Can A VPN Network be Hacked?

        

Can a VPN network be hacked? Yes, it's possible for a VPN provider to be hacked. When looking to secure your online privacy and security a VPN is a must-have. Using one will make sure no one except the VPN provider can see what you are doing or tell you where you are. This is all great but if your VPN provider gets hacked, you will be totally exposed and your online security will be compromised. So it's important to vet your VPN provider and ensure you choose one that is the least likely to get hacked.

The two main factors that determine whether a VPN can be hacked are:

1. The encryption it uses.
2. How much does your VPN leak?

VPNs function by making a secure virtual tunnel between two points. This tunnel goes through a public network like the internet and uses encryption to make it almost impossible for anyone to see what passes through it.

The data that passes through a VPN cannot be changed or viewed. This means it stays confidential and has integrity.

Connecting to a VPN is simple. You just have to have the software of the VPN client installed on your device and ensure you have an internet connection. This software is called the VPN client and comes in different versions depending on the platform you use. You then initiate a connection to the VPN server using the VPN client. The VPN server will then route all traffic between your device and the internet. This is the secure virtual tunnel that protects your data from any changes or viewing. 

What is VPN encryption and how does it work?

This is when a VPN uses a certain protocol to encrypt and then transmit your data to ensure it stays secure and private. A protocol is a set of rules or instructions that govern how data is encrypted and transmitted between your device and the VPN server. VPNs usually provide users with a choice of protocols from which they can choose which one to use. Some popular protocols that are used are: 

1. L2TP - Layer Two Tunnelling Protocol
2. IPsec - Internet Protocol Security
3. PPTP - Point to Point Tunnelling Protocol
4. OpenVPN(TLS/SSL)

An open-source protocol that is used a lot is OpenVPN. Since it is open-source anyone can search for and fix any bugs and vulnerabilities that it has. It is one of the most recommended protocols to be used for encryption.

        

Encryption

To fully comprehend how a VPN works to keep users safe online, you need to understand encryption itself.  A VPN uses encryption to change the easily readable data (plaintext) into the almost impossible to read (ciphertext). If someone were to intercept ciphertext and try to view it, it would look just like gibberish. A cipher or algorithm controls the encryption and decryption process that happens in the VPN protocol.

Every single VPN protocol has its pros and cons and this is determined by the type of cryptographic algorithm it uses. Most VPN service providers give us users the option to choose which protocol (cipher or algorithm) we can use. There are 3 types of ciphers or algorithms: asymmetric, symmetric, and hashing algorithms.

1. Symmetric encryption works through the use of one key to encrypt and decrypt data.
2. Asymmetric encryption on the other hand uses two keys; one to decrypt and the other to encrypt data. 

Symmetric cryptography has its limitations and asymmetric key cryptography was developed to solve them. An example of one of the first asymmetric algorithms to be developed is the Diffie-Hellman key exchange.

Most of the VPN protocols in use today are based on the Diffie-Hellman key exchange. An example of a few of them are SSH, IPSec, HTTPS, and OpenVPN. It enables two entities that have never met to both to have the ability to generate a secret key over a public unsecured network like the internet.

Hashing

Hashing on the other hand is a type of encryption that is one way and also irreversible. It is mainly used to transmit passwords and also used to ensure that data cannot be tampered with. It is used by most VPN protocols to confirm that messages sent through the VPN are authentic. Some examples of hashing algorithms are SHA-1, MD5, and SHA-2 though SHA-1 and MD5 are not very secure.

Is it really possible to hack into a VPN? 

Yes. VPNs will protect you and keep you anonymous online but they are not totally unhackable. A determined entity with enough time, motivation, and resources can hack a VPN. This is especially true if there is something valuable that they are targeting.

There are only two strategies that an attacker can use to hack into a VPN connection:

1. Crack the encryption being used through vulnerabilities.
2. Obtain the encryption key through nefarious means.

Cryptographic attacks are used by cryptoanalysts and hackers to decrypt the encrypted ciphertext back into plaintext which can be read without using a key. This takes very powerful supercomputers and a lot of time.

It is actually much easier to steal the key rather than go through the tedious time-consuming task of using supercomputers to break encryption. That's the reason why most attacks will be targeting the theft of the key in order to break the encryption. Most government-sponsored spy agencies and also private security firms will employ all methods at their disposal (be they legal or illegal) to hack a system if they really want to.  Whistleblower Edward Snowden’s revelations on how the NSA has the capacity to crack VPN encryption should illustrate this.

Logjam Attack

Security researchers Nadia Heninger and Alex Halderman have even posited that the NSA has the capacity to execute a logjam attack. This is a man-in-the-middle attack where they can crack or decrypt HTTPS, VPN, and SSH traffic, view it, and then encrypt it again and route it back to you or its intended destination. All without you noticing anything.

They discovered a weakness in the Diffie-Hellman algorithm that exists because it uses a prime number when implementing the encryption. To exploit this would take about a year and hundreds of millions of dollars to build a computer capable of cracking the algorithm. The NSA can afford this but it would be challenging to build enough to decrypt all the millions of keys used by all the websites, apps and VPNs that are online.  

1024-bit encryption which is in widespread use was unfortunately found to utilize only a few prime numbers. This makes it very easy to crack or decrypt.

IP Leaks

Attacking the encryption that VPNs use is one way that can be used to hack a VPN. The other is through VPN leaks. VPN leaks can allow an outside party to view your data. The type of VPN leak that is usually the culprit is an IP leak. This occurs when the browser itself leaks your actual IP address which can give away your location but doesn’t let them access your data.

These leaks can occur especially when using a VPN and this can be used by your ISP to deduce what you are doing online.

Aside from IP leaks, there are also DNS leaks that can also occur. A DNS leak is a security issue where your ISP sees your DNS requests and can tell what you are doing online as a result. There are several tools online you can use to test and see if you have any IP or DNS leaks and they even help you to fix the issue. Most VPNs say that they have DNS leak protection but this is usually false so go ahead and test for yourself.

Strong Encryption

According to the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force), it is important that you opt for keys that utilize the 2048-bit encryption or greater and that they implement the Diffie-Hellman key exchange. They also have a guide on TLS and recommend the use of the latest protocols for maximum protection.

Spy agencies around the world can easily crack primes used in the encryption used in Diffie-Hellman keys that are 1024-bit. They cannot do the same for primes in the 2048-bit keys. You should therefore stick to 2048-bit encryption and greater. It’s definitely better than not using a VPN.

Strong encryption can be your best protection online to keep you anonymous and maintain your privacy. It is recommended to stick to VPNs that use OpenVPN and SHA-2. Stay away from VPNs that use protocols such as PPTP, L2TP, IPSec, SHA-1, or MD5.

Keep in mind that regardless of you using a VPN with strong encryption that does not mean you cannot get hacked or compromised. There are those with the time, resources, and motivation to break into almost any protection.

How Is It Possible For Hackers to Steal Your Data When You Use A VPN?

There are several ways that hackers can still break into your system even when you use a VPN:

1. Not enough security - Some VPNs, mostly the free ones, actually keep logs and have very lax security measures. This means they can easily get hacked or even worse, sell your private data to another entity.
2. The other way is very time-consuming and expensive, It is called “cracking the code” and it’s rare that this method is deployed to hack a VPN just to get to ordinary users’ data.

When you analyze the structure of a VPN, you will find that it is actually not some centralized entity but instead a collection of various servers. A hacker could possibly break into one of them and see millions of connections which would be rather confusing and complex. 

Once again, the cost, time, and resources needed to do this would be too great to make it worthwhile to attempt. Another is that there is a possibility that even after gaining access, the hacker may find there is nothing of value to be found because the VPN has a no-log policy. 

There have been cases of VPNs getting hacked but those are very few and in most cases, they had no-log policies and so nothing of real value was stolen. So overall it's true that a VPN networker provider can be hacked but the odds of that happening are very low.

Are free VPNs safe from hacking?

Free VPNs are in fact some of the VPNs more susceptible to attack. This is very worrisome because free VPNs tend to keep logs on their users. 

Recommended Reading:
Can A VPN Prevent Swatting?
What type of VPN Should I Use?
How Do VPN Connections Work?
Does A VPN Make You Untraceable?