[tor-relays] Thoughts about potentially abusive config option for exit nodes

[abuse-node49 at posteo.de]

I did not manage to find anywhere on the new website the current config 
options of the torrc. So I ask the question here, although it may be 
already outdated.

This is the third time I have had contact with the police about Exits 
Relays. That's why it occurred to me that someone might be acting 
targeted, because I run more than one node.
Looking for configurations that allow dedicated IP addresses, I found 
the torrc-config option 'StrictNodes 1' in conjunction with 'ExitNodes 
[IP/Nickname/Key]' on the web. There were also hints that something had 
been changed before, but I tried it on a local installation. The goal 
was to use a specific exit address.

StrictNodes 1
ExitNodes [MY_EXIT_NODE_IP]

First I had a typo and the Tor service did not start. After the 
correction it worked and I got into the network. The conclusion remained 
that Tor accepts these configuration lines.

The problem with this is, should this config line really allow a 
dedicated exit as the sole exit point into the network, the operator of 
that exit could be targeted and harmed with illegal traffic. In Metrics 
it is easy to show whole Tor families that always belong to a single 
operator.

It would be nice if the developers remove the possibility to specify a 
dedicated IP address/nickname/key, if not already done.
The config option 'Exitnodes {COUNTRY_CODE}' should remain though.

Kind regards,
Olaf