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When Tor is blocked in your region, bridge relays can help you bypass censorship and regain access to the Tor network. Bridge relays are unlisted Tor relays that are harder to block, making them ideal for circumventing government or ISP restrictions.
You Should Know:
1. Obtaining Bridge Relays
To get bridge relays, visit:
- https://bridges.torproject.org/
- Email `[email protected]` (from a Gmail or Riseup account) with the subject line
get bridges
.
2. Configuring Tor to Use Bridges
On Linux:
Edit the Tor configuration file:
sudo nano /etc/tor/torrc
Add your bridge details (replace `IP:PORT` with your bridge info):
UseBridges 1 Bridge obfs4 IP:PORT FINGERPRINT cert=CERT iat-mode=0 ClientTransportPlugin obfs4 exec /usr/bin/obfs4proxy
Restart Tor:
sudo systemctl restart tor
On Windows (Using Tor Browser):
1. Open Tor Browser.
2. Go to Settings > Tor Network.
3. Enable “Tor is censored in my country”.
- Select “Provide a bridge” and enter your bridge details.
3. Testing Tor Connectivity
Verify Tor is working:
curl --socks5-hostname 127.0.0.1:9050 https://check.torproject.org/
If successful, you’ll see:
“Congratulations. This browser is configured to use Tor.”
4. Using Obfsproxy for Extra Stealth
Obfuscation bridges (like obfs4
) disguise Tor traffic as regular HTTPS:
sudo apt-get install obfs4proxy
Then add to `torrc`:
ClientTransportPlugin obfs4 exec /usr/bin/obfs4proxy
5. Automating Bridge Retrieval (Advanced)
Use `tor-bridges` script to fetch fresh bridges:
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/torproject/tor/main/contrib/client-tools/tor-bridges chmod +x tor-bridges ./tor-bridges
What Undercode Say
Censorship-resistant tools like Tor bridges are essential in restricted regions. Governments and ISPs actively block Tor entry nodes, but bridges provide a stealthy workaround. Combining bridges with obfuscation (like obfs4
) makes detection even harder.
For maximum privacy:
- Rotate bridges regularly.
- Use Pluggable Transports (e.g., `meek-azure` for extreme censorship).
- Monitor Tor logs for errors:
journalctl -u tor -f
Expected Output:
A functional Tor connection even in censored networks, with obfuscated traffic to avoid detection.
Prediction
As censorship tools evolve, more advanced obfuscation methods (like quantum-resistant bridges) will emerge, making Tor even harder to block.
IT/Security Reporter URL:
Reported By: Sam Bent – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅