*croc* allows any two computers to directly and securely transfer files and folders. When sending a file, *croc* generates a random code phrase which must be shared with the recipient so they can receive the file. The code phrase encrypts all data and metadata and also serves to authorize the connection between the two computers in a intermediary relay. The relay connects the TCP ports between the two computers and does not store any information (and all information passing through it is encrypted).
I hear you asking, *Why another open-source peer-to-peer file transfer utilities?* [There](https://github.com/cowbell/sharedrop) [are](https://github.com/webtorrent/instant.io) [great](https://github.com/kern/filepizza) [tools](https://github.com/warner/magic-wormhole) [that](https://github.com/zerotier/toss) [already](https://github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs) [do](https://github.com/zerotier/toss) [this](https://github.com/nils-werner/zget). But, after review, [I found it was useful to make another](https://schollz.github.io/sending-a-file/). Namely, *croc* has no dependencies (just [download a binary and run](https://github.com/schollz/croc/releases/latest)), it works on any operating system, and its blazingly fast because it does parallel transfer over multiple TCP ports.
Note, by default, you don't need any arguments for receiving! This makes it possible for you to just double click the executable to run (nice for those of us that aren't computer wizards).
Here the reciever specified the code (`--code`) so it will not be prompted, and also specified `--yes` so the file will be automatically accepted. The output goes to stdout when flagged with `--stdout`.
*croc* is similar to [magic-wormhole](https://github.com/warner/magic-wormhole#design) in spirit. Like *magic-wormhole*, *croc* generates a code phrase for you to share with your friend which allows secure end-to-end transferring of files and folders through a intermediary relay that connects the TCP ports between the two computers. Like *magic-wormhole*, security is enabled by performing password-authenticated key exchange (PAKE) with the weak code phrase to generate a session key on both machines without passing any private information between the two. The session key is then verified and used to encrypt the content with AES-256. If at any point the PAKE fails, an error will be reported and the file will not be transferred. More details on the PAKE transfer can be found at [github.com/schollz/pake](https://github.com/schollz/pake).
*croc* relies on a TCP relay to staple the parallel incoming and outgoing connections. The relay temporarily stores connection information and the encrypted meta information. The default uses a public relay at, `wss://croc3.schollz.com`. You can also run your own relay, it is very easy. On your server, `your-server.com`, just run
Now, when you use *croc* to send and receive you should add `-server your-server.com` to use your relay server. Make sure to open up TCP ports (see `croc relay --help` for which ports to open).
I am awed by all the [great contributions](#acknowledgements) made! If you feel like contributing, in any way, by all means you can send an Issue, a PR, ask a question, or tweet me ([@yakczar](http://ctt.ec/Rq054)).
This is an outline of the protocol used here. The basic PAKE protocol is from [Dan Boneh and Victor Shoup's crypto book](https://crypto.stanford.edu/%7Edabo/cryptobook/BonehShoup_0_4.pdf) (pg 789, "PAKE2 protocol).
1.**Sender** requests new channel and receives empty channel from **Relay**, or obtains the channel they request (or an error if it is already occupied).
2.**Sender** generates *u* using PAKE from secret *pw*.
3.**Sender** sends *u* to **Relay** and the type of curve being used. Returns error if channel is already occupied by sender, otherwise it uses it.
4.**Sender** communicates channel + secret *pw* to **Recipient** (human interaction).
5.**Recipient** connects to channel and receives UUID.
6.**Recipient** requests *u* from **Relay** using the channel. Returns error if it doesn't exist yet.
7.**Recipient** generates *v*, session key *k_B*, and hashed session key *H(k_B)* using PAKE from secret *pw*.
8.**Recipient** sends *v*, *H(H(k_B))* to **Relay**.
9.**Sender** requests *v*, *H(H(k_B))* from **Relay**.
10.**Sender** uses *v* to generate its session key *k_A* and *H(k_A)*, and checks *H(H(k_A))*==*H(H(k_B))*. **Sender** aborts here if it is incorrect.
11.**Sender** gives the **Relay** authentication *H(k_A)*.
12.**Recipient** requests *H(k_A)* from relay and checks against its own. If it doesn't match, then bail.
13.**Sender** connects to **Relay** tcp ports and identifies itself using channel+UUID.
14.**Sender** encrypts data with *k*.
15.**Recipient** connects to **Relay** tcp ports and identifies itself using channel+UUID.
16.**Relay** realizes it has both recipient and sender for the same channel so it staples their connections. Sets *stapled* to `true`.
17.**Sender** asks **Relay** whether connections are stapled.
18.**Sender** sends data over TCP.
19.**Recipient** closes relay when finished. Anyone participating in the channel can close the relay at any time. Any of the routes except the first ones will return errors if stuff doesn't exist.
- Send out to all parties that connections are stapled.
# License
MIT
# Acknowledgements
Thanks...
- ...[@warner](https://github.com/warner) for the [idea](https://github.com/warner/magic-wormhole).
- ...[@tscholl2](https://github.com/tscholl2) for the [encryption gists](https://gist.github.com/tscholl2/dc7dc15dc132ea70a98e8542fefffa28).
- ...[@skorokithakis](https://github.com/skorokithakis) for [code on proxying two connections](https://www.stavros.io/posts/proxying-two-connections-go/).
