A proof-of-concept Windows utility for accessing internet and .onion content via the Tor protocol using Microsoft CNG/CryptoAPI.
mini-tor is a proof-of-concept Windows command-line utility that implements the Tor protocol to route internet traffic through the Tor network. It allows users to access both regular websites and Tor hidden services (.onion sites) without requiring the full Tor Browser or OpenSSL, instead using Microsoft's built-in cryptographic APIs for a minimal footprint.
Windows developers and security researchers interested in understanding Tor protocol internals, or those needing a lightweight, native Windows tool for accessing Tor network content from scripts or custom applications.
It offers an exceptionally small, dependency-free implementation of Tor client functionality for Windows, leveraging platform-native crypto (CryptoAPI/CNG) instead of OpenSSL, making it useful for embedded or size-constrained scenarios where the full Tor stack is impractical.
proof-of-concept implementation of tor protocol using Microsoft CNG/CryptoAPI
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Achieves under 50KB (20KB compressed) by avoiding CRT/STL and using Windows-native crypto, as highlighted in the description for size-critical scenarios.
Leverages Microsoft CryptoAPI/CNG for cryptography and SCHANNEL for TLS, eliminating external dependencies like OpenSSL and simplifying deployment on Windows.
Implements both TAP (1024-bit DH) and NTOR (curve25519) handshake types, configurable in the code, providing flexibility in Tor circuit establishment.
Enables command-line retrieval of content from .onion addresses, as demonstrated in usage examples, making it suitable for scripting or lightweight tools.
Explicitly admits to buggy behavior and is not a secure replacement for Tor, as stated in the Remarks section, making it unreliable for critical use.
Tied to Windows with specific version requirements; for example, curve25519 in CNG only works on Windows 10+, and some features need Windows 8.1+, limiting compatibility.
Can only be compiled with Visual Studio 2017, lacks cross-platform support, and has minimal documentation or community backing compared to official Tor tools.