Mullvad VPN (2024.8 & 2024.7) keeps disconnecting and letting through internet despite killswitch/lockdown mode ON

[IssuesPlease]

Is it a bug?

• I know this is an issue with the app, and contacting Mullvad support is not relevant.

I have checked if others have reported this already

• I have checked the issue tracker to see if others have reported similar issues.

Current Behavior

I saw someone else about two weeks ago reported that the quantum-resistant function conflicts with Wireguard and disconnects the app. I use both and have both killswitch & lockdown modes active. But since 2024.7 (currently using 2024.8), Mullvad on my desktop (Linux Mint) will just shut down randomly BUT internet traffic, naked, is still coming through. I'll be in the middle of streaming something (say a YouTube video), would have confirmed Mullvad VPN is working (killswitch & lockdown mode ON with DAITA, multihop, Wireguard with automatic port, obfuscation automatic, IP automatic, Launch on StartUp & Autoconnect both ON). I'll check Mullvad VPN in 10-15 minutes and notice the icon is NOT active & confirm the app shut itself down/off. But my machine is connected to the internet, traffic now naked.

The other poster reported turning quantum resistance OFF solved their problem so I'm trying it. But in the meantime, for me lockdown mode and killswitch are NOT working in 2024.07/2024.08, at least with my configuration with Linux Mint. Users beware.

Expected Behavior

Whenever app fails, killswitch & lockdown mode prevent machine from connecting to internet. Also expect that all the functions work smoothly, reliably--instead of frequently disconnecting and app shutting down.

Steps to Reproduce

1. ...Turn all the features ON (killswitch, lockdown mode, DAITA, multihop, DNS content blockers)
2. ...Use internet as normal (web-surf...)
3. ...Check Mullvad VPN status periodically (after 10-minutes or so)
4. ...See app has shut itself down but machine can still access internet as normal. Whatever traffic had been coming through before app shut down is now coming through naked.

Failure Logs

No response

Operating system version

Linux Mint 21.3

Mullvad VPN app version

2024.8

Additional Information

No response

[raksooo]

Hi, thanks for reporting this. Could you verify that you are leaking by going to https://mullvad.net/check? Our app consists of two parts, one system service that controls the connection and a graphical app that let's you configure the connection. The graphical app crashing doesn't affect the connection. Either way this sounds like a bug and we would be happy to have a look at your logs to figure out what is going on. Could you report this to our support team and reference this issue so that they will know to forward it to me.

[amd1890]

I don't have much good information, but use Pop! OS based on Ubuntu 22.04 and I have seen the App randomly disappear, seeming to close. Usually if I re-open the App it appears to be still connected, but this graphical disappearance happens. I have not logged checked if the connect is leaking, I have never seen that happen.

(I reported in a prior thread having the Mullvad GUI App stop working and not loading at all in 2024.9. This was resolved by using Timeshift to remove the rocm package for AMD graphics, although I want to install the package again at some point hopefully. This Mullvad Application disappearing issue has happened since I used Timeshift to remove rocm and is infrequent. I have also seen this happen on other distros and in part chose Pop! OS because I initially never had this problem. This problem is not ongoing for me. I use 2024.9.

I'll try to check with terminal mullvad status the next time I see this, although this may not be the same issue. It happens so rarely.

If someone's system is randomly disconnecting them from mullvad, they may want to run rkhunter and chkrootkit and debsums also just to check the integrity of their files.

[IssuesPlease]

@amd1890 Thanks for sharing this info. I sent error logs to Mullvad & they found the app wasn't able to connect when my machine is offline. This of course makes sense. But I still don't know why the app shuts down WHILE I'm using the internet**--or if it's just the graphical interface that's shutting down.** I guess I'll have to dig further. Either way, it's unnerving when you think your VPN is active but it looks (or is) inactive. I don't have this problem on Mac OS, just Linux Mint OS which I use predominantly.

I'll check out your suggestions, too. Thanks, again.

[amd1890]

This has been an occasional issue for a while:

#3188

I saw other mentions of it when I was first using my machine and checking out different distros and initially had this problem with certain distros.

you could also use something like wireshark to capture packets as this happens, then send them the results if you really want to provide them a lot of technical data. I don't know how this would be done exactly. You could also run a screen capture program and the same time and just save the results to video to show it happening.

But I still don't know why the app shuts down WHILE I'm using the internet**

Thats when you open terminal immediately and type mullvad status. You'll get a clear answer right away as to your connection status