Virtual Private Network (VPN) protocols have a design defect which can be possibly used by snoops to identify some users’ actual IP addresses.

Suppliers offering port forwarding services are impacted unless they have taken special measures that are defensive, the organization says.

Attackers must get an account with the same exposed supplier as their intended victim, and require to fool the goal to go to a web site under the hackers’ management.

One redditor has offered a more in-depth breakdown of the trouble.

Important virtual private network providers are warned about the defect. Private Internet Access says it paid its competitor US$5,000 for the research effort. and has fixed the defect

BitTorrent users are under special threat, Perfect Solitude says, since when port forwarding is used by them as their default option torrent client port, they do not need to be fooled into visiting an attacker’s web site