External IP is my real IP before switching under VPN

[bilbobanger]

Hi,
I use a VPN. After its started and my IP has changed I then start qBittorent.
But in the QBittorent execution log lists my real IP is shown for a short while before changing to the VPN IP!!

When I'm in VPN mode and start qBittorent ( I also check through an IP lookup) log list says:
- Couldn't download blah blah. Reason: The remote host name was not found (invalid hostname) messages
- External IP: MY REAL IP
- UPnP/NAT-PMP: Port mapping successful, message: successfully mapped port using UPnP. external port: #####
- More "couldn't download blah blah. Reason: The remote host name was not found (invalid hostname) messages"
- Repeats the message: UPnP/NAT-PMP: Port mapping successful, message: successfully mapped port using UPnP. external port: #####
- More "couldn't download blah blah. Reason: The remote host name was not found (invalid hostname) messages"
- Then loglist says
- External IP: (This IP shown is now changed from my real IP shown before to my VPN IP)

But if I use the VPN in split tunneling mode and launch qBittorent only the VPN IP is ever shown!


Whats going on here? Am I leaking any data whatsoever when I'm not using split tunneling?
Even though it does eventually switch within seconds to the VPN IP when not using split tunneling, am I Ok? Is anything getting this data of my real IP??
And why and how does it know my real IP when I'm in VPN mode?

thanks in advance to your answers.

[KitKat]

Yes its leaking with your setup.
You can forcibly bind qbittorent to the VPN adapter.

Tools > Options > Advanced > Network Interface
Bind it to your VPN adapter if possible (dont use "any" if you're using a VPN because then it will usually leak localip before changing to the VPN)

If by VPN you mean proxy, then setup proxy settings so qbittorent goes through it + use the proxy for all connections.

[bilbobanger]

Thankyou for the fast reply.

No its not a proxy.
I couldn't bind it to my adapter? As Its not listed.
The VPN software I use is called PureVPN. It would be in the top 5 of VPN software available.
In my Network Connections it says its a WAN Miniport (PTTP)
I tried all the local, wifi, and ethernet options in Qbittorents Network interface but they all showed my real IP. The VPN was running and I was cloaked the whole time.

Any chance any future releases of qBittorent could factor in being able to use it with a WAN Miniport?

Feeling vulnerable...

[FliessendWasser]

Hey there.
I noticed the same problem, but did not bother that much. I used PeerBlock to block certain peers I do not like to be connected to (e.g. China, India, Egypt, South Africa - they mostly just fill up the peer list without really participating in the transfer)
Using PeerBlock, it shows the "Source" and the "Destination". As long as there is no 192.168.1.2 or whatever, but 10.6.0.1 or so (which is the case for the local IP inside of the VPN), then I suppose I'm safe, as no peer wants to connect to my "real" local IP. If this does not work, I restart qBittorrent, as this seems to fix the problem.

In the attachements, you'll see the log (a little blacked out of course) with the described case, also you'll see the available adapters without any adapter for a VPN to choose (yes, I do have configured a VPN).

OS: Win10 Home 64Bit
qBittorrent: 3.3.4
libtorrent version: 1.0.9 (got it from some case on Github, works fine and faster for me)
qt: 5.6.0
Boost: 1.60

[bilbobanger]

Hi,
I appreciate the reply, but peerblock isn't going to do anything for me.
See, my country only recently banned being able to torrent freely.
So I'm just trying to cover my butt. Thats the whole point of me using a VPN.
qBittorent is the best platform I have ever used, but security wise if its leaking in my application well its just a bug that needs addressing imo.
I am hoping a dev could tweak qbittorent to enable me to connect through a WAN miniport?? Or address why it doesn't leak when Im using split tunneling?
Their would be thousands of users that wouldn't even realize this leak needs plugging.

[FliessendWasser]

My reply wasn't really meant to help anyone but the discussion. I just kinda needed to throw in my thoughts, as it finally seemed I wasn't alone with the problem. So it's just additional information I liked to provide, unfortunately not for the final solution I guess.

What OS are you using, anyway? Also, please the qBittorrent version, libtorrent, qt... you know the drill.

[bilbobanger]

No worries, I know what you mean
Any input is good input in my book.
The more members in the brainstrust or discussion in a forum the better!

Win 10 build 1511
qBittorrent 3.3.4
PureVPN 4.2.1 (split tunneling version)


Hmm this is buggy. I haven't disconnected the VPN at all. So I just started qBittorent again and it didn't do the real IP to cloaked IP swap.
It was using the cloaked one straight up as you would expect.
Why is this flip flopping my real ip sometimes and not at other times?

[bjd223]

If you are running Windows just use the built in firewall to block qBittorrent traffic on your ISP interface.

This is the most reliable way to stop any client from leaking.

[bilbobanger]

Hi,
No that won't fix my problem because I dont use Windows Firewall, I use Commodo.
WF is turned off and stays off. I dont get automatic updates installed with WF turned off in services. If I want an update I can see what it is, then tick it in services, update then disallow through services. Bet most of you didn't know that!

latest update for those reading...
I have left my PC running no restart. I closed the VPN. Then I opened the VPN again and chose a new server and connected. I then started qBittorent and it still wasn't leaking.
Why is it only sometimes I'm getting backdoored by qBitorrent. Why is it that qBittorent alone is somehow sourcing my real IP and then sending it on before changing to the cloaked one.
If a Dev can deal with this and fix its a bug. If its not dealt with then qBittorent has a security flaw when used in this application. I will be changing platforms if not addressed for my own security.

[KitKat]

[quote="bilbobanger"]
Why is it only sometimes I'm getting backdoored by qBitorrent. Why is it that qBittorent alone is somehow sourcing my real IP and then sending it on before changing to the cloaked one.
If a Dev can deal with this and fix its a bug. If its not dealt with then qBittorent has a security flaw when used in this application. I will be changing platforms if not addressed for my own security.
[/quote]

If QBT starts before your VPN service qbittorent will bind to your "real ip" until its restarted, you can look at qbittorents internal logs (view > log > show then logs tab) to see what its bound to.
This PR resolves the issue by allowing you to bind qbittorent to a vpn ip address, its more finicky since that will change whenever you change VPN service.
https://github.com/qbittorrent/qBittorrent/pull/5096
Its more of a stopgap solution for this than an actual fix.

Also this is a libtorrent bug not a qbittorent bug.

tl;dr/simply:
Start qbittorent after your VPN starts up/authorises itself and it shouldnt occur even if you use the any adapter.
Wait for the above PR to merge then set qbittorent up to bind itself to your adapter.

[bilbobanger]

If QBT starts before your VPN service qbittorent will bind to your "real ip" until its restarted, you can look at qbittorents internal logs (view > log > show then logs tab) to see what its bound to.

No I'm afraid that it doesn't. I always start the VPN first after a PC reboot, then connect qbt. Connecting is set to "any" otherwise its real IP all the way.
I can see all my current connections now going through the VPN connection. AS explained in OP after I start qbt I then check the qbt logs and my real IP is being sent before it changes to the VPN address.

I then immediately shut down qbt, and restarted it and the exact same thing happened, again how is this getting my real IP??? It wasn't bound to anything before I started it and should have been bound to the VPN IP.
I then closed qbt again and started the VPN in split tunneling. Started qbt this time from the shortcut in the VPN program and I didn't get any real IP sent, its 100% bound to the VPN as explained in this mode.

Thanks for the link, but I do not understand code or wish too.
Ok so its a libtorrent bug/backdoor whatever, problem needs to be fixed b4 next qbt version. Either needs that mod from the link or at least binding to WAN miniport please.