Building a Python-based Secure Web Proxy Server with SOCKS5

A secure web proxy server can enhance privacy and security when browsing the internet. In this article, we will learn how to create a Python-based secure web proxy server using the SOCKS5 protocol. SOCKS5 is a versatile and widely-used protocol that supports various applications.

Please note that this is a basic example and may require additional security features for production use. Always follow best practices to ensure a secure environment. Here’s an in-depth guide on best practices for secure coding in Python.

What is a Proxy Server?

A proxy server acts as an intermediary between a client (like a web browser) and the internet. It receives requests from clients and forwards them to the target server. This setup helps hide the client’s identity and location, thus improving privacy.

Introducing SOCKS5

SOCKS5 is a popular proxy protocol that allows secure and flexible communication between clients and servers. It supports various authentication methods and is widely used in networking applications.

Setting Up the Environment

Ensure you have Python installed on your system. Additionally, we’ll use the ‘pysocks’ library to handle SOCKS5 connections. Install it via pip:

pip install pysocks

Source Code

Create proxy_server.py file in your project directory. We’ll be writing all of our code here.

Importing the Necessary Libraries

We need to import the required libraries before diving into the code. We’ll use ‘socket’ for network communication and ‘threading’ for handling multiple client connections.

Open proxy_server.py file and write the following code in it.

import socket
import threading
import socks

Configuring the Proxy Server

Next, we’ll set up the proxy server with a chosen IP address and port. Replace ‘proxy_ip’ and ‘proxy_port’ with your desired values.

proxy_ip = '0.0.0.0'  # Change to your preferred IP
proxy_port = 8888  # Change to your preferred port

Defining the Proxy Handler

Now, we’ll define a function to handle incoming client connections. This function will read client requests, forward them to the target server, receive the server’s response, and send it back to the client.

def handle_client(client_socket):
    request = client_socket.recv(4096)
    server_socket = socks.socksocket()
    server_socket.set_proxy(socks.SOCKS5, proxy_ip, proxy_port)
    server_socket.connect(('www.example.com', 80))  # Replace with the target server address

    server_socket.send(request)

    while True:
        server_response = server_socket.recv(4096)
        if len(server_response) == 0:
            break
        client_socket.send(server_response)

    client_socket.close()
    server_socket.close()

Creating the Proxy Server

Now, let’s create the main function to set up the proxy server, listen for incoming connections, and handle them using the previously defined function.

def proxy_server():
    proxy = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
    proxy.bind((proxy_ip, proxy_port))
    proxy.listen(5)

    print(f'[INFO] Proxy server listening on {proxy_ip}:{proxy_port}')

    while True:
        client_socket, client_addr = proxy.accept()
        print(f'[INFO] Received connection from {client_addr[0]}:{client_addr[1]}')
        client_handler = threading.Thread(target=handle_client, args=(client_socket,))
        client_handler.start()

if __name__ == '__main__':
    proxy_server()

Running the Proxy Server

Run the proxy_server.py file to start the proxy server. Once it’s running, you can configure your web browser or other applications to use the proxy server at the specified IP address and port.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve successfully built a Python-based secure web proxy server using the SOCKS5 protocol. This proxy server enhances privacy and security while browsing the internet.