2022-ramesh-vpnalyzer
VPNalyzer: Systematic Investigation of the VPN Ecosystem
Abstract
Use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) has surged in recent years,
but the trustworthiness of VPN services and the security of their
implementations have not been systematically investigated at scale.
In this paper, the authors design and deploy VPNalyzer, a cross-platform
tool that combines a suite of tests covering security, leakage,
manipulation, and ecosystem properties of VPN services. They use it
to study 80 widely-used VPN services and reveal a range of issues
including DNS, IPv6, and traffic leaks; misconfigured server
infrastructure; and untrustworthy ecosystem practices. The work
surfaces concrete recommendations for users, providers, and
policymakers seeking to improve VPN trustworthiness.