Freenode + Tor +irssi

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SirGrant

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A rejoint: 07/27/2010

Does anyone use tor to connect to freenode using irssi? I am trying to write a guide for users but the documentation is awful and I am having some hickups. If anyone could help me out that would be great!

Chris

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A rejoint: 04/23/2011

It's a bit pointless if I recall and understand it correctly. You have to de-cloak in order to register with freenode and this irssi program identifies you to freenode. You are thus not anonymous at all! At least not to freenode.

teodorescup

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A rejoint: 01/04/2011

-- automatically duplicated message --

SirGrant

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A rejoint: 07/27/2010

Can anyone confirm?

Chris

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A rejoint: 04/23/2011

Register a test account without going through Tor. Then try registering by going through Tor. Should give you a pretty clear answer.

Alternatively look at the source code. I'm guessing you don't have time or aren't capable though. I think either way it is safe to assume that is what this program does given you can't register through Tor.

OK, I took a quick look at the code and didn't even have to read anything more than a description to know this is bad.

It says:

Implements PLAIN SASL authentication mechanism for use with charybdis ircds, and enables CAP MULTI-PREFIX',

What is authentication?

Authentication is the act of confirming the truth of an attribute of a datum or entity (who a person is).

"We don’t allow throw-away email addresses as there have been too many users trying to be clever and unable to remember their throwaway addresses." (not verified although pretty confident this is someone who works for/at/with freenode)...

Others have point out this problem elsewhere:

"disallowing Tor users from signing up for the service while connected with Tor is a failure"

Another comment seems to confirm my recollection of being unable to register through Tor:

"I’m banned, and my ID wasn’t ever registered – so I can’t connect, can’t auth so I can’t use TOR either, and have no way to setup auth without connecting"

SirGrant

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A rejoint: 07/27/2010

Well I have made a dummy account but can't even get it to connect. I had already per-registered on a non-tor account.

My idea was that a user could setup a freenode account in a psuedo-anonymous way by going to something like a public library or coffee shop and setting up the account there and then every time in the future using tor after setting it up.

SirGrant

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Well I have made a dummy account but can't even get it to connect. I had
already per-registered on a non-tor account.

My idea was that a user could setup a freenode account in a psuedo-anonymous
way by going to something like a public library or coffee shop and setting up
the account there and then every time in the future using tor after setting
it up.

Chris

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A rejoint: 04/23/2011

dup

SirGrant

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A rejoint: 07/27/2010

Can anyone confirm?

Chris

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A rejoint: 04/23/2011

I'm not suggesting that you not create a tutorial. There are some cases where
this could still be useful. If you create a tutorial though make it clear
that you are * not anonymous to Freenode *.

Users could probably get some limited anonymity back by registering a nick
from a free hotspot. However users should be warned that doing so will still
reveal general location information to Freenode and anybody else who can
force freenode to reveal.

There are some attacks which can be performed knowing general location data.

People in rural areas are most at risk. I believe drug dealers for instance
are an example. While this may be a bad example it is one I know of and I
believe other civil rights and similar individuals fighting governments in
other countries are also impacted. Basically the government can see who in a
given area is using Tor and using this general location data (say Bummblesaw,
Wyoming, USA) go after the only user in Bummblesaw, Wyoming, USA.

There is also another attack which can be performed for this group. If I
recall correctly it is recommended such users use bridges as this offers some
level of protection by making it more difficult for governments to identify
Tor users in a given area.

sphynx
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A rejoint: 11/30/2011

-- automatically duplicated message --

lembas
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A rejoint: 05/13/2010

In a related issue I've been trying to connect to freenode with xchat and I'm
instantly disconnected.

* Closing Link: 212-226-40-159-nat.elisa-mobile.fi (SASL access only)
* Disconnected (Remote host closed socket).

I have copied the file suggested in http://freenode.net/sasl/ but how do I
configure it? What username/password? Do I now need an account on freenode?
How can I get one when I'm getting instantly disconnected?

No freenode means no Trisquel IRC among other things... damn shame.

lembas
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A rejoint: 05/13/2010

I sent an email to freenode and they "unblocked" my ISP. (I could've also used another ISP to register the nick.)

I still did register, in case they have to block again. I hope I got the SASL tango right.

teodorescup

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A rejoint: 01/04/2011
SirGrant

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A rejoint: 07/27/2010

I have seen that and couldn't get it to work. Maybe I'm doing something wrong.

SirGrant

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A rejoint: 07/27/2010

I have seen that and couldn't get it to work. Maybe I'm doing something
wrong.

Chris

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A rejoint: 04/23/2011

I'm not suggesting that you not create a tutorial. There are some cases where this could still be useful. If you create a tutorial though make it clear that you are * not anonymous to Freenode *.

Users could probably get some limited anonymity back by registering a nick from a free hotspot. However users should be warned that doing so will still reveal general location information to Freenode and anybody else who can force freenode to reveal.

There are some attacks which can be performed knowing general location data.

People in rural areas are most at risk. I believe drug dealers for instance are an example. While this may be a bad example it is one I know of and I believe other civil rights and similar individuals fighting governments in other countries are also impacted. Basically the government can see who in a given area is using Tor and using this general location data (say Bummblesaw, Wyoming, USA) go after the only user in Bummblesaw, Wyoming, USA.

There is also another attack which can be performed for this group. If I recall correctly it is recommended such users use bridges as this offers some level of protection by making it more difficult for governments to identify Tor users in a given area.

sphynx
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A rejoint: 11/30/2011

I was able to configure Tor+Freenode+irssi once, though I couldn't figure what I did right and wrong: it started working suddenly and stopped suddenly. I'm setting up a VirtualBox installation of Parabola to test it.

To configure irssi, I had to read some things regarding this subject in Tor's and Freenode's sites, which also had informations about irssi.

SirGrant

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A rejoint: 07/27/2010

If you can get it working could you try to remember the exact steps/things you did to get it working. Thanks!

sphynx
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A rejoint: 11/30/2011

I couldn't set up Parabola in VirtualBox. I'm trying to configure irssi+Tor+Freenode in Trisquel 5.5 "Brigantia" and registering it here.

Some readings:

A. Anything+Tor: https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/wiki/doc/TorifyHOWTO
A.a IRC+Tor: https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/wiki/doc/TorifyHOWTO/IrcSilc
A.b irssi+Tor: https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/wiki/doc/TorifyHOWTO/irssi

B. Tor+Freenode: http://freenode.net/irc_servers.shtml#tor

C. irssi+Tor+Freenode: https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/wiki/doc/TorifyHOWTO/irssi#SASLirssi

Others:
http://www.beuc.net/tor/
http://www.andrews-corner.org/irssi.html

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Irssi
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Tor

-----------------

I'm doing this:

Set up a nick in Freenode (without Tor...): http://freenode.net/faq.shtml#nicksetup

$ sudo apt-get install tor irrsi libcrypt-openssl-bignum-perl libcrypt-dh-perl libcrypt-blowfish-perl

$ mkdir --parents ~/.irssi/scripts/autorun/
$ cd ~/.irssi/scripts/; wget http://freenode.net/sasl/cap_sasl.pl
$ cd autorun/; ln -s ../cap_sasl.pl .

Add the following line to /etc/tor/torrc (I suppose ):
mapaddress 10.40.40.40 p4fsi4ockecnea7l.onion

$ irssi
/network add FreenodeTor
/server add -auto -ssl -ssl_verify -network FreenodeTor 10.40.40.40
/save
/sasl set FreenodeTor [USERNAME] [PASSWORD] DH-BLOWFISH
/sasl save
/quit

Edit ~/.irssi/config: at the end of the file, "settings={};" contains details about your Trisquel user account. You better change it in that file :-) Probably there's a way to change them with irssi commands, but I don't know how to do it. Anyone?

$ torify irssi
07:05 -!- Irssi: Looking up 10.40.40.40
07:05 -!- Irssi: SASL: auth loaded from ~/.irssi/sasl.auth
07:05 -!- Irssi: Connecting to 10.40.40.40 [10.40.40.40] port 6667
07:08 -!- Irssi: Unable to connect server 10.40.40.40 port 6667 [Tempo esgotado para conexão]
("Time over")

I stopped there. Changing the port to 6697, 7000 or 7070 (as freenode.net says to do in order to use SSL) changes nothing -- as well as disabling ssl. I tried Tor ports too (9050, 8118), but nothing.

I tried the socat method too. Nothing.

SirGrant

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A rejoint: 07/27/2010

yeah, it is really hard to get it to work. The documentation is not clear.

SirGrant

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A rejoint: 07/27/2010

If you can get it working could you try to remember the exact steps/things
you did to get it working. Thanks!

lembas
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A rejoint: 05/13/2010

In a related issue I've been trying to connect to freenode with xchat and I'm instantly disconnected.

* Closing Link: 212-226-40-159-nat.elisa-mobile.fi (SASL access only)
* Disconnected (Remote host closed socket).

I have copied the file suggested in http://freenode.net/sasl/ but how do I configure it? What username/password? Do I now need an account on freenode? How can I get one when I'm getting instantly disconnected?

No freenode means no Trisquel IRC among other things... damn shame.

t3g
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A rejoint: 05/15/2011

So you want to be anonymous in an IRC chat room so no one can tie that to you just in case you are mean or do something stupid and the IP address is tied to another person who may get in trouble since you are borrowing his IP address?

SirGrant

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A rejoint: 07/27/2010

I'm not going to justify trolling with a response to you. I will however point out for others that this is a logical fallacy called an either/or fallacy. That is defined as: Only two possibilities are presented when in fact several exist. Example: America: love it or leave it. Or: Shut down all nuclear power plants, or watch your children and grandchildren die from radiation poisoning.

t3g is trolling here.

Firstly there are many types of people who use tor for multiple reasons:

  • Military Use
  • Journalism
  • Privacy (e.g. you live in a country where IRC is blocked)
  • Law enforcement
  • Activism
  • Business

Tor won the 2010 free software award for social benefit

There are many other reasons why someone would want to be anonymous other then you want to be mean or abuse someone elses IP address. To lead people to believe that is disingenuous and putting words in my mouth. I never said anything like that. I do not appreciate it. Tor is very valuable software that helps prevent censorship and and protect privacy. To imply that it is simply just used for trolling is misleading. I am just posting this to make it clear for anyone else who reads this thread.

Finally, freenode has instructions on how to setup tor to use IRC with freenode. The goal is simply to make the documentation clear and easy to use for trisquel users. To warp our goal of doing that into making us look like trolls is just ugly.

t3g
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A rejoint: 05/15/2011

I am not trolling, so calm down there.

Tor is anonymous in the regard that it borrows someone else's IP address so you can browse the web, chat, or send email under an IP address that is not yours. That is where the flaws in the system show.

It is true that Tor hopes its users are smart with the network and are not doing anything illicit behind it. The reality is that not everyone can be trusted even though we want them to be as you described.

For example, if I am connecting to Tor and offer my IP as an exit node or bridge relay, my IP address is tied to any activity that someone else does. The problem with that is I can be directly responsible for those actions since that IP address is associated with me and all it takes is the police to get the information from my ISP and prosecute me.

If that were ever to happen, then I would be essential screwed if that person was using my IP to browse child pornography, attack a government agency, or carry out terrorist attacks. The last thing I need is the FBI arresting me for this when I had no ties to any of the actions associated with the IP address.

How would I prove it wasn't me? On top of that, they would be asking me why I would be giving out my IP address freely to begin with. With CISPA passing and private companies willing to give your information over to the government, why would anyone risk that?

Magic Banana

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A rejoint: 07/24/2010

That is a choice of society. On one side, an anonymous network with freedom of speech, information and, in the end, thought. On the other side, a society monitored by the state, i.e., a dictatorship that decides what are the topics you cannot talk about (today child pornography, Nazism and Salafi, tomorrow communism?, after tomorrow anti-state ideas?). I made my choice.

Of course you can use your freedom of speech to publish objectionable material.. but I would really like to see a study showing that there is more child abuse or racist/anti-homosexual/etc. crimes - the real problems - if the citizens have access to child pornography or fascist propaganda. I really doubt it is the case. People masturbating watching children do not harm any child doing so. Without that to satisfy their impulsions, they may more easily act and waste children's lives. Same thing when criminalizing the mere expression of extremist ideas (the first and valid argument of extremist parties: the state prevents the citizens from being informed and make their own opinions on what they "defend").

Citizens are not chidren. The state should not be a father (any resemblance to Staline is not a mere coincidence).

t3g
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A rejoint: 05/15/2011

Its not a matter of citizens being children or not. I use Tor but mainly to test Google search results so they aren't tailored to my area and the occasional BBC iPlayer. I can have morals and play nice with someone else's IP address, but does that mean someone else will follow the same morals as me with my IP address? The people that are runing Tor are doing it for a purpose to either hide behind someone else's IP becuase they intend to do something they don't want tied to their main IP.

I'm just saying that running an exit node or bridge means that my IP is tied to any activity that someone else decides to do with it. Your concept of "freedom" protects the guy that wants to borrow your IP, not the freedom of the guy who is leasing his IP address and can be litigated and tracked for actions that were not his or her own.

SirGrant

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A rejoint: 07/27/2010

Firstly guys, can we end this. This is just crapping up my thread.

This thread is about getting freenode and tor and irssi to play nice together. If you can help me great. If not please take this elsewhere.

  • If you want to debate if tor is ethical and moral make your own thread to talk about it
  • If you wanna help me write documentation on how to get tor freenode and irssi to work post in this thread!.

This is a technical thread about getting documentation together. All this junk is taking it off track. If you can help me out technically please do so. If you wanna discuss the legality and ethics of being anonymous I invite you again to make your own thread to discuss it.

Chris

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A rejoint: 04/23/2011

Magic Banana: I couldn't have said it better myself.