What is Onion Service?
A website or service hosted within the Tor network that is only accessible through Tor, providing anonymity for both the server and its visitors.
Also known as: Hidden Service
Onion services (.onion addresses) provide end-to-end encryption and mutual anonymity between server and client.
How They Work
- The server connects to the Tor network and publishes its service descriptor
- Clients connect through Tor, establishing a 6-hop circuit (3 from each side)
- Neither party knows the other's IP address
- The connection never leaves the Tor network
Legitimate Onion Services
- Facebook: facebookwkhpilnemxj7asaniu7vnjjbiltxjqhye3mhbshg7kx5tfyd.onion
- The New York Times: nytimesn7cgmftshazwhfgzm37qxb44r64ytbb2dj3x62d2lnez7pyd.onion
- ProtonMail: protonmailrmez3lotccipshtkleegetolb73fuirgj7r4o4vfu7ozyd.onion
- SecureDrop: Used by many news organizations for whistleblower tips
Privacy Benefits
- Server location is hidden (no DNS, no IP exposure)
- Traffic never exits the Tor network (no exit node risk)
- Mutual authentication via the .onion address itself
Related Terms
Darknet
A network overlay that requires specific software or configurations to access, providing anonymity for users and operators of hidden services.
Onion Routing
A technique for anonymous communication over a computer network where messages are encapsulated in layers of encryption, analogous to layers of an onion. Each relay decrypts one layer to reveal the next destination, but no single relay knows both the origin and final destination.
Tor Network
A free, open-source software and network that enables anonymous communication by directing Internet traffic through a worldwide volunteer overlay network of thousands of relays. Tor conceals users' locations and usage from surveillance and traffic analysis.
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