socks

Fully featured SOCKS proxy client supporting SOCKSv4, SOCKSv4a, and SOCKSv5. Includes Bind and Associate functionality.

Looking for Node.js agent? Check node-socks-proxy-agent.

Features

• Supports SOCKS v4, v4a, v5, and v5h protocols.
• Supports the CONNECT, BIND, and ASSOCIATE commands.
• Supports callbacks, promises, and events for proxy connection creation async flow control.
• Supports proxy chaining (CONNECT only).
• Supports user/password authentication.
• Supports custom authentication.
• Built in UDP frame creation & parse functions.
• Created with TypeScript, type definitions are provided.

Requirements

• Node.js v10.0+ (Please use v1 for older versions of Node.js)

Looking for v1?

• Docs for v1 are available here

Installation

yarn add socks

or

npm install --save socks

Usage

// TypeScript
import { SocksClient, SocksClientOptions, SocksClientChainOptions } from 'socks';

// ES6 JavaScript
import { SocksClient } from 'socks';

// Legacy JavaScript
const SocksClient = require('socks').SocksClient;

Quick Start Example

Connect to github.com (192.30.253.113) on port 80, using a SOCKS proxy.

const options = {
  proxy: {
    host: '159.203.75.200', // ipv4 or ipv6 or hostname
    port: 1080,
    type: 5 // Proxy version (4 or 5)
  },

  command: 'connect', // SOCKS command (createConnection factory function only supports the connect command)

  destination: {
    host: '192.30.253.113', // github.com (hostname lookups are supported with SOCKS v4a and 5)
    port: 80
  }
};

// Async/Await
try {
  const info = await SocksClient.createConnection(options);

  console.log(info.socket);
  // <Socket ...>  (this is a raw net.Socket that is established to the destination host through the given proxy server)
} catch (err) {
  // Handle errors
}

// Promises
SocksClient.createConnection(options)
.then(info => {
  console.log(info.socket);
  // <Socket ...>  (this is a raw net.Socket that is established to the destination host through the given proxy server)
})
.catch(err => {
  // Handle errors
});

// Callbacks
SocksClient.createConnection(options, (err, info) => {
  if (!err) {
    console.log(info.socket);
    // <Socket ...>  (this is a raw net.Socket that is established to the destination host through the given proxy server)
  } else {
    // Handle errors
  }
});

Chaining Proxies

Note: Chaining is only supported when using the SOCKS connect command, and chaining can only be done through the special factory chaining function.

This example makes a proxy chain through two SOCKS proxies to ip-api.com. Once the connection to the destination is established it sends an HTTP request to get a JSON response that returns ip info for the requesting ip.

const options = {
  destination: {
    host: 'ip-api.com', // host names are supported with SOCKS v4a and SOCKS v5.
    port: 80
  },
  command: 'connect', // Only the connect command is supported when chaining proxies.
  proxies: [ // The chain order is the order in the proxies array, meaning the last proxy will establish a connection to the destination.
    {
      host: '159.203.75.235', // ipv4, ipv6, or hostname
      port: 1081,
      type: 5
    },
    {
      host: '104.131.124.203', // ipv4, ipv6, or hostname
      port: 1081,
      type: 5
    }
  ]
}

// Async/Await
try {
  const info = await SocksClient.createConnectionChain(options);

  console.log(info.socket);
  // <Socket ...>  (this is a raw net.Socket that is established to the destination host through the given proxy servers)

  console.log(info.socket.remoteAddress) // The remote address of the returned socket is the first proxy in the chain.
  // 159.203.75.235

  info.socket.write('GET /json HTTP/1.1\nHost: ip-api.com\n\n');
  info.socket.on('data', (data) => {
    console.log(data.toString()); // ip-api.com sees that the last proxy in the chain (104.131.124.203) is connected to it.
    /*
      HTTP/1.1 200 OK
      Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *
      Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8
      Date: Sun, 24 Dec 2017 03:47:51 GMT
      Content-Length: 300

      {
        "as":"AS14061 Digital Ocean, Inc.",
        "city":"Clifton",
        "country":"United States",
        "countryCode":"US",
        "isp":"Digital Ocean",
        "lat":40.8326,
        "lon":-74.1307,
        "org":"Digital Ocean",
        "query":"104.131.124.203",
        "region":"NJ",
        "regionName":"New Jersey",
        "status":"success",
        "timezone":"America/New_York",
        "zip":"07014"
      }
    */
  });
} catch (err) {
  // Handle errors
}

// Promises
SocksClient.createConnectionChain(options)
.then(info => {
  console.log(info.socket);
  // <Socket ...>  (this is a raw net.Socket that is established to the destination host through the given proxy server)

  console.log(info.socket.remoteAddress) // The remote address of the returned socket is the first proxy in the chain.
  // 159.203.75.235

  info.socket.write('GET /json HTTP/1.1\nHost: ip-api.com\n\n');
  info.socket.on('data', (data) => {
    console.log(data.toString()); // ip-api.com sees that the last proxy in the chain (104.131.124.203) is connected to it.
    /*
      HTTP/1.1 200 OK
      Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *
      Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8
      Date: Sun, 24 Dec 2017 03:47:51 GMT
      Content-Length: 300

      {
        "as":"AS14061 Digital Ocean, Inc.",
        "city":"Clifton",
        "country":"United States",
        "countryCode":"US",
        "isp":"Digital Ocean",
        "lat":40.8326,
        "lon":-74.1307,
        "org":"Digital Ocean",
        "query":"104.131.124.203",
        "region":"NJ",
        "regionName":"New Jersey",
        "status":"success",
        "timezone":"America/New_York",
        "zip":"07014"
      }
    */
  });
})
.catch(err => {
  // Handle errors
});

// Callbacks
SocksClient.createConnectionChain(options, (err, info) => {
  if (!err) {
    console.log(info.socket);
    // <Socket ...>  (this is a raw net.Socket that is established to the destination host through the given proxy server)

    console.log(info.socket.remoteAddress) // The remote address of the returned socket is the first proxy in the chain.
  // 159.203.75.235

  info.socket.write('GET /json HTTP/1.1\nHost: ip-api.com\n\n');
  info.socket.on('data', (data) => {
    console.log(data.toString()); // ip-api.com sees that the last proxy in the chain (104.131.124.203) is connected to it.
    /*
      HTTP/1.1 200 OK
      Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *
      Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8
      Date: Sun, 24 Dec 2017 03:47:51 GMT
      Content-Length: 300

      {
        "as":"AS14061 Digital Ocean, Inc.",
        "city":"Clifton",
        "country":"United States",
        "countryCode":"US",
        "isp":"Digital Ocean",
        "lat":40.8326,
        "lon":-74.1307,
        "org":"Digital Ocean",
        "query":"104.131.124.203",
        "region":"NJ",
        "regionName":"New Jersey",
        "status":"success",
        "timezone":"America/New_York",
        "zip":"07014"
      }
    */
  });
  } else {
    // Handle errors
  }
});

Bind Example (TCP Relay)

When the bind command is sent to a SOCKS v4/v5 proxy server, the proxy server starts listening on a new TCP port and the proxy relays then remote host information back to the client. When another remote client connects to the proxy server on this port the SOCKS proxy sends a notification that an incoming connection has been accepted to the initial client and a full duplex stream is now established to the initial client and the client that connected to that special port.

const options = {
  proxy: {
    host: '159.203.75.235', // ipv4, ipv6, or hostname
    port: 1081,
    type: 5
  },

  command: 'bind',

  // When using BIND, the destination should be the remote client that is expected to connect to the SOCKS proxy. Using 0.0.0.0 makes the Proxy accept any incoming connection on that port.
  destination: {
    host: '0.0.0.0',
    port: 0
  }
};

// Creates a new SocksClient instance.
const client = new SocksClient(options);

// When the SOCKS proxy has bound a new port and started listening, this event is fired.
client.on('bound', info => {
  console.log(info.remoteHost);
  /*
  {
    host: "159.203.75.235",
    port: 57362
  }
  */
});

// When a client connects to the newly bound port on the SOCKS proxy, this event is fired.
client.on('established', info => {
  // info.remoteHost is the remote address of the client that connected to the SOCKS proxy.
  console.log(info.remoteHost);
  /*
    host: 67.171.34.23,
    port: 49823
  */

  console.log(info.socket);
  // <Socket ...>  (This is a raw net.Socket that is a connection between the initial client and the remote client that connected to the proxy)

  // Handle received data...
  info.socket.on('data', data => {
    console.log('recv', data);
  });
});

// An error occurred trying to establish this SOCKS connection.
client.on('error', err => {
  console.error(err);
});

// Start connection to proxy
client.connect();

Associate Example (UDP Relay)

When the associate command is sent to a SOCKS v5 proxy server, it sets up a UDP relay that allows the client to send UDP packets to a remote host through the proxy server, and also receive UDP packet responses back through the proxy server.

const options = {
  proxy: {
    host: '159.203.75.235', // ipv4, ipv6, or hostname
    port: 1081,
    type: 5
  },

  command: 'associate',

  // When using associate, the destination should be the remote client that is expected to send UDP packets to the proxy server to be forwarded. This should be your local ip, or optionally the wildcard address (0.0.0.0)  UDP Client <-> Proxy <-> UDP Client
  destination: {
    host: '0.0.0.0',
    port: 0
  }
};

// Create a local UDP socket for sending packets to the proxy.
const udpSocket = dgram.createSocket('udp4');
udpSocket.bind();

// Listen for incoming UDP packets from the proxy server.
udpSocket.on('message', (message, rinfo) => {
  console.log(SocksClient.parseUDPFrame(message));
  /*
  { frameNumber: 0,
    remoteHost: { host: '165.227.108.231', port: 4444 }, // The remote host that replied with a UDP packet
    data: <Buffer 74 65 73 74 0a> // The data
  }
  */
});

let client = new SocksClient(options);

// When the UDP relay is established, this event is fired and includes the UDP relay port to send data to on the proxy server.
client.on('established', info => {
  console.log(info.remoteHost);
  /*
    {
      host: '159.203.75.235',
      port: 44711
    }
  */

  // Send 'hello' to 165.227.108.231:4444
  const packet = SocksClient.createUDPFrame({
    remoteHost: { host: '165.227.108.231', port: 4444 },
    data: Buffer.from('hello')
  });
  udpSocket.send(packet, info.remoteHost.port, info.remoteHost.host);
});

// Start connection
client.connect();

Note: The associate TCP connection to the proxy must remain open for the UDP relay to work.

Additional Examples

Documentation

Migrating from v1

Looking for a guide to migrate from v1? Look here

Api Reference:

Note: socks includes full TypeScript definitions. These can even be used without using TypeScript as most IDEs (such as VS Code) will use these type definition files for auto completion intellisense even in JavaScript files.

• Class: SocksClient
• new SocksClient(options[, callback])
• Class Method: SocksClient.createConnection(options[, callback])
• Class Method: SocksClient.createConnectionChain(options[, callback])
• Class Method: SocksClient.createUDPFrame(options)
• Class Method: SocksClient.parseUDPFrame(data)
• Event: 'error'
• Event: 'bound'
• Event: 'established'
• client.connect()
• client.socksClientOptions

SocksClient

SocksClient establishes SOCKS proxy connections to remote destination hosts. These proxy connections are fully transparent to the server and once established act as full duplex streams. SOCKS v4, v4a, v5, and v5h are supported, as well as the connect, bind, and associate commands.

SocksClient supports creating connections using callbacks, promises, and async/await flow control using two static factory functions createConnection and createConnectionChain. It also internally extends EventEmitter which results in allowing event handling based async flow control.

SOCKS Compatibility Table

Note: When using 4a please specify type: 4, and when using 5h please specify type 5.

Socks Version	TCP	UDP	IPv4	IPv6	Hostname
SOCKS v4	✅	❌	✅	❌	❌
SOCKS v4a	✅	❌	✅	❌	✅
SOCKS v5 (includes v5h)	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅

new SocksClient(options)

• options {SocksClientOptions} - An object describing the SOCKS proxy to use, the command to send and establish, and the destination host to connect to.

SocksClientOptions

```typescript { proxy: { host: '159.203.75.200', // ipv4, ipv6, or hostname