macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install obfs4proxylocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install obfs4proxy with Homebrew, apt
Pluggable transport proxy for Tor, implementing obfs4. Version 0.0.14 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install obfs4proxyDebian stable package indexes · obfs4proxy · source: deb.debian.org
overview
Package summary
Pluggable transport proxy for Tor, implementing obfs4
Project links
Commands and aliases
- obfs4proxy
history
Project history and usage
obfs4proxy is the executable from Yawning Angel's obfs4 project, a Go implementation of the obfs4 Tor pluggable transport. Its job is to transform Tor traffic between a censored client and a bridge so that network observers see obfuscated traffic rather than a recognizable Tor connection.
Project history
The upstream README describes obfs4 as a "look-like nothing" obfuscation protocol that borrows concepts from Philipp Winter's ScrambleSuit while changing the handshake design. The protocol uses the Tor Project's ntor handshake with public keys obfuscated through Elligator 2, and the link layer uses NaCl secret boxes based on Poly1305 and XSalsa20.
The GitLab project record was created on 2019-01-16, but the protocol and proxy have older Tor ecosystem roots; Debian packaging and historical discussions predate that GitLab creation date. The executable kept compatibility paths for obfs2 and obfs3 client/server modes and ScrambleSuit client mode to ease migration while obfs4 became the main focus.
Adoption history
Tor's bridge-operator documentation tells volunteers how to set up an obfs4 bridge for censored users and links platform-specific deployment guides across Linux distributions, BSD systems, Windows, and Docker. The same Tor page notes that the obfs4 project was renamed to lyrebird for source-building guidance, reflecting a handoff in anti-censorship transport maintenance while the `obfs4proxy` package name persists in distributions.
Debian packages obfs4proxy in the net section and describes it as compliant with the Tor pluggable transports specification, containing both client and bridge functionality in one program. Homebrew core packaged version 0.0.14 and recorded 532 installs over 365 days in the 2026-07-01 formula JSON.
How it is used
Operators run obfs4proxy from Tor configuration using `ServerTransportPlugin obfs4 exec ...` on bridges and `ClientTransportPlugin obfs4 exec ...` on clients. The upstream README also documents generated bridge parameters in Tor's pluggable-transport state directory and suggests using Linux capabilities when a bridge needs to bind low-numbered ports without running as root.
The Tor pluggable transport specification explains the broader architecture that obfs4proxy implements: Tor launches modular subprocesses that transform traffic for censorship circumvention. In practice, obfs4proxy is the subprocess that speaks the obfs4 transport while Tor handles relay and bridge behavior around it.
Why package nerds care
obfs4proxy is significant because it is not just another proxy binary; it is distribution-packaged anti-censorship infrastructure. Package managers make it easy for bridge operators and users to deploy the exact helper process Tor expects, while preserving a small single-executable interface around fairly specialized cryptographic and transport behavior.
Timeline
- 2019-01-16: the GitLab project record for yawning/obfs4 was created.
- 2026-07-01: Homebrew core formula metadata listed stable version 0.0.14 and the `obfs4proxy` executable.
- 2026-07-01: Debian sid package metadata listed obfs4proxy 0.0.14-2 variants across multiple architectures.
Related projects
- obfs4proxy belongs to Tor's pluggable-transport family and is related to older transports obfs2, obfs3, and ScrambleSuit, plus later Tor anti-censorship transports such as WebTunnel and Snowflake. The upstream project page and Tor bridge guide connect the historical obfs4 name with the lyrebird source project name used in newer Tor documentation.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: green
narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:no-higher-risk-signals
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 13 platform targets.
- Build metadata lists 1 build dependencies.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
obfs4proxy | cli | global executable |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-07-08
manager version0.0.14
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://gitlab.com/yawning/obfs4
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://gitlab.com/yawning/obfs4none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:obfs4proxy |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.0.14 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/obfs4proxy |
| Homepage | https://gitlab.com/yawning/obfs4 |
| Repository | https://gitlab.com/yawning/obfs4 |
| Upstream docs | https://gitlab.com/yawning/obfs4/-/blob/master/README.md |
| License | BSD-2-Clause |
| Source archive | https://gitlab.com/yawning/obfs4/-/archive/obfs4proxy-0.0.14/obfs4-obfs4proxy-0.0.14.tar.gz |
| Build dependencies | go |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, catalina, monterey, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | obfs4proxy |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Debian apt95%
obfs4proxy 0.0.14-2+b5
pluggable transport proxy for Tor, implementing obfs4
https://gitlab.com/yawning/obfs4
sudo apt install obfs4proxy- Section: net
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: obfs4proxy
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Obfs4proxy
Ubuntu apt95%
obfs4proxy 0.0.14-1build1
pluggable transport proxy for Tor, implementing obfs4
https://gitlab.com/yawning/obfs4
sudo apt install obfs4proxy- Section: universe/net
- Architecture: amd64
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Obfs4proxy
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment