Navigating Security with Mullvad: VPN, SOCKS5 Proxy, and DNS Leak Concerns

The original post: /r/mullvadvpn by /u/Worldly_Disaster on 2024-08-18 14:16:29.

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Hey everyone,

I’ve been using Mullvad VPN along with a SOCKS5 proxy in the Mullvad browser for additional IP masking, but I’m concerned about potentially exposing my DNS requests, especially if the VPN connection drops. I understand that Mullvad’s Kill Switch and Lockdown Mode should block all internet traffic if the VPN disconnects, but I’m not fully confident about how DNS requests are handled in this scenario, particularly when the SOCKS5 proxy is also in play.

I followed all the steps in the Mullvad browser extension to set it up and periodically check it to make sure that it’s all green.

However, this description on the Mullvad website makes me feel less sure of this setup:

‘The proxy provides the following:

Kill switch (DNS leaks) If you disconnect Mullvad VPN while you are connected to a proxy then the Internet traffic will be blocked in the browser. This is because you can only reach the proxy when you are connected to Mullvad VPN. However your DNS will leak when you are disconnected from Mullvad, even if you have enabled "Proxy DNS".’

This seems like a real security flaw and I’m not sure why Mullvad would be promoting the extension in that case? For instance, the internet goes down, what happens in this scenario? I’m sure I’m just not getting something…

Can anyone shed some light on this please? Thanks!