IPv6 Leak Test
Check if IPv6 traffic bypasses your VPN tunnel.
What Is an IPv6 Leak?
An IPv6 leak is a privacy vulnerability that occurs when your device sends IPv6 traffic outside of your VPN tunnel. While your VPN may successfully encrypt and reroute your IPv4 traffic, IPv6 packets can slip through unprotected, revealing your real IP address and location to websites and online services.
This happens because many VPN clients were originally designed for IPv4 networks and do not properly handle IPv6 connections. When your ISP assigns you an IPv6 address and a website supports IPv6, your browser may use the IPv6 route directly, bypassing the VPN tunnel entirely. The website then sees your real IPv6 address instead of the VPN server's address.
IPv6 leaks are particularly dangerous because they are invisible to the user. You may believe your VPN is protecting you while your real identity is being exposed through IPv6 traffic. This can undermine the entire purpose of using a VPN, whether that is protecting your privacy, securing your connection on public Wi-Fi, or preventing your ISP from monitoring your browsing activity.
The problem is becoming more widespread as IPv6 adoption increases globally. Major ISPs in many countries now provide dual-stack connectivity, assigning both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses to customers. This means that without proper IPv6 leak protection, a growing number of VPN users are at risk.
SwissGuard VPN addresses this vulnerability at the system level. Our client either routes all IPv6 traffic through the encrypted WireGuard tunnel or blocks it entirely using firewall rules, ensuring that no IPv6 packets can ever reach the internet outside the VPN. Combined with DNS leak protection and a kill switch, SwissGuard provides comprehensive protection against all types of traffic leaks.