Is Your VPN Triggering the Blue Screen of Death? The OpenVPN Vulnerability Explained
That dreaded blue screen… could your VPN be at fault? A glaring issue in the OpenVPN driver can cause spontaneous crashes on your Windows machine. Since OpenVPN forms the backbone for most major VPN providers, this kind of attack is of an extensive scale. Are we getting ready to troubleshoot the issue and save your system from faltering again? Let’s get startedand fast before the PC dips again.
OpenVPN Crashing Windows: How Common Is It?
Imagine the VPN crashing during a big download, during an important online meeting, or worse. That is what happened with the users in June 2025 when a nasty buffer overflow bug was introduced in OpenVPN’s “ovpn-dco-win” driver, being the engine behind its data channel offload (DCO) feature. The result? The dreaded Blue Screen of Death.
OpenVPN’s plugin system: an adversary of security. History repeats itself as another bunch of vulnerabilities comes up. The 2024 discovery of four flaws by Microsoft, CVE-2024-27459, CVE-2024-24974, CVE-2024-27903, CVE-2024-1305, is one example. The most critical of these is a memory overflow in the Windows TAP driver that could be exploited to produce a denial-of-service attack and thereby incapacitate systems. Is this bug or feature at this point?
Has the VPN blues set in after a reboot? That error message very much likely speaks of your OpenVPN client being an older one. Anything before “2.7_alpha2” is known to cause this hiccup. Provided your VPN supplier is a good one, the Windows client probably has the fix incorporated. So, drop your grievances and go ahead with the update! You’ll have a smoother and safer connection awaiting there.
Consider a digital courier, the DCO driver that tirelessly ferries precious data packets. Its mission: to ensure secure delivery with encryption and decryption, alongside the necessary routing, to transfer packets from the user space to the hardened Windows kernel. Contrary to WireGuard, OpenVPN’s DCO operates inside the kernel a somewhat gutsy decision with some risk of catastrophic crashing due to deep interactions with the operating system core.
Remember those kernel-level malware nightmares? Well, CVE-2025-50054 is about to become one. How? Malformed packets causing fatal memory crashes, again emphasizing the impossible nature of securing kernel core.
Locate and Disable OpenVPN Drivers in Your Windows PC
OpenVPN not your thing? No problem. The only compromise is if you are actively using it and decide to turn it off. Just be careful: the VPN client potentially tricked in some OpenVPN drivers, so a quick feel is needed if they are there in your system, lurking around somewhere.
Open the File Explorer. Go to “C:\Windows\System32\Drivers.” Look for OpenVPN related drivers such as the DCO driver – “ovpn-dco.sys.”
Beyond the central OpenVPN system, vulnerabilities could lurk in ineptly linked-and-interface drivers. This might include the TAP-Windows Adapter V9 (“tapwindows6.sys”), the stripped Wintun driver (“wintun.sys”), or the seemingly innocuous named pipe interfaces like “\.\pipe\openvpn”. Failing to consider such instances in your defense will be a huge security gap.
Hunting down OpenVPN drivers? Consider Device Manager your digital bloodhound. Invoke it by typing in the Run dialogdevmgmt.mscand hit enter. Once in, head directly toNetwork Adapters. Therein lie your OpenVPN driversthose are usually hiding behind names such as DCO or the trusted TAPWindows Adapter V9protected and standing at attention, ready to serve.
Unleash the Hidden Power of OpenVPN: Uncover Secret Drivers with a Simple PowerShell Command!
Are you ready to take a peek behind the curtain and reveal the hidden OpenVPN drivers lurking within your system? Step up your PowerShell skills and get ready to reveal these secrets with admin privileges. One command is all that stands between you and mesmerizing deeper into the inner workings of this network. Let’s dive in!
“`
Get-WmiObject
Win32_SystemDriver
|
Where-Object
|
Select-Object
Name
,
State
,
PathName
,
StartMode “`
When you finish using OpenVPN, you may want to wipe every trace of it from your system. Sometimes, drivers can hang around after you remove the application.
On a VPN client like NordVPN or ExpressVPN, if you do not plan on using OpenVPN, switch to WireGuard.
Ditch OpenVPN on Windows; It’s a security minefield. OpenVPN’s cluttered code, outdated drivers, and slow security updates made the perfect storm of risk on Windows. WireGuard gives a nice, sleek, modern, and secure alternative. Make the switch for your Windows box.
Restrict OpenVPN Driver’s Access to Your PC Permissions
OpenVPN’s flexibility and deep OS integration make it prone to low-level bugs that can have high-impact consequences, especially on Windows.
Rather than uninstalling the VPN, the rogue OpenVPN driver can be locked out by restricting its permissions to tamper with system settings. By implementing this quick workaround, the corruption is prevented from proceeding any further and your VPN stays functional.
Open PowerShell in administrator mode, and type the following:
“`
$driverPath
=
“C:\Windows\System32\drivers\ovpn-dco.sys”
icacls
$driverPath
/
inheritance:
r
icacls
$driverPath
/
grant:
r
“SYSTEM:R”
“Administrators:R”
icacls
$driverPath
/
deny
“Everyone:W”
“`
To Fort Knox through the system: This command pounds the door shut on inherited permissions, suddenly severing unexpected access from that door. Beyond that, it erects a stronger barrier against write attempts than anything that malware or an unprivileged user can muster up. Think of it as a digital deadbolt that prevents a rogue driver from just scribbling all over your cherished data.
And now for the charming cloak. Remember the act we performed, along with the openers? We shall just use similar tricks- this time to shut the door behind it. Let’s banish those prying eyes from the TAP-Windows Adapter V9, “tapwindows6.sys.”
Related : learn how to set up OpenVPN in Windows.
Monitor BSoD Crashes Caused by OpenVPN Drivers
Keep those patches coming, but where are the updates? It lets be said, BlueScreenForget is dying a slow death. Grab BlueScreenView and install it now – that’s your proactive defense.
Unleash the PowerShell beast! Crack open a privileged PowerShell prompt and unleash the script below. But heed this warning, adventurer: replace the $nirDir path with the true location where your application dwells. This script is a crash dump detective, sniffing out recent failures and pinpointing OpenVPN-related drivers as the prime suspects.
“`
Set path to your BlueScreenView directory (update if needed)
$nirDir
=
“C:\Tools\BlueScreenView”
← Change this to your actual path
$csvPath
=
“$nirDir\bsod.csv”
Monitoring loop
while
(
$true
)
if
(
$recent
)
else
Start-Sleep
-Seconds
600
Wait 10 minutes before checking again
}
“`
As shown in the above results window, no recent instances of BSoD crashes due to OpenVPN were detected.
Never make OpenVPN (or any other client software) tapdance on your Windows show. By that, I mean to grab and install the latest Windows Updates to save your system from being corrupted by the infamous Blue Screen of Death. We try to keep you one step ahead of those BSoD crashes through this monthly guide.
Use Software Restriction Policies for OpenVPN Drivers
Are you getting mad at OpenVPN drivers launching whenever they feel like it on your Windows Pro or Enterprise based machine? Take back control! Head to the Local Group Policy Editor and configure Software Restriction Policies to end those rogue executions. Think of it as a digital bouncer for your system-third party drivers allowed to launch only when you say so.
Right-click on the last one to selectNew Path Rule.
Driver acting up, eh? Then it goes right off the allowed list with all of its buddies. Copypaste is the best medicine. Just grab the driver’s path, that of OpenVPN’s DCO you’ve got there, and paste it in that popup window. Hit “Disallowed,” and while you’re at it, smashApply>OKto seal the deal. Repeat for any other wayward drivers acting up. Opposite of winter cleaning!
The OpenVPN kernel drivers can linger around like ghosts even after one has banished the application. These remnants hold session data and are the most notorious for crashing Windows startups. Don’t let a forgotten VPN haunt you! Try the fixes above and dispel the error messages for good. Is it time for a VPN upgrade? Before making your choice, ensure that your new provider fulfills these pressing criteria.
Thanks for reading Fix Windows Crashing Problem Due to OpenVPN Driver Vulnerabilities
