your IP address information more private.

Source Lifehacker

About the author
Avatar for Mauro Huculak

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].