Http Proxy Ssl
HTTPS connections over proxy servers – Stack Overflow
The short answer is: It is possible, and can be done with either a special HTTP proxy or a SOCKS proxy.
First and foremost, HTTPS uses SSL/TLS which by design ensures end-to-end security by establishing a secure communication channel over an insecure one. If the HTTP proxy is able to see the contents, then it’s a man-in-the-middle eavesdropper and this defeats the goal of SSL/TLS. So there must be some tricks being played if we want to proxy through a plain HTTP proxy.
The trick is, we turn an HTTP proxy into a TCP proxy with a special command named CONNECT. Not all HTTP proxies support this feature but many do now. The TCP proxy cannot see the HTTP content being transferred in clear text, but that doesn’t affect its ability to forward packets back and forth. In this way, client and server can communicate with each other with help of the proxy. This is the secure way of proxying HTTPS data.
There is also an insecure way of doing so, in which the HTTP proxy becomes a man-in-the-middle. It receives the client-initiated connection, and then initiate another connection to the real server. In a well implemented SSL/TLS, the client will be notified that the proxy is not the real server. So the client has to trust the proxy by ignoring the warning for things to work. After that, the proxy simply decrypts data from one connection, reencrypts and feeds it into the other.
Finally, we can certainly proxy HTTPS through a SOCKS proxy, because the SOCKS proxy works at a lower level. You may think a SOCKS proxy as both a TCP and a UDP proxy.
What is an SSL Proxy and How Does it Work? – Blog | Oxylabs
It is very likely that you already know a thing or two about proxies. You may even know the difference between datacenter proxies and residential proxies. But what kind of a beast is an SSL proxy? What differentiates it from other proxy types? In this article, we will explore what makes SSL proxies the unique proxy type that it is.
First of all, the SSL / HTTPS proxy type belongs to a group of proxies denoted by the protocol that is used to connect online. Another example of such a proxy would be the SOCKS5 proxy type. Now that we have classification out of the way, let’s get to the matter at hand.
What is an SSL proxy?
SSL proxy is any proxy server that uses the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol, also known as SSL proxy server. SSL proxy performs encryption and decryption between the client and the server, without either of them being able to detect the proxy’s presence.
SSL proxy is also called an HTTPS proxy, the abbreviation meaning Hypertext Transfer Protocol over SSL. To put it briefly, an HTTPS proxy is a proxy that uses the HTTP protocol over SSL.
The HTTPS protocol has today become the standard for most websites and online services. The reason for this is simple – it ensures a much higher degree of privacy and security. How is this achieved? Let’s take a look.
How does SSL proxy work?
The keyword is encryption. As already mentioned, an HTTPS proxy utilizes SSL to encrypt all information going between an endpoint and any outside server you might want to access. Technically, the process is the same as connecting to a regular SSL-certified website. SSL encryption means that your connection cannot be intercepted and all modern browsers will give a warning if you try to connect to a website without an SSL certificate.
What benefits does an SSL proxy server offer?
SSL proxies offer two huge advantages, both stemming from encryption. They are safer overall and they are also more anonymous.
1. SSL proxies are safer
The SSL certificate protection layer encrypts the connection between your device and the target, which means that even if traffic is intercepted, there is virtually no chance for the attacker to read the information. This is especially important for sensitive communications, such as connecting to your bank account online.
2. SSL proxies are more anonymous
Thanks to encryption, SSL proxies also ensure a higher degree of anonymity. Although regular HTTP proxies provide reasonable anonymity, SSL proxies add an extra layer because they remove the risk of identification from intercepted data.
Contrary to HTTPS protocol, the older HTTP has no traffic encryption. This makes the transferred data readable, thus making it vulnerable to interception by a third party in transit. This attack vector is rather common and it is known as a man-in-the-middle (MitM) attack. MitM attacks are no joke as according to IBM’s X-Force Threat Intelligence Index 2018, more than one-third of the exploitation of inadvertent weaknesses involved MitM attacks.
What can SSL proxies be used for?
Although this proxy type offers more security and anonymity, SSL proxy use cases are more or less the same as those of other proxy types. Just as a refresher, they include:
Web data scraping
The internet offers an endless supply of public information that is incredibly valuable for various stakeholders. However, collecting it on a large scale is a lot more difficult than it may seem at first. Most popular scraping targets automatically prevent large scale data gathering by blocking IP addresses that make a much larger number of requests than the average. Scraping the web with rotating SSL proxies allows to bypass these restrictions placed on the freedom of data.
Managing social media accounts
Many social media management platforms utilize proxies to aid marketers and social media managers in account creation and/or management. Registering and consequently using multiple accounts from the same IP (or, alternatively, the same person) is indiscriminately forbidden by the largest social media platforms, which can be a burden for legitimate marketers.
Ad verification
Hackers and fraudsters use sophisticated methods to fake ad traffic. This means that a huge number of ads are never actually seen by real people and it also brings big losses for businesses. Due to this, an increasing number of companies use proxies for ad verification in order to detect fraud, improve ad performance, and check advertisers’ landing pages anonymously.
Brand protection
Cyber attacks and intellectual property theft can result in severe damage to a business, including financial costs, loss of clients and a hit to a brand’s reputation. SSL proxies can help protect a brand by increasing network security, filtering malicious emails, helping monitor internal internet usage and more.
Wrapping up
It is obvious that SSL proxies are the go-to choice for businesses conscious about privacy and security and with their many use cases, they are a great tool to get things done. Here at Oxylabs, you can use our residential proxy network to communicate with websites via HTTPS so you can be sure to get the highest level of privacy and security while performing your operations.
Register at or book a call with our sales team to discuss how Oxylabs’ SSL proxies can be integrated into your proxy infrastructure today!
About Vytautas Kirjazovas
Vytautas Kirjazovas is Head of PR at Oxylabs, and he places a strong personal interest in technology due to its magnifying potential to make everyday business processes easier and more efficient. Vytautas is fascinated by new digital tools and approaches, in particular, for web data harvesting purposes, so feel free to drop him a message if you have any questions on this topic. He appreciates a tasty meal, enjoys traveling and writing about himself in the third person.
All information on Oxylabs Blog is provided on an “as is” basis and for informational purposes only. We make no representation and disclaim all liability with respect to your use of any information contained on Oxylabs Blog or any third-party websites that may be linked therein. Before engaging in scraping activities of any kind you should consult your legal advisors and carefully read the particular website’s terms of service or receive a scraping license.
About the HTTPS-Proxy – WatchGuard Technologies
HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer, or HTTP over SSL) is a request/response protocol between clients and servers used for secure communications and transactions. You can use the HTTPS-proxy to secure a web server protected by your Firebox or Firebox, or to examine HTTPS traffic requested by clients on your network. By default, when an HTTPS client starts a request, it establishes a TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) connection on port 443. Most HTTPS servers listen for requests on port 443.
HTTPS is more secure than HTTP because HTTPS uses a digital certificate to secure a connection, validate the web server identity and exchange the shared key. The Firebox can then encrypt and decrypt the HTTPS traffic. It encrypts and decrypts user page requests as well as the pages that are returned by the web server. The Firebox must decrypt a page it before it can be examined. After it examines the content, the Firebox encrypts the traffic with a certificate and sends it to the intended destination.
You can export the default certificate created by your Firebox for this feature, or import a certificate for the device to use instead. If you use the HTTPS-proxy to examine web traffic requested by users on your network, we recommend that you export the default certificate and distribute it to each user so that they do not receive browser warnings about untrusted certificates. If you use the HTTPS-proxy to secure a web server that accepts requests from an external network, we recommend that you import the current web server certificate for the same reason.
When an HTTPS client or server uses a port other than port 443 in your organization, we recommend that you create a custom policy for the port you need. Use the HTTPS-proxy as a template to create this policy. For more information, see Add a Proxy Policy to Your Configuration.
Which Proxy Action To Use
When you configure a proxy policy, you must select a proxy action appropriate to the policy. For a proxy policy that allows connections from your internal clients to the internet, use the Client proxy action. For a proxy policy that allows connections to your internal servers from the internet, use the Server proxy action.
Predefined proxy actions with Standard appended to the proxy action name include recommended standard settings that reflect the latest Internet network traffic trends.
It is important to select the correct proxy action for incoming or outgoing HTTPS connections so that the proxy uses the appropriate certificate. HTTPS-Client proxy actions use the outbound Proxy Authority CA certificate. HTTPS-Server proxy actions use the Proxy Server web server certificate.
In Fireware v11. 12 and higher, the Web Setup Wizard and WSM Quick Setup Wizard automatically adds an HTTPS-proxy policy that uses the Default-HTTPS-Client proxy action. The Default-HTTPS-Client proxy action is based on the andard proxy action and enables subscription services that were licensed in the feature key when the setup wizard was run. If you add a new HTTPS-proxy policy, the Default-HTTPS-Client proxy action could be a better choice than the andard proxy action. For more information about the Default-HTTPS-Client proxy action, see Setup Wizard Default Policies and Settings.
Configure the HTTPS-Proxy
These sections describe the HTTPS-Proxy configuration tabs in Fireware Web UI.
Settings Tab
On the Settings tab, you can set basic information about a proxy policy, such as whether it allows or denies traffic, create access rules for a policy, enable bandwidth and time quotas, and configure static NAT and server load balancing. The Settings tab also shows the port and protocol for the policy, as well as an optional description of the policy. You can use the settings on this tab to set logging, notification, automatic blocking, and timeout preferences.
Connections are — Specify whether connections are Allowed, Denied, or Denied (send reset) and define who appears in the From and To list (on the Policy tab of the proxy definition). See Set Access Rules for a Policy.
You can also configure static NAT or configure server load balancing. See Configure Static NAT (SNAT) and Configure Server Load Balancing.
To define the logging settings for the policy, configure the settings in the Logging section. For more information, see Set Logging and Notification Preferences.
If you set the Connections are drop-down list to Denied or Denied (send reset), you can block sites that try to use HTTPS. For more information, see Block Sites Temporarily with Policy Settings.
To change the idle timeout that is set by the Firebox or Firebox or authentication server, see Set a Custom Idle Timeout.
To enable bandwidth and time quotas, see About Quotas.
SD-WAN Tab
On the SD-WAN tab, you can select to apply an SD-WAN action to the policy. You can also add a new SD-WAN action. For more information about SD-WAN routing, see About SD-WAN.
SD-WAN replaces policy-based routing in Fireware v12. 3 or higher.
Application Control Tab
If Application Control is enabled on your Firebox, you can set the action this proxy uses for Application Control.
Select the Application Control tab.
From the Application Control Action drop-down list, select an application control action to use for this policy, or create a new action.
(Optional) Edit the Application Control settings for the selected action.
Click Save.
For more information, see Enable Application Control in a Policy.
Geolocation Tab
If Geolocation is enabled on your Firebox, on the Geolocation tab, you can select the Geolocation action for this proxy. You can also add a new Geolocation action. For more information about Geolocation, see Configure Geolocation.
To apply a Geolocation action in a policy:
Select the Geolocation tab.
From the Geolocation Control Action drop-down list, select a Geolocation, to create a new Geolocation action, click Add.
The Geolocation tab is available in Fireware 12. 3 or higher.
Traffic Management Tab
On the Traffic Management tab, you can select the Traffic Management action for the policy. You can also create a new Traffic Management action. For more information about Traffic Management actions, see Define a Traffic Management Action in v11. 8. x and Lower and Add a Traffic Management Action to a Policy.
To apply a Traffic Management action in a policy:
Select the Traffic Management tab.
From the Traffic Management Action drop-down list, select a Traffic Management, to create a new Traffic Management action, select Create new and configure the settings as described in the topic Define a Traffic Management Action in v11. x and Lower.
Proxy Action Tab
You can choose a predefined proxy action or configure a user-defined proxy action for this proxy. For more information about how to configure proxy actions, see About Proxy Actions.
To configure the proxy action:
Select the Proxy Action tab.
From the Proxy Action drop-down list, select the proxy action to use for this policy. For information about proxy actions, see About Proxy Actions.
For the HTTPS-proxy, you can configure these categories of settings for a proxy action:
HTTPS-Proxy: General Settings
HTTPS-Proxy: Content Inspection
HTTPS-Proxy: Domain Name Rules
HTTPS-Proxy: WebBlocker
HTTPS-Proxy: Proxy Alarm
Scheduling Tab
On the Scheduling tab, you can specify an operating schedule for the policy. You can select an existing schedule or create a new schedule.
Select the Scheduling tab.
From the Schedule Action drop-down list, select a, to create a new schedule, select Create New and configure the settings as described in the topics Create Schedules for Firebox Actions and Set an Operating Schedule.
Advanced Tab
The Advanced tab includes settings for NAT, QoS, multi-WAN, and ICMP options.
To edit or add a comment to this proxy policy configuration, type the comment in the Comment text box.
For more information on the options for this tab, see:
Apply NAT Rules
Set the Sticky Connection Duration for a Policy
Set ICMP Error Handling
Set Connection Rate Limits
Enable QoS Marking and Prioritization in a Policy
These sections describe the HTTPS-Proxy configuration tabs in Policy Manager.
Policy Tab
To set access rules and other options, select the Policy tab.
HTTPS-proxy connections are — Specify whether connections are Allowed, Denied, or Denied (send reset) and define who appears in the From and To list (on the Policy tab of the proxy definition). See Set Access Rules for a Policy.
Route outbound traffic using > SD-WAN — See About SD-WAN. Tip!
Enable Application Control — Enable Application Control and select the Application Control action to use for this policy. For more information, see Enable Application Control in a Policy.
Enable Geolocation — Enable Geolocation and select the Geolocation action to use for this policy. For more information, see Configure Geolocation.
Enable IPS — Enable IPS for this policy. For more information, see Enable or Disable IPS for a Policy.
Proxy action — Select the proxy action to use for this policy. You can also edit the rulesets for proxy actions.
Properties Tab
On the Properties tab, you can configure these options:
To edit or add a comment to this policy configuration, type the comment in the Comment text box.
To define the logging settings for the policy, click Logging. For more information, see Set Logging and Notification Preferences.
If you set the HTTPS-proxy connections are drop-down list (on the Policy tab) to Denied or Denied (send reset), you can block sites that try to use HTTPS. For more information, see Block Sites Temporarily with Policy Settings.
To change the idle timeout that is set by the Firebox or Firebox, or authentication server, see Set a Custom Idle Timeout.
You can also configure these options in your proxy definition:
Set an Operating Schedule
Add a Traffic Management Action to a Policy
Apply NAT Rules (Both 1-to-1 NAT and dynamic NAT are enabled by default in all policies. )
Configure the Proxy Action
Proxy and AV Alarms
If you enable WebBlocker in an HTTPS proxy action, but do not enable content inspection, users do not see a deny message when content is denied by WebBlocker. Without content inspection, protection is less thorough. WebBlocker can only see the common name or server name domain information, not the URL. For more information, see HTTPS-Proxy: WebBlocker.
See Also
About Proxy Policies and ALGs
Frequently Asked Questions about http proxy ssl
What is HTTP proxy SSL?
SSL proxy is any proxy server that uses the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol, also known as SSL proxy server. SSL proxy performs encryption and decryption between the client and the server, without either of them being able to detect the proxy’s presence.Apr 16, 2020
What is HTTPS proxy?
HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer, or HTTP over SSL) is a request/response protocol between clients and servers used for secure communications and transactions. It encrypts and decrypts user page requests as well as the pages that are returned by the web server. …
How does SSL proxy work?
The SSL proxy is placed as a “man in the middle” on the SSL traffic between the client and the web server. … The SSL proxy intercepts connections from the client over TCP port 443. It carries out SSL negotiations with the web server on behalf of the client. It analyzes the certificate sent by the server.
