GNUnet
| GNUnet
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|---|---|
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| Basic data
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| Maintainer | Christian Grothoff |
| developer | The GNUnet team |
| Publishing year | 2001 |
| Current version |
0.13.2 ( August 14, 2020 ) |
| operating system | official: free operating systems ( Linux , FreeBSD , NetBSD , OpenBSD ); unofficial: other operating systems ( macOS , Windows ) |
| programming language | C. |
| category | Anonymous P2P , friend-to-friend |
| License | GNU AGPLv3 or newer ( Free Software ) |
| German speaking | Yes |
| gnunet.org | |
GNUnet is a free framework for secure and anonymous peer-to-peer networking that does not use centralized or otherwise trusted services.
A first implementation, which is based on the network layer, allows anonymous, censorship-resistant file sharing . GNUnet uses a simple, surplus-based model to allocate resources. Participants in the GNUnet network monitor the behavior of others with regard to resource use; Participants who contribute to the network are rewarded with better services.
GNUnet is part of the GNU project .
properties
Data packets such as search queries, downloads, uploads and file parts are not sent directly from the source, the uploader, to the target, the downloader, but via several other GNUnet network participants who act as middlemen. Thus there is no direct network connection between the uploader and the downloader; their IP addresses remain unknown to each other and to others. Because packets are forwarded, nobody can know whether a certain other participant has only forwarded a package (or a file) or sent it on its own journey (for example as a response to a search query). Thus, it cannot be proven which GNUnet user is the real uploader or downloader of a file. The VPN service makes it possible to perform hidden services with GNUnet; these can be tunneled using many transport protocols such as TCP , UDP , HTTP , HTTPS , WLAN , Bluetooth , IPv4 and IPv6 .
confidentiality
All data in the GNUnet network is transmitted from the sender to the recipient using end-to-end encryption . Nobody, not even one of the forwarding participants, can monitor, disrupt or censor the communication. In addition, a procedure developed for GNUnet is used, the so-called Encoding for Censorship-Resistant Sharing (ECRS), which replaces the Efficient Sharing of Encrypted Data (ESED) and ESED II procedures used prior to version 0.7. In addition, queries and keywords are not stored in plain text and transmitted, but only their checksums (known as hashes , similar to a checksum ) that are difficult to put a specific keyword in combination, but nevertheless are unique. The aim of confidentiality is that the following assignment is never possible: GNUnet participant ⇔ IP address (computer) ⇔ User ⇔ Search, download, upload
Credible deniability
Data content can be stored in GNUnet on the hard drives of other participants (provided this function has been activated by the user). Even if someone can prove that certain data is stored on a PC, it cannot be proven that the operator of the PC knew about it. The data can also come from a completely different GNUnet participant and have been automatically saved on this PC (“migration”).
Economics / bookkeeping
In order to paralyze a system, attackers often use the option of "flooding". An entire swap exchange can be flooded with forgeries (file name does not match the content, spam), individual participants can be flooded with too many requests. To prevent this, a node “Trust” must be earned in the GNUnet. Each individual participant keeps a record of the extent to which he trusts someone and then rewards him accordingly with better treatment (for example through a download, participant A has “something good” with B).
decentralization
GNUnet only depends on central services when it starts, namely when contact data from other participants (from the so-called "host lists") are automatically loaded. From then on, no central servers are required, downloading and search queries take place among the participants themselves. The content also does not stay centrally with one participant, it "migrates" (see above) to other participants and thus also ensures that the publisher is relieved.
openness
Some dubious providers have recognized that “anonymous communication” is a market and offer corresponding products. These are often characterized by the fact that only the finished program can be downloaded and the source code and thus the specific functionality remains secret. GNUnet is real open source software, which means that it is known exactly how the software behaves and each individual extension is distributed to a large group of interested parties and specialists worldwide via e-mail and archived on several websites. This ensures that no back doors are smuggled in. In addition, five scientific publications, several specialist lectures and a complete documentation of the source code have been prepared and are available to everyone.
Friend-to-Friend / Darknet
Optional GNUnet can also act as a private encrypted darknet or Friend-to-friend - computer network are used. With the friend-to-friend option, GNUnet offers the function of exchanging information and files anonymously via the IP addresses of friends who are directly connected and in turn their friends, etc. In these two options, GNUnet only connects to authorized trusted nodes (friends). The users are authenticated by means of digital signatures.
GNU name system
GNUnet includes an implementation of the GNU Name System (GNS), a decentralized and censorship-resistant replacement for the Domain Name System . In GNS each user manages his own master - zone which DNS name space under the in .gnu - top-level domain is mapped. Users can assign subdomains to zones that are managed by other users. Queries from other users' entries are processed via GNUnet's distributed hash table . A major problem with this approach is that names are no longer unique in the world, which makes the use of proxy servers and other workarounds necessary to meet the needs of older applications.
Related projects
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ GNU's Framework for Secure Peer-to-Peer Networking GNU's Framework for Secure Peer-to-Peer Networking. (No longer available online.) In: gnunet.org. GNUnet eV, p. 1 , archived from the original on June 12, 2018 ; accessed on March 27, 2017 (English): "GNUnet used RSA 2048 since its inception in 2001, but as of GNUnet 0.10.0, we are" powered by Curve25519 "" Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Martin Schanzenbach: GNUnet 0.13.2 released . August 14, 2020 (accessed August 14, 2020).
- ↑ GNUnet publications ( Memento of the original dated February 6, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
