QXTunnel

QXTunnel is an end-to-end encrypted tunneling solution that leverages MQTT for secure and managed TCP connections between clients and servers. It facilitates the creation of TCP tunnels through an MQTT broker, enabling seamless and secure communication across networks.

Features

• Secure Tunneling: Utilizes NaCL for end-to-end encrypted communication.
• Session Management: Handles multiple simultaneous TCP sessions with unique session IDs.
• Easy Configuration: Simple JSON-based configuration for both client and server.
• Cross-Platform: Compatible with major operating systems supporting Node.js.

Installation

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/qxtunnel.git
   cd qxtunnel

2. Install Dependencies:

   Ensure you have Node.js installed.

   npm install

3. Link the Package:

   This allows you to use qxtunnel as a global command.

   npm link

Configuration

Sample Client Configuration (client.config.json)

{
  "port": 3004,
  "serverId": "AHnTu0WFqm5prqRWIHTZSwpi2eIGetPUgPhs5sFM2Cs=",
  "id": "eDt8LtTN6oPcw6/J4crdJWGujbqduK7RySJNRkiTFwA=",
  "sk": "np98MPhpFldRebqGQzrGtAdOAuml7KZrPyq+7fCl89E=",
  "heartbeat": 5000,
  "mqtt": {
    "host": "mqtts://broker.emqx.io:8883",
    "options": {}
  }
}

Sample Server Configuration (server.config.json)

{
  "port": 22,
  "host": "10.0.0.6",
  "clientId": "eDt8LtTN6oPcw6/J4crdJWGujbqduK7RySJNRkiTFwA=",
  "id": "AHnTu0WFqm5prqRWIHTZSwpi2eIGetPUgPhs5sFM2Cs=",
  "sk": "fBsqv9bM3EDUNNIkYFHeJ8Gx534cPhhIrkrDMvgzrn8=",
  "heartbeat": 5000,
  "mqtt": {
    "host": "mqtts://broker.emqx.io:8883",
    "options": {}
  }
}

Configuration Parameters:

• port: The port number to listen on (client) or to connect to (server).
• host: The target host to connect to (server only). Defaults to localhost if not specified.
• serverId / clientId: Unique identifiers for the server and client.
• id: Bot identifier.
• sk: Secret key for authentication.
• heartbeat: Heartbeat interval in milliseconds.
• mqtt.host: MQTT broker URL.
• mqtt.options: Additional MQTT options.

Usage

Starting the Client

Run the client to start listening for incoming TCP connections and tunnel them through MQTT.

qxtunnel client path/to/client.config.json

Example:

qxtunnel client ./client.config.json

Starting the Server

Run the server to accept tunneled TCP connections and forward them to the specified target host and port.

qxtunnel server path/to/server.config.json

Example:

qxtunnel server ./server.config.json

Create Keys

To establish secure and authenticated communication between the client and server, QXTunnel utilizes a pair of cryptographic keys: an Public Key (id) and a Secret Key (sk). These keys ensure that only authorized clients and servers can connect and communicate through the tunnel.

qxtunnel keys

Running as a Service

For production environments, consider running the client and server as background services using tools like pm2, systemd, or Docker.