How safe is to install proprietary OpenVPN server?

[ttbf_n]

Hi, VPN enabler from "Cutedge Systems" appears to be the easiest way to have a OpenVPN server on Mac: VPN Enabler

How safe it would be to use such an app? Could there be any possible vulnerabilities that could be exploited through the internet?
I would not be worried about issues that requires establishing connection first.

Are there any better options? How would security of such VPN compare to one on AsusWRT Merlin router, or one on QNAP or Synology NAS?
Thanks.

 

[RMerlin]

Should be fine. They use an up-to-date version of OpenVPN, and OpenVPN itself has a pretty good security track record. It should be as secure as you will make it, depending on the authentication method.

 

[XIII]

They use an up-to-date version of OpenVPN

Do they? According to the release notes (which have not been updated since September 17, 2024) they use OpenVPN 2.6.12 (from July 18, 2024?), but the newest community download is 2.6.14 (from April 2, 2025).

Or are those version numbers only for clients; not servers?

 

[RMerlin]

Do they? According to the release notes (which have not been updated since September 17, 2024) they use OpenVPN 2.6.12 (from July 18, 2024?), but the newest community download is 2.6.14 (from April 2, 2025).

Or are those version numbers only for clients; not servers?

Recent enough - I don't see any critical issue fixed in the last year, and this is still newer than many NAS and router manufacturers use. Asus is still on 2.4.a, and QNAP is on 2.6.10. So, that application is newer than either of these if someone is trying to go for the very latest version.

For stability reasons, platforms will rarely rush to the latest release ASAP.

 

[sfx2000]

Depends on the use case - Mac does VPN natively without OpenVPN - L2TP/IPsec out of the box...

Set up a VPN connection on Mac

To connect your Mac to a virtual private network (VPN), enter configuration settings in Network settings.

support.apple.com

 

[ttbf_n]

Depends on the use case - Mac does VPN natively without OpenVPN - L2TP/IPsec out of the box...

Set up a VPN connection on Mac

To connect your Mac to a virtual private network (VPN), enter configuration settings in Network settings.

support.apple.com

Does Mac still somehow does the VPN server, I thought they have removed that code completely?

 

[XIII]

Is the VPN server only included in the discontinued Mac OS X Server, or also in the current macOS?

And was/is that server OpenVPN or another protocol?

According to this article there should be an official OpenVPN Access Server for macOS.