Strict Leak Protection Bugs

Note

Strict Leak Protection is only necessary when you share a local network with a potential attacker—e.g. on public Wi-Fi.

When using any VPN, an attacker on your network can potentially force your VPN traffic onto the local network, exposing your traffic. Obscura’s Strict Leak Protection effectively blocks access to the local network by bypassing the system routing table, preventing this attack.

However, users with the Strict Leak Protection experimental setting enabled in the Obscura app can sometimes experience their internet breaking. This is a macOS and iOS operating system bug that is outside of our control and needs to be fixed by Apple.

When Does it Happen?

Changing Networks

This bug is not limited to any specific version of macOS.

Your internet connection might break when you wake the computer from sleep or switch between Wi-Fi networks or Ethernet.

Fix: If you encounter this bug, then disconnect the VPN connection through the app.

Connecting to the VPN

This bug only exists on macOS 14.

After you connect to Obscura, you may not have internet and see the VPN stuck on connecting. Even after disconnecting, your internet connection stays down.

Fix: If this happens, connect to the VPN, disable strict leak protection, then disconnect the VPN.