Telegram Exposes User IP Addresses During Calls, Security Expert Warns

Quincy Jon, Tech Times 19 October 2023, 02:10 pm

(Photo: Edward Smith/Getty Images) In this photo illustration, the messaging service Telegram app is seen on a mobile phone on January 11, 2021, in London, United Kingdom.

Telegram, a widely utilized messaging service, has a security flaw that might expose a user's IP address when adding a hacker to contacts or taking a call from them, according to a cybersecurity expert.

Security researcher Denis Simonov, known as n0a, discovered this Telegram vulnerability and created a program to illustrate it. By connecting Simonov to a recently created Telegram account, TechCrunch stated in its report that it was able to instantly retrieve the computer's IP address used for the experiment, validating Simonov's findings on the Telegram security flaw.

With 700 million users worldwide, Telegram has established a reputation as a secure messaging service. However, several cybersecurity experts have warned that it may not be as secure as Signal or other end-to-end encrypted apps.

Telegram Users Are At Risk

Telegram has always revealed users' IP addresses during audio talks, but new or less tech-savvy users may not be aware of it. While Telegram places a strong emphasis on security and privacy, according to Denis Simonov of the cybersecurity company T.Hunter, users must be aware of the subtleties of how voice conversations work on Telegram to be secure.

"An unprepared person can easily reveal his IP address to his interlocutor if he does not know about it," Simonov said, as quoted by TechCrunch.

Telegram by default uses a peer-to-peer connection between callers to improve audio quality and decrease latency, which is the cause of this IP address leak. This direct connection needs both callers to know each other's IP addresses, unlike other chat apps. Additionally, calls from individuals who are not in your contact list are sent to obfuscated IP addresses via Telegram's servers.

Read Also: AI Chatbots Can Infer User's Personal Data Based on What They Type: Study

Security and data privacy problems have already plagued Telegram in the past. Due to "national security concerns" and claims of data leaks, the messaging app was blocked temporarily in Iraq at the ISP level in August, as reported by CPO Magazine. Following a response by Telegram to the Ministry of Communications, this restriction was removed after around one week of suspension.

How To Be Safe on Telegram

According to experts, to stop Telegram IP address leakage, users must go to the app's settings, select Privacy and Security, and then choose "Never" from the Peer-to-Peer option.

There's also another way Telegram users can prevent exposing their IP address by using a virtual private network (VPN) that conceals the information, but this kind of action may be illegal in some regions.

Several top-notch VPN alternatives are available for Android, but if the goal is to hide your IP address when using Telegram, these apps may not be necessary. An Android Police article recommends a technique of setting up a Telegram proxy server but, unlike most VPN providers, this comes at no cost.

Follow these steps to set up a Telegram proxy server:

Start the Telegram app. Tap the menu icon in the upper-left corner. Select "Settings" Simply choose "Data and Storage."Locate "Proxy settings" by scrolling down. Then select "Add Proxy."