proxychains is a powerful tool for routing application traffic through a chain of proxies. Below are 10 different ways to use it, with examples:
1. Run a Web Browser Through Proxies
Use proxychains to route your browser traffic through a proxy.
proxychains firefox
This will open Firefox and route all its traffic through the configured proxies in /etc/proxychains.conf.
2. Test Connectivity Using curl
Use proxychains to send requests using curl.
proxychains curl https://example.com
This is useful for testing how the request appears when routed through the proxies.
3. Perform DNS Lookups
Run dig or nslookup to check how DNS queries behave when routed through proxies.
proxychains dig example.com
This routes DNS resolution through the proxy chain.
4. Run Network Scans Using nmap
Route nmap scans through proxies for anonymity.
proxychains nmap -sT -Pn -p 80 example.com
-sT ensures a TCP connect scan, as SYN scans (-sS) typically don’t work over proxies.
5. Use proxychains with wget
Download files anonymously using wget.
proxychains wget https://example.com/file.zip
This downloads the file through the configured proxy chain.
6. Bypass Firewalls for SSH
Use proxychains to establish SSH connections through a proxy.
proxychains ssh user@remote-server.com
This is handy for connecting to SSH servers behind firewalls or geographical restrictions.
7. Run Tor Browser with Proxychains
Chain proxychains with tor for additional anonymity.
proxychains tor
This routes tor itself through the configured proxy chain.
8. Use Proxychains with git
Clone repositories or interact with Git servers through proxies.
proxychains git clone https://github.com/user/repository.git
This allows Git traffic to be anonymized.
9. Test APIs or Services Using python
Run Python scripts with proxychains to proxy API requests or other scripts.
proxychains python my_script.py
This is particularly useful for developers testing applications or APIs through proxies.
10. Automate Proxychains with Shell Scripts
Combine proxychains with a shell script for batch tasks.
Example shell script proxy_download.sh:
#!/bin/bash
for url in $(cat urls.txt); do
proxychains wget $url
done
Run it:
chmod +x proxy_download.sh
./proxy_download.sh
This automates tasks like downloading files anonymously in bulk.
Key Configurations for Proxychains
Before using proxychains, configure /etc/proxychains.conf or ~/.proxychains/proxychains.conf. For example:
# Dynamic mode for proxy chaining
dynamic_chain
# Proxy list
socks5 127.0.0.1 9050
http 192.168.1.100 8080
Modes:
- dynamic_chain: Skips unavailable proxies in the chain.
- strict_chain: Ensures all proxies are used, failing if one is down.
- random_chain: Randomizes the order of proxies.