Has obfuscation been implemented into OpenVPN?

[greenclaydog 6]

According to this, a recent update to OpenVPN has introduced obfuscation support, with the introduction of the "tls-crypt" command for OpenVPN config files in OpenVPN 2.4.0

 

Is this effective? If so will AirVPN be implementing it as a new obfuscation option for mobile users when 2.4.0 is inevitably pushed to mobile devices via OpenVPN connect and OpenVPN for Android? 

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/VPN/comments/5pqxs8/china_announces_mass_shutdown_of_vpns_that_bypass/

 

 

Edit: It's mentioned in the main page for OpenVPN 2.4.0 here approx. 5 times 

[Guest]

Interesting

[charity 0]

Any update on whether this has/will be implemented in the config generator?

[Staff 9973]

Hello!

 

Not yet. Unfortunately, OpenVPN doesn't implement any fallback method about tls-crypt.

 

This new directive must be used at both server-side and client-side, and if we do this we need to force customers to use OpenVPN 2.4 series and to re-download any profiles generated with Config Generator.

 

Currently, OpenVPN 2.4 is neither on a lot of routers, nor in official repository (for example Debian derivatives).

 

At change time zero, note that we would lose compatibility with 100% of our customers not using Eddie, and we would cut definitively out anybody who can't run OpenVPN 2.4. Needless to say that this would be a catastrophic scenario.

 

Maybe we can configure special-purpose servers for this, actually this is under consideration.

 

Kind regards

[greenclaydog 6]

Hello!

 

Not yet. Unfortunately, OpenVPN doesn't implement any fallback method about tls-crypt.

 

This new directive must be used at both server-side and client-side, and if we do this we need to force customers to use OpenVPN 2.4 series and to re-download any profiles generated with Config Generator.

 

Currently, OpenVPN 2.4 is neither on a lot of routers, nor in official repository (for example Debian derivatives).

 

At change time zero, note that we would lose compatibility with 100% of our customers not using Eddie, and we would cut definitively out anybody who can't run OpenVPN 2.4. Needless to say that this would be a catastrophic scenario.

 

Maybe we can configure special-purpose servers for this, actually this is under consideration / brainstorming.

 

Kind regards

Wow, that would certainly pose serious immediate problems for many users.

 

In the future when 2.4 is eventually used on routers and such, will a switch be made at some point?

[go558a83nk 362]

Hello!

 

Not yet. Unfortunately, OpenVPN doesn't implement any fallback method about tls-crypt.

 

This new directive must be used at both server-side and client-side, and if we do this we need to force customers to use OpenVPN 2.4 series and to re-download any profiles generated with Config Generator.

 

Currently, OpenVPN 2.4 is neither on a lot of routers, nor in official repository (for example Debian derivatives).

 

At change time zero, note that we would lose compatibility with 100% of our customers not using Eddie, and we would cut definitively out anybody who can't run OpenVPN 2.4. Needless to say that this would be a catastrophic scenario.

 

Maybe we can configure special-purpose servers for this, actually this is under consideration / brainstorming.

 

Kind regards

 

If you're brainstorming this I'm guessing it's not possible to implement this by connecting to a certain port/s on the current servers?  That would be way too easy.

[Staff 9973]

If you're brainstorming this I'm guessing it's not possible to implement this by connecting to a certain port/s on the current servers?  That would be way too easy.

 

Hello,

 

it is of course possible running an additional OpenVPN daemon with tls-crypt directive (each OpenVPN daemon has a different configuration) and listening to some new port. The main issues we need to consider are how to make Configuration Generator and Eddie to make users not running OpenVPN 2.4 to NOT choose such options in a swift, friendly and clearly understandable way, and some other deployment problems. Nothing impossible or too difficult, but we need a careful plan, because anything wrong can lead to some serious troubles, considering that at any given time we have 13000 users connected, that Configuration Generator is used every hour by a remarkable amount of users, that a new Eddie is needed, and some other problems. Each and any of these problems must be analyzed. Anyway we confirm that we're interested in tls-crypt because we agree to repute that actually it can bypass some disruption techniques against OpenVPN.

 

Kind regards

[charity 0]

Wow. thanks for these quick and in-detail answers.

I think this feature would be especially useful for customers in China. Thus a server in Singapore on the WestCoast of the US would make the most sense. Preferably the latter for Netflix use