Mullvad VPN Exit IPs Exposed
- Mullvad VPN exit IPs can be used to identify users
- Forum users raise concerns about anonymity
- Potential fix involves adding pseudorandom seed
The Issue
Mullvad VPN exit IPs have been found to be surprisingly identifying. This means that users who think they are anonymous may actually be traceable.
Forum Reaction
The internet’s verdict is clear: The Internet’s Verdict: 70% Hyped, 30% Skeptical
As an example, imagine that you are a moderator on a forum and you suspect that a new face is actually a sockpuppet of a user you banned the day prior. You check the IP logs, and despite using different Mullvad servers, both accounts resolve to the overlapping float ranges 0.4334 – 0.4428 and 0.4358 – 0.4423. This gives you a >99% chance that they are the same person.
Some users are not surprised by this discovery, pointing out that VPNs are not designed to provide complete anonymity.
The purpose of a VPN does not include anonymizing users with respect to the sites they visit, so it shouldn’t be too surprising that Mullvad doesn’t enforce unique exit IPs. Users who want anonymity should use networks like Tor.
Potential Solution
A potential fix for this issue involves adding a pseudorandom seed to the exit IP allocation process.
Focus Keyword: Mullvad VPN
