Technical questions raised about exit hop anonymity
5 Sep 22 10:43 PM · 1d ago · 7 comments · 1 source · development 5 of 5
Commenters asked how the exit server can route traffic without knowing the connecting IP address, and whether the architecture actually prevents both operators from correlating data if they cooperate.
“How is this possible? If the exit server doesn't know your IP, how does it know where to send the traffic?”
WowfunhappyObscura VPN service providerMullvad Exit hop operator and privacy-focused VPN partnerdongcarl Obscura team member
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What people said 10 voices · verbatim
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I hate to be the one to throw stones at an outfit that is trying to do something good, protecting people's privacy.But the claim in Obscura's FAQ that paying with Bitcoin or Monero offers more privacy than paying with a credit card is sadly misguided. No-KYC cryptocurrency is largely a thing of the past, and outfits like Chainanalysis can…
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With a name like this, I’m reminded that privacy is only as good as your entry node being used widely/not being too “obscure.”https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/articles/harvard-bo... is a good example: because the person making the threat was one of the few people on the campus network using Tor at the time the threatening emails were sent…
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It would be cool if there were a way to use it the other way around. A Mullvad server as the entry point and an Obscura server as the exit point. My main problem with Mullvad right now is that its servers are blocked almost everywhere or generate an excessive number of Captchas. With other VPNs, that’s been much less of an issue so far…
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Is there anything like a generalised protocol which would allow network-privacy seekers to decide each hop? Apple iCloud+ Private Relay (2021), INVISV Relay (2022), Obscura VPN (2025, first of its kind) and so on are OK, but it would be nice if the user/customer could choose any two providers that didn't have business relationships with each other…
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Any vpn company who market itself as aiming for the anonymity of its user is essentially selling snake oil to its customers. The fact that this company pretends to be more respective of the privacy of its user because it is in America is a vast joke, companies in America are expect to collaborate with the security services, even monopolies don't…
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Looks similar to Anonymized DNS, which DNS users have been using for more than seven years:
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> Exit servers (run by Mullvad) connect you to the internet but never see your personal info. Obscura masks your real IP address when relaying to the exit server.How is this possible? If the exit server doesn't know your IP, how does it know where to send the traffic?
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That's really cool, but perhaps a bit overkill for the typical no-log quick access variant, so shameless plug here even if it primarily is for autonomous agents.
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i'd like to see some more info about the quic as obfuscation claim. imo this isn't really useful for people living in countries with restrictive firewalls. quic is blocked or throttled quite easily.
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There are two types of VPN users: those who care about privacy and those who care about bypassing DPI.
All 5 developments of Obscura launches two-hop VPN designed so it can't see user… →
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