| Internet-Draft | Templated CONNECT-TCP | October 2024 |
| Schwartz | Expires 24 April 2025 | [Page] |
TCP proxying using HTTP CONNECT has long been part of the core HTTP specification. However, this proxying functionality has several important deficiencies in modern HTTP environments. This specification defines an alternative HTTP proxy service configuration for TCP connections. This configuration is described by a URI Template, similar to the CONNECT-UDP and CONNECT-IP protocols.¶
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HTTP has used the CONNECT method for proxying TCP connections since HTTP/1.1. When using CONNECT, the request target specifies a host and port number, and the proxy forwards TCP payloads between the client and this destination ([RFC9110], Section 9.3.6). To date, this is the only mechanism defined for proxying TCP over HTTP. In this specification, this is referred to as a "classic HTTP CONNECT proxy".¶
HTTP/3 uses a UDP transport, so it cannot be forwarded using the pre-existing CONNECT mechanism. To enable forward proxying of HTTP/3, the MASQUE effort has defined proxy mechanisms that are capable of proxying UDP datagrams [CONNECT-UDP], and more generally IP datagrams [CONNECT-IP]. The destination host and port number (if applicable) are encoded into the HTTP resource path, and end-to-end datagrams are wrapped into HTTP Datagrams [RFC9297] on the client-proxy path.¶
HTTP clients can be configured to use proxies by selecting a proxy hostname, a port, and whether to use a security protocol. However, Classic HTTP CONNECT requests using the proxy do not carry this configuration information. Instead, they only indicate the hostname and port of the target. This prevents any HTTP server from hosting multiple distinct proxy services, as the server cannot distinguish them by path (as with distinct resources) or by origin (as in "virtual hosting").¶
The absence of an explicit origin for the proxy also rules out the usual defenses against server port misdirection attacks (see Section 7.4 of [RFC9110]) and creates ambiguity about the use of origin-scoped response header fields (e.g., "Alt-Svc" [RFC7838], "Strict-Transport-Security" [RFC6797]).¶
This specification describes an alternative mechanism for proxying TCP in HTTP. Like [CONNECT-UDP] and [CONNECT-IP], the proxy service is identified by a URI Template. Proxy interactions reuse standard HTTP components and semantics, avoiding changes to the core HTTP protocol.¶
The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "NOT RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in BCP 14 [RFC2119] [RFC8174] when, and only when, they appear in all capitals, as shown here.¶
A template-driven TCP transport proxy for HTTP is identified by a URI Template [RFC6570] containing variables named "target_host" and "target_port". This URI Template and its variable values MUST meet all the same requirements as for UDP proxying ([RFC9298], Section 2), and are subject to the same validation rules. The client MUST substitute the destination host and port number into this template to produce the request URI.¶
In HTTP/1.1, the client uses the proxy by issuing a request as follows:¶
The method SHALL be "GET".¶
The request SHALL include a single "Host" header field containing the origin of the proxy.¶
The request SHALL include a "Connection" header field with the value "Upgrade". (Note that this requirement is case-insensitive as per Section 7.6.1 of [RFC9110].)¶
The request SHALL include an "Upgrade" header field with the value "connect-tcp".¶
The request's target SHALL correspond to the URI derived from expansion of the proxy's URI Template.¶
If the request is well-formed and permissible, the proxy MUST attempt to establish the TCP connection before sending any response status code other than "100 (Continue)" (see Section 4.2). If the TCP connection is successful, the response SHALL be as follows:¶
The HTTP status code SHALL be "101 (Switching Protocols)".¶
The response SHALL include a "Connection" header field with the value "Upgrade".¶
The response SHALL include a single "Upgrade" header field with the value "connect-tcp".¶
If the request is malformed or impermissible, the proxy MUST return a 4XX error code. If a TCP connection was not established, the proxy MUST NOT switch protocols to "connect-tcp", and the client MAY reuse this connection for additional HTTP requests.¶
After a success response is returned, the connection SHALL conform to all the usual requirements for classic CONNECT proxies in HTTP/1.1 ([RFC9110], Section 9.3.6). Additionally, if the proxy observes a connection error from the client (e.g., a TCP RST, TCP timeout, or TLS error), it SHOULD send a TCP RST to the target. If the proxy observes a connection error from the target, it SHOULD send a TLS "internal_error" alert to the client, or set the TCP RST bit if TLS is not in use. These behaviors avoid truncation of transfers between the client and the target on vulnerable protocols (e.g., HTTP/1.1 without TLS) while preserving the confidentiality and integrity guarantees of the "https" scheme.¶
Client Proxy
GET /proxy?target_host=192.0.2.1&target_port=443 HTTP/1.1
Host: example.com
Connection: Upgrade
Upgrade: connect-tcp
** Proxy establishes a TCP connection to 192.0.2.1:443 **
HTTP/1.1 101 Switching Protocols
Connection: Upgrade
Upgrade: connect-tcp
In HTTP/2 and HTTP/3, the proxy MUST include SETTINGS_ENABLE_CONNECT_PROTOCOL in its SETTINGS frame [RFC8441][RFC9220]. The client uses the proxy by issuing an "extended CONNECT" request as follows:¶
The :method pseudo-header field SHALL be "CONNECT".¶
The :protocol pseudo-header field SHALL be "connect-tcp".¶
The :authority pseudo-header field SHALL contain the authority of the proxy.¶
The :path and :scheme pseudo-header fields SHALL contain the path and scheme of the request URI derived from the proxy's URI Template.¶
From this point on, the request and response SHALL conform to all the usual requirements for classic CONNECT proxies in this HTTP version (see Section 8.5 of [RFC9113] and Section 4.4 of [RFC9114]).¶
A templated TCP proxying request that does not conform to all of these requirements represents a client error (see [RFC9110], Section 15.5) and may be malformed (see Section 8.1.1 of [RFC9113] and Section 4.1.2 of [RFC9114]).¶
HEADERS :method = CONNECT :scheme = https :authority = request-proxy.example :path = /proxy?target_host=2001%3Adb8%3A%3A1&target_port=443 :protocol = connect-tcp ...
Ordinary HTTP headers apply only to the single resource identified in the request or response. An origin-scoped HTTP header is a special response header that is intended to change the client's behavior for subsequent requests to any resource on this origin.¶
Unlike classic HTTP CONNECT proxies, a templated TCP proxy has an unambiguous origin of its own. Origin-scoped headers apply to this origin when they are associated with a templated TCP proxy response. Here are some origin-scoped headers that could potentially be sent by a templated TCP proxy:¶
Authentication to a templated TCP proxy normally uses ordinary HTTP authentication via the "401 (Unauthorized)" response code, the "WWW-Authenticate" response header field, and the "Authorization" request header field ([RFC9110], Section 11.6). A templated TCP proxy does not use the "407 (Proxy Authentication Required)" response code and related header fields ([RFC9110], Section 11.7) because they do not traverse HTTP gateways (see Section 7).¶
Clients SHOULD assume that all proxy resources generated by a single template share a protection space (i.e., a realm) ([RFC9110], Section 11.5). For many authentication schemes, this will allow the client to avoid waiting for a "401 (Unauthorized)" response before each new connection through the proxy.¶
When using the "connect-tcp" Upgrade Token, templated TCP proxies do not use the Capsule Protocol [RFC9297]. Clients MAY request use of the Capsule Protocol by offering the Upgrade Token "connect-tcp-capsule" instead. When offering or accepting the "connect-tcp-capsule" Upgrade Token, clients and servers SHOULD including a "Capsule-Protocol: ?1" header to facilitate processing by intermediaries.¶
Clients of this specification MAY implement "connect-tcp", "connect-tcp-capsule", or both. Accordingly, a templated TCP proxy server MUST implement both Upgrade Tokens unless its use is restricted to a subset of compatible clients.¶
When using "connect-tcp-capsule", TCP payload data is sent in the payload of a new Capsule Type named DATA (Section 8.3). The ordered concatenation of DATA capsule payloads represents the main payload data stream in any protocol where this is well-defined. Intermediaries MAY split or merge DATA capsules. Endpoints MAY indicate a TCP connection error by sending an incomplete DATA capsule, as an alternative to using TCP, TLS, or HTTP stream errors.¶
This section discusses some behaviors that are permitted or recommended in order to enhance the performance or functionality of connection setup.¶
When using this specification in HTTP/2 or HTTP/3, clients MAY start sending TCP stream content optimistically, subject to flow control limits (Section 5.2 of [RFC9113] or Section 4.1 of [RFC9000]). Proxies MUST buffer this "optimistic" content until the TCP stream becomes writable, and discard it if the TCP connection fails. (Clients MUST NOT use "optimistic" behavior in HTTP/1.1, as this would interfere with reuse of the connection after an error response such as "401 (Unauthorized)".)¶
Servers that host a proxy under this specification MAY offer support for TLS early data in accordance with [RFC8470]. Clients MAY send "connect-tcp" requests in early data, and MAY include "optimistic" TCP content in early data (in HTTP/2 and HTTP/3). At the TLS layer, proxies MAY ignore, reject, or accept the early_data extension ([RFC8446], Section 4.2.10). At the HTTP layer, proxies MAY process the request immediately, return a "425 (Too Early)" response ([RFC8470], Section 5.2), or delay some or all processing of the request until the handshake completes. For example, a proxy with limited anti-replay defenses might choose to perform DNS resolution of the target_host when a request arrives in early data, but delay the TCP connection until the TLS handshake completes.¶
This specification supports the "Expect: 100-continue" request header ([RFC9110], Section 10.1.1) in any HTTP version. The "100 (Continue)" status code confirms receipt of a request at the proxy without waiting for the proxy-destination TCP handshake to succeed or fail. This might be particularly helpful when the destination host is not responding, as TCP handshakes can hang for several minutes before failing. Clients MAY send "Expect: 100-continue", and proxies MUST respect it by returning "100 (Continue)" if the request is not immediately rejected.¶
Proxies implementing this specification SHOULD include a "Proxy-Status" response header [RFC9209] in any success or failure response (i.e., status codes 101, 2XX, 4XX, or 5XX) to support advanced client behaviors and diagnostics. In HTTP/2 or HTTP/3, proxies MAY additionally send a "Proxy-Status" trailer in the event of an unclean shutdown.¶
For server operators, template-driven TCP proxies are particularly valuable in situations where virtual-hosting is needed, or where multiple proxies must share an origin. For example, the proxy might benefit from sharing an HTTP gateway that provides DDoS defense, performs request sanitization, or enforces user authorization.¶
The URI template can also be structured to generate high-entropy Capability URLs [CAPABILITY], so that only authorized users can discover the proxy service.¶
Clients that support both classic HTTP CONNECT proxies and template-driven TCP proxies MAY accept both types via a single configuration string. If the configuration string can be parsed as a URI Template containing the required variables, it is a template-driven TCP proxy. Otherwise, it is presumed to represent a classic HTTP CONNECT proxy.¶
In some cases, it is valuable to allow "connect-tcp" clients to reach "connect-tcp"-only proxies when using a legacy configuration method that cannot convey a URI Template. To support this arrangement, clients SHOULD treat certain errors during classic HTTP CONNECT as indications that the proxy might only support "connect-tcp":¶
In HTTP/1.1: the response status code is "426 (Upgrade Required)", with an "Upgrade: connect-tcp" response header.¶
In any HTTP version: the response status code is "501 (Not Implemented)".¶
Requires SETTINGS_ENABLE_CONNECT_PROTOCOL to have been negotiated in HTTP/2 or HTTP/3.¶
If the client infers that classic HTTP CONNECT is not supported, it SHOULD retry the request using the registered default template for "connect-tcp":¶
https://$PROXY_HOST:$PROXY_PORT/.well-known/masque
/tcp/{target_host}/{target_port}/
If this request succeeds, the client SHOULD record a preference for "connect-tcp" to avoid further retry delays.¶
Template-driven TCP proxying is largely subject to the same security risks as classic HTTP CONNECT. For example, any restrictions on authorized use of the proxy (see [RFC9110], Section 9.3.6) apply equally to both.¶
A small additional risk is posed by the use of a URI Template parser on the client side. The template input string could be crafted to exploit any vulnerabilities in the parser implementation. Client implementers should apply their usual precautions for code that processes untrusted inputs.¶
Templated TCP proxies can make use of standard HTTP gateways and path-routing to ease implementation and allow use of shared infrastructure. However, current gateways might need modifications to support TCP proxy services. To be compatible, a gateway must:¶
support Extended CONNECT (if acting as an HTTP/2 or HTTP/3 server).¶
support HTTP/1.1 Upgrade to "connect-tcp" (if acting as an HTTP/1.1 server)¶
only after forwarding the upgrade request to the origin and observing a success response.¶
forward the "connect-tcp" protocol to the origin.¶
convert "connect-tcp" requests between all supported HTTP server and client versions.¶
allow any "Proxy-Status" headers to traverse the gateway.¶
IF APPROVED, IANA is requested to add the following entries to the HTTP Upgrade Token Registry:¶
| Value | Description | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| "connect-tcp" | Proxying of TCP payloads | (This document) |
| "connect-tcp-capsule" | Proxying of TCP payloads in HTTP Capsules | (This document) |
For interoperability testing of this draft version, implementations SHALL use the values "connect-tcp-06" and "connect-tcp-capsule-06.¶
IF APPROVED, IANA is requested to add the following entry to the "MASQUE URI Suffixes" registry:¶
| Path Segment | Description | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| tcp | TCP Proxying | (This document) |
IF APPROVED, IANA is requested to add the following entry to the "HTTP Capsule Types" registry:¶
| Value | Capsule Type | Status | Reference | Change Controller | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (TBD) | DATA | permanent | (This document), Section 3.4 | IETF | HTTPBIS |
For this draft version of the protocol, the Capsule Type value 0xb739a6d0 shall be used provisionally for testing, under the name "DATA-05".¶
Thanks to Amos Jeffries, Tommy Pauly, Kyle Nekritz, David Schinazi, and Kazuho Oku for close review and suggested changes.¶