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Overview

scan4all supports SOCKS5 proxy routing, enabling you to scan targets through proxy servers for anonymity, bypassing restrictions, or accessing internal networks.

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Basic Proxy Usage

Route all scan traffic through a SOCKS5 proxy: 
scan4all -host target.com -proxy socks5://127.0.0.1:1080
scan4all currently supports SOCKS5 proxies only. HTTP/HTTPS proxies are not supported.

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Proxy URL Format

The proxy URL must use the SOCKS5 protocol scheme: 
socks5://[username:password@]host:port

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Examples

scan4all -host target.com -proxy socks5://127.0.0.1:1080

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Common Proxy Scenarios

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Tor Network

Route scans through Tor for anonymity:
1

Install and Start Tor

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install tor
sudo systemctl start tor

# macOS
brew install tor
tor
2

Configure scan4all

scan4all -host target.com -proxy socks5://127.0.0.1:9050
Tor’s default SOCKS5 port is 9050.
3

Verify Tor Connection

Test your connection:
curl --socks5 127.0.0.1:9050 https://check.torproject.org/api/ip
Using Tor significantly slows down scans. Use lower rate limits (-rate 10) to avoid overwhelming the Tor network.

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SSH Tunnel

Create a SOCKS5 proxy via SSH dynamic port forwarding:
1

Create SSH Tunnel

ssh -D 1080 -C -N [email protected]
  • -D 1080: Create SOCKS5 proxy on local port 1080
  • -C: Enable compression
  • -N: No remote command execution
2

Run Scan Through Tunnel

scan4all -host internal-network.local -proxy socks5://127.0.0.1:1080
This is useful for:
  • Scanning internal networks from outside
  • Accessing resources behind firewalls
  • Using jump hosts for security compliance

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Cloud Proxy Services

Use commercial proxy services: 
scan4all -host target.com -proxy socks5://user:[email protected]:1080
Popular services:
  • ProxyMesh
  • Bright Data (formerly Luminati)
  • Smartproxy
  • IPRoyal

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Proxy Configuration Options

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Combine with Other Settings

scan4all -host target.com \
  -proxy socks5://127.0.0.1:1080 \
  -c 10 \
  -rate 50 \
  -timeout 5000 \
  -json -o results.json
When using proxies:
  • Increase timeout values (3000-5000ms)
  • Reduce concurrency (-c 5-10)
  • Lower rate limits (-rate 50-100)
  • Add more retries (-retries 5)

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Multiple Target Scan Through Proxy

scan4all -l targets.txt -proxy socks5://127.0.0.1:1080
All targets will be scanned through the specified proxy.

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Proxy Authentication

For proxies requiring authentication: 
scan4all -host target.com -proxy socks5://username:[email protected]:1080

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URL Encoding Special Characters

If your username or password contains special characters, URL-encode them: 
# Password: p@ss#123
# Encoded: p%40ss%23123
scan4all -host target.com -proxy socks5://user:p%40ss%[email protected]:1080
Common encodings:
  • @ → %40
  • # → %23
  • $ → %24
  • & → %26
  • : → %3A

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Testing Proxy Connectivity

Verify your proxy works before running scans: 
# Test with curl
curl -x socks5://127.0.0.1:1080 https://api.ipify.org?format=json

# Test with proxychains
proxychains curl https://api.ipify.org?format=json

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Proxy Performance Optimization

scan4all -host target.com \
  -proxy socks5://127.0.0.1:1080 \
  -c 5 \
  -rate 50 \
  -timeout 5000 \
  -retries 3 \
  -warm-up-time 5
SettingWithout ProxyWith ProxyReason
Threads (-c)255-10Reduce proxy load
Rate (-rate)100050-100Prevent proxy blocking
Timeout1000ms3000-5000msAccount for latency
Retries35Handle proxy instability

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Proxy Chains

For multi-hop proxy routing, use proxychains:
1

Install proxychains

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install proxychains4

# macOS
brew install proxychains-ng
2

Configure proxychains

Edit /etc/proxychains4.conf:
strict_chain
proxy_dns

[ProxyList]
socks5 127.0.0.1 9050
socks5 proxy2.example.com 1080 user pass
3

Run scan4all through proxychains

proxychains scan4all -host target.com

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Troubleshooting

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Connection Timeout

Problem: Scan fails with timeout errors Solution: 
scan4all -host target.com -proxy socks5://127.0.0.1:1080 -timeout 5000

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Proxy Refuses Connection

Problem: “connection refused” error Solutions:
  1. Verify proxy is running: netstat -an | grep 1080
  2. Check proxy authentication
  3. Test proxy with curl first

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Slow Scan Performance

Problem: Scans are extremely slow Solutions:
  1. Reduce concurrency: -c 5
  2. Lower rate: -rate 50
  3. Use faster proxy service
  4. Avoid chaining multiple proxies

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DNS Resolution Issues

Problem: Domain names not resolving through proxy Solution: Specify custom resolvers: 
scan4all -host target.com -proxy socks5://127.0.0.1:1080 -r 8.8.8.8,1.1.1.1

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Security Considerations

Important Security Notes:
  • Proxies can log your traffic
  • Free proxies may be malicious or compromised
  • Use VPNs instead of proxies for true anonymity
  • Tor is slow but provides better anonymity
  • Always use trusted proxy providers

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Anonymity Tips

Use Tor for Anonymity

Tor provides better anonymity than commercial proxies

Combine with VPN

Layer VPN + Tor + Proxy for maximum privacy

Rotate Proxies

Use different proxies for different targets

Verify IP Leaks

Test for DNS and IP leaks before scanning

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Practical Examples

1

Anonymous Scan via Tor

# Start Tor
sudo systemctl start tor

# Run scan
scan4all -host target.com \
  -proxy socks5://127.0.0.1:9050 \
  -c 5 \
  -rate 10 \
  -timeout 10000
2

Internal Network Access

# Create SSH tunnel
ssh -D 1080 -C -N [email protected]

# Scan internal network
scan4all -host 10.0.0.0/24 \
  -proxy socks5://127.0.0.1:1080 \
  -tp 100 \
  -json -o internal-scan.json
3

Commercial Proxy Service

scan4all -host target.com \
  -proxy socks5://user:[email protected]:1080 \
  -c 10 \
  -rate 100 \
  -timeout 3000 \
  -csv -o results.csv

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Proxy vs VPN

FeatureSOCKS5 ProxyVPN
SpeedModerateFast
AnonymityLow-MediumHigh
ConfigurationSimpleComplex
Protocol SupportApplication-levelSystem-wide
CostFree/CheapSubscription
Use CaseSpecific scansAll traffic
For production security assessments, consider using a VPN instead of or in addition to proxies.

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Next Steps

Basic Usage

Return to basic scanning techniques

Advanced Options

Explore more advanced features

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