[tor-bugs] #6900 [Tor Client]: Tor VPN mode feature

Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki torproject-admin at torproject.org
Sun Sep 23 12:24:57 UTC 2012


#6900: Tor VPN mode feature
----------------------------+-----------------------------------------------
 Reporter:  proper          |          Owner:                  
     Type:  enhancement     |         Status:  new             
 Priority:  normal          |      Milestone:  Tor: unspecified
Component:  Tor Client      |        Version:                  
 Keywords:  needs-proposal  |         Parent:                  
   Points:                  |   Actualpoints:                  
----------------------------+-----------------------------------------------

Comment(by proper):

 Replying to [comment:2 rransom]:
 > VPNs leak traffic every time the system's IP routing table changes
 (which happens e.g. every time any of the system's network interfaces
 disconnects and reconnects).  A ‘VPN-like client’ cannot be safe, even if
 you do implement a userland IP stack to convert the user's TCP packets
 into Tor streams.

 That can be stopped with correct routing tables, which ensure to fail
 closed. This is known to some people and there are instructions to stop
 it. [http://cranthetrader.blogspot.com/2011/10/dont-allow-non-vpn-
 traffic.html example]

 > Aside from the fact that this can't be safe to use at all, the user's
 applications will send unique identifiers over the Internet regardless of
 whether the VPN's network interface is active, thus making the user
 traceable anyway.

 Yes, a VPN mode would open up for identity correlation since everything
 goes through Tor, even through the same circuit, such as software updater
 and so on. It depends on the threat model: Do you want more effective
 protection against DNS and other leaks? Or do you distrust the Tor exits
 more and are more scared of identity correlation? Proxy mode and VPN mode,
 both have advantages and disadvantages. This would be a fine topic for
 research as well.

-- 
Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/6900#comment:3>
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