A WebRTC leak occurs when the WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) API exposes your real IP address, even when using privacy tools. This is a critical privacy concern.
🔬 How WebRTC Leaks Happen
WebRTC is designed for peer-to-peer communication (video calls, file sharing). To establish connections, it needs to discover your IP addresses:
// WebRTC can expose local and public IPs
const pc = new RTCPeerConnection({iceServers: []});
pc.createDataChannel('');
pc.createOffer().then(offer => pc.setLocalDescription(offer));
pc.onicecandidate = (ice) => {
if (ice.candidate) {
// This reveals IP addresses!
console.log(ice.candidate.candidate);
}
};📊 What Gets Exposed
- Local IP: Your private network address (192.168.x.x)
- Public IP: Your real internet IP address
- IPv6 Address: If available, your IPv6 address
🛡️ How Antidetect Browsers Handle WebRTC
1. Disable WebRTC
Completely disable WebRTC functionality. Simple but breaks video calls and some websites.
2. IP Masking
Replace real IPs with fake or configured addresses in WebRTC responses.
3. Mode Selection
Most antidetect browsers offer WebRTC modes:
- Disabled: No WebRTC at all
- Fake: Returns spoofed IP addresses
- Real: Uses actual IPs (for video calls)
🔍 Testing for WebRTC Leaks
You can test for WebRTC leaks using online tools that attempt to discover your IP through WebRTC. If your real IP appears while using privacy tools, you have a leak.
❓ FAQ
It can break video calling features (Google Meet, Zoom web client, etc.) and some peer-to-peer features. Most regular browsing works fine without WebRTC.
No, it's by design. WebRTC needs IP addresses to establish peer-to-peer connections. The "leak" is actually the feature working as intended - it's just problematic for privacy.