All Questions
5,775
questions
16
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Is it known if Tor communication deanonymization played role in Ross Ulbricht arrestment and Silk Road store takedown?
On October 2, 2013 Ross William Ulbricht was identified by FBI as the Silk Road black market website owner and was arrested. Silk Road was operated as a hidden service on the Tor network.
See also: ...
16
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Is Tor's security compromised if other services are connecting in the clear?
I am using the Tor Browser Bundle, so all my internet browsing traffic is routed via Tor. However if I have other services like Dropbox, another web browser, etc. running on my machine that aren't ...
- 962
16
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Register .onion as gTLD?
For some weeks in 2012, "arbitrary" gTLDs could be applied for at ICANN:
On June 20, 2011 ICANN's board voted to end most restrictions on the generic top-level domain names (gTLD) from the 22 ...
- 398
16
votes
3
answers
12k
views
Me -> Tor -> Vpn [How?]
I was just trying to figure out how to combine Tor with a VPN for the times when I may need to.
I know most of you are going to avoid answering my question by trying to talk me out of doing it, but I ...
- 161
16
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Does Tor insert random delays or perform packet re-ordering to make the discovery of the communication path harder?
If an attacker can observe the Tor user, and the website being visited, it is possible to correlate the traffic by looking at time and size distributions of the communication.
Techniques such as ...
16
votes
1
answer
7k
views
Why does Tor use three hops, instead of two?
With onion-routing a relay in a circuit only knows its predecessor and its successor, while a "normal" proxy is just one hop, so that it knows who connects to it and where it has to connect to.
...
- 2,614
16
votes
1
answer
289
views
Which exit node providers can I financially support to run nodes on my behalf?
This blog post from 2011 mentions a few organisations that accept donations to run Tor exit nodes. What all organisations are there that accept donations to run exit nodes on my behalf?
- 1,053
15
votes
3
answers
3k
views
How to contribute to Tor as an inexperienced developer?
I've often heard contributing to open source projects is a great way to learn, as a student. Tor is something I would like to contribute to as I believe in the cause. I've seen the bug tracker, and ...
- 151
15
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Why isn't Do Not Track enabled?
Why isn't Do Not Track enabled in Tor Browser Bundle by default? I'm aware that it's ultimately up to each site to decide if they'll honour the request, but wouldn't it be sensible to go ahead and ...
- 2,724
15
votes
8
answers
53k
views
Tor browser profile problem
I am using tor browser on windows 10 pro, and recently I can not use it. when I start the program, I receive following message:
Tor Browser does not have permission to access the profile. Please ...
- 151
15
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Can government agencies track what sites I'm visiting when using Tor?
Can agencies such as the NSA or GCHQ track what websites I'm visiting if I'm using the Tor Browser Bundle? What about hidden services?
- 962
15
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Is it safe to run an entry node server?
After some research, I found that there are mostly relay (middle) nodes, and less exit and entry nodes. But why? The connection from the client to the entry node is encrypted, so there should be no ...
- 285
15
votes
3
answers
5k
views
Is it safe to enable the SSL Observatory feature of HTTPS Everywhere in Tor Browser?
Assuming I select "check certificates using Tor", can I safely turn this feature on without compromising my anonymity?
Will this protect me against (or warn me about) a malicious exit node trying to ...
- 151
15
votes
2
answers
3k
views
How does Tor's threat model differ from i2p's threat model?
I2P is an alternative anonymity system, with a very different design - it focuses more on intra-I2P communication, rather than communication with the wider internet. Unlike Tor, every user of I2P is ...
- 2,590
15
votes
0
answers
12k
views
Why is the first ip address Tor goes to the same one in Germany? [duplicate]
Every time I start Tor or switch to a new identity, the first web address in the list of Tor circuit connections is (Germany) 93.180.156.84. Is Tor supposed to work this way? I was under the ...
- 373
14
votes
7
answers
78k
views
Is it safe to use Adblock Plus with Tor Browser Bundle?
Does Adblock Plus behave, or does it phone home or collect information about you? I'm using Tor Browser Bundle, but I don't like ads very much, so I want to use an adblocker, so long as it's safe to ...
- 291
14
votes
4
answers
62k
views
What are the differences between Tails and Whonix?
Whonix and Tails both have the goals of providing a complete package for anonymizing internet usage. What are the primary differences between the two?
- 1,630
14
votes
3
answers
16k
views
How to decrease number of Tor hops?
I want to setup Tor for using only one hop in chain. There is some solution?
I understand that this is security risk, but I use tor only for corporate firewall bypassing.
- 143
14
votes
5
answers
3k
views
Aside from disabling Javascript in Firefox, how can I make Tor Browser Bundle more secure?
In a recent Tor security advisory, Roger Dingledine writes:
Consider disabling JavaScript (click the blue
"S" beside the green onion, and select "Forbid Scripts Globally").
Disabling ...
- 657
14
votes
3
answers
12k
views
Is running Tor over Tor dangerous?
I've read somewhere that running Tor over another Tor connection is not only non-productive but actually dangerous?
For example: say I were running TBB on my machine and was running Whonix in 2 VMs ...
- 1,465
14
votes
1
answer
82k
views
How to properly start tor service
For months I've been using:
$ sudo systemctl start tor.service
but I just realized we can start tor by simply typing "tor" into a terminal. What's the proper/safest way to start and stop tor.service?...
- 141
14
votes
2
answers
2k
views
When I click "New Identity", why do I sometimes end up with the same exit relay?
Three variants on the same question:
If I click "new identity" in Tor Browser to get a new circuit, why does my new circuit sometimes have the same exit relay as the last circuit? Doesn't that hurt ...
- 3,421
14
votes
2
answers
229
views
How would I effectively deploy a current version of Tor on an Ubuntu system?
With the packaging of Tor in Debian and Ubuntu set where neither will ship the latest version of Tor for users as it is in the Debian "experimental" repository, what alternative repositories are ...
14
votes
3
answers
47k
views
How to channel all traffic on Kali linux through Tor?
I am new to Tor and linux in general, but I have installed Kali linux and installed Tor and downloaded Tor bundle, but I realised only when I browse through the Tor bundle browser is when my traffic ...
- 143
14
votes
1
answer
309k
views
How do I find onion sites?
I heard one of my more software savvy friends at work telling me about the Tor Browser and about the deep web. I'm curious to find out what I can see. But I can't actually figure out how to get there. ...
- 141
14
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Chromium browser bundle
What is the current state of porting the TBB from Firefox to Chromium? Several years back the Tor Project blog mentioned work by the Chromium developers to implement the needed APIs; since then, ...
- 654
14
votes
1
answer
4k
views
How are domain names created in the Tor network? [duplicate]
I wonder how the .onion domain names can be created? I mean, I don't assume that there is any central domain name provider. So how and where are those addresses created?
- 141
13
votes
2
answers
15k
views
Secure my connection with VPN router & Tor
I just decided to buy a new router that support the OpenVPN protocols called "Linksys E4200". It is a very very good router. I read about Tor Over VPN & VPN over Tor. So my first question is:
...
- 133
13
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Best way to set up a Tor lab?
What would be the best [and cheapest] way to set up a private Tor network for testing and experimentation?
A rough size estimate is that it should consist of 12 or more onion-routers and should be ...
user194
13
votes
1
answer
1k
views
What specifically causes an Exit to get a Bad Exit flag?
The consensus includes details of exits that are flagged as "Bad Exits".
What are the specific conditions under which the Bad Exit flag is given to an exit?
- 2,590
13
votes
2
answers
660
views
Are there trustworthy third-party audits of the Tor source code?
Was the Tor source code trustworthily audited by a third party to check if it does not contain a back-door?
Are such audit results freely available?
13
votes
2
answers
346
views
Does Tor latency leak location information?
This might be a general question about any anonymizing service, but I'm new here and curious about, but not super familiar with, Tor.
Suppose there's a service that engages in some handshake with ...
- 233
13
votes
3
answers
22k
views
Can I install Firefox addons on Tor Browser?
I want to begin to use Tor Browser (on Windows) but before I need to know some issues. I have read Tor's six pillars and one of that is "Don't enable or install browser plugins". So my doubt is: does ...
- 233
13
votes
2
answers
6k
views
How to use Hidden Service Authentication?
How can Hidden Service Authentication be used? I never saw documentation about that anywhere.
- 2,777
13
votes
3
answers
899
views
How do I know if my bridge is actually useful to the Tor network?
I set up a Tor bridge a couple of days ago, but it sees hardly any traffic. How can I check that I did everything right and my bridge is actually registered in the Tor network? And can I find out if ...
- 1,409
13
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Are there any vulnerabilities in the process of onion routing?
In onion routing, messages are repeatedly encrypted and then sent through several network nodes called onion routers. Each onion router removes a layer of encryption to uncover routing instructions, ...
- 1,053
13
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Is there a list of illegal Tor areas?
I just moved to Singapore and I'm wondering if it's a good idea to use the Tor browser (without a bridge) and run a relay (not an exit node). I realize that this question could be repeated for any ...
- 445
13
votes
2
answers
5k
views
How to protect a hidden service against DDOS attack?
How to protect a hidden service against DDOS attack? I did some research and found that it is possible to do load balancing with HAProxy. Is there any other solution that could be implemented?
- 131
12
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Are short-lived relays useful to the Tor network?
I have some dedicated servers which are not used at the moment. However this can change on a weekly basis. Would it be useful to the Tor network for me to configure them as relays during the times ...
- 8,561
12
votes
2
answers
90k
views
"The Tor Browser Bundle should not be run as root" Why?
I tried to run Tor browser bundle as a root but it it didn't start and I got the above quoted error message. I'm not sure why? and I'm also wondering if there is away to make that possible.
Thanks,
- 141
12
votes
5
answers
49k
views
How to change the entry node?
When Tor changes circuit it only changes middle node and exit node, the entry node stays the same since the Tor started, so I guess the entry node is limiting the traffic if you make too much traffic,...
- 181
12
votes
2
answers
25k
views
How to change country in Mac OS X?
How do I change the exit node country for TorBrowser on Mac OS X? I can't find a file called "torrc" on my Mac.
- 121
12
votes
1
answer
10k
views
Does Tor work with WebRTC?
WebRTC is yet another technology that has the possibility to change the face of the web, but is it supported in Tor ?
Searching the tor-dev mailing, there is this thread on the WebRTC but it is ...
- 1,630
12
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Good DNS services for exit nodes
Open DNS and others hijack failed DNS lookups. Some DNS services censor or block access to sites due to government or corporate coercion. Is there a list of preferred DNS servers, ones that don't ...
- 465
12
votes
2
answers
32k
views
How do I add obfs3 bridges in torrc?
I have installed Tor on my Ubuntu system, not the Tor browser bundle.
Now, I am aware that one can add obfs3 bridges into torrc file.
How might I do this?
- 121
12
votes
2
answers
2k
views
How many hidden services can I run on a single Tor instance?
I'm planning to run a service that will rely on hidden-services for anonymous data routing. Hence I will need to host a large number of them, sometimes in the same place. I have ideas about how to ...
12
votes
2
answers
734
views
How should one explain Tor to a non-technical audience?
How should I explain the operation of Tor to a reasonably-intelligent but non-technical audience? I'm looking for a way to introduce folks to Tor in a way that helps them to understand its basic ...
12
votes
1
answer
3k
views
HTML5 Canvas Image Extraction
I accidentally allowed YouTube to access the data on a canvas. How do I disable a website from access a canvas?
- 913
12
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Is it safe to import bookmarks?
Is is safe to import bookmarks from another browser into the Tor Browser? How can I import my bookmarks if it is safe?
I have not tried anything because I am not sure
- 121
12
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Where to with Tails when Vidalia dies
This question is prompted by the answer that was given to my question about the different behavior of the Tor Browser Bundle in Linux and Windows.
If the Tor Browser Bundle is to dump Vidalia with ...
- 764