Tor’s new WebTunnel bridges mimic HTTPS traffic to evade censorship
Bleeping Computer – Sergiu Gatlan
WebTunnel is a new type of Tor bridge specifically designed to bypass censorship targeting the Tor network by hiding connections to appear like regular HTTPS web traffic.
It wraps Tor connections in a WebSocket-like HTTPS connection, making it look like ordinary encrypted web browsing to network observers.
This allows WebTunnel connections to blend in and bypass censorship in environments with allow/deny lists that would otherwise block Tor.
Users need to manually configure WebTunnel bridge addresses in the Tor Browser to use it on desktop or mobile.
WebTunnel was first introduced in December 2022 as a test integration, with a soft launch for bridge operators in June 2023\)
Currently, there are 60 WebTunnel bridges globally with over 700 daily active users across platforms.
It works in censored regions like China and Russia, but faces issues in some parts of Iran.
The goal is to ensure Tor access for everyone amid increasing censorship threats to internet freedom worldwide.
WebTunnel takes a different obfuscation approach compared to Tor’s existing obfsproxy bridges to overcome evolving censorship tactics.
Link: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/tors-new-webtunnel-bridges-mimic-https-traffic-to-evade-censorship/