Onion Routing (Tor)

Created: 2020-11-29T13:36:45-06:00

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High level

• Download a list of nodes to relay traffic.
• Pick an entry node.
• Exchange a session key with entry node.
• Entry node seeks a middle server.
• Middle server exchanges a session key with the host via the entry node.
• Middle node looks for an exit node.
• Exit node exchanges a session key with the host via middle and entry node.

Keys

• Nodes are able to communicate to their next immediate node in the circuit (entry<->middle<->exit).
• Nodes in the "circuit" have a key exchanged with the original host.
• Data is then encrypted with all three keys, such that the next node decrypts with its key and passes the still-encrypted data forward.