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HushDNS

A project made for hushing the leaky nature of standard DNS query usage. By using encryption, DNS Query Name Mimisation, DNSSEC, Anonymized-DNS and Pi-hole.

This repository contains guidance on how-to get HushDNS up and running and the files related to doing so.

For an in depth detailed rundown of the ins and outs of the HushDNS components and the background of the HushDNS project. Read the initial HushDNS blog post.

Making it work for ya

Prerequisites

  1. docker have to be installed
  2. docker-compose as well
  3. optionally a server away from your LAN, where dnscrypt-server can run. This heightens the anonymity and privacy level of the solution. As it will be harder to trace the origin of 'x' DNS query
    1. You can run the dnscrypt-server on a box on your LAN though. It would work fine. However, not with the same level of privacy and anonymity. So you really should consider isolating it on an external host

Doin' it

The order of the below component installation guidelines is important

Running dnscrypt-server

The dnscrypt-server packs unbound, a DNS recursive name-server, wrapped in the encrypted-dns-server project. It's an easy to install, high-performant, zero maintenance way to run your own DNS recursive name-server in a secure and private way. Letting you control logging and so forth.

N.B. we need to install the dnscrypt-server first as it generates a so called stamp that we need to "give" to the dnscrypt-proxy instance. This stamp holds information and a unique signature that is needed to connect to the dnscrypt-server

If you plan to use e.g. CloudFlare or Scaleway to be your encrypted DNS recursive name-server provider, you can skip installing the dnscrypt-server. Instead jump to the Running dnscrypt-proxy section. Duly note that you will certainly NOT have a private setup. Encrypted yes, but your DNS queries will be in the hands of e.g. CloudFlare or Scaleway. Do you really want that?

As the dnscrypt-server needs an init container, and that is not supported by the Docker engine, you'll have to do with a shell script.

  1. Download this bash script and ensure to update the placeholders (capital words, separated by an underscore) with actual useful values
    1. Change the port of the dnscrypt-server if you need to (already have 'x' service running on port 443). Change from port 443 to "your" port, in all the locations where it is specified
    2. Make the file executable by executing: sudo chmod +x ./THE_NAME_YOU_GAVE_THE_FILE
  2. Execute the file on the system that is to host the dnscrypt-server
  3. Note down the output of the init -N NAME_TO_GIVE_YOUR_DNSCRYPT_SERVER... command as you need the info when configuring dnscrypt-proxy
    1. you can also get the input after the fact by executing docker logs dnscrypt-server
    2. The output to copy is the generated stamp. You need this in order to connect to the dnscrypt-server via the dnscrypt-proxy ... we will set the stamp when we install and configure the dnscrypt-proxy instance

Running dnscrypt-proxy

The dnscrypt-proxy instance uses this container image. It acts as an encrypting intermediary DNS forwarder. Between a non-DoH/DoT/DNSCrypt supporting DNS recursive name-server (in the HushDNS case, its Pi-hole) and e.g. a dnscrypt-server instance or a service like CloudFlare's 1.1.1.1 service.

  1. Download this docker-compose file (you'll be using your own dnscrypt-server)
  2. Execute: docker-compose --project-name dnscrypt-proxy -f ./PATH_TO_THE_DNSCRYPT_PROXY_DOCKER_COMPOSE_FILE up -d
    1. This will install dnscrypt-proxy. Name the compose "project" and container dnscrypt-proxy and detach from the container
Settings for the dnscrypt-proxy container
  • DNSCRYPT_LISTEN_PORT: "5354": Self-explanatory
  • DNSCRYPT_SERVER_NAMES: "['MY_SECRET_DNSCRYPT-SERVER']": The dnscrypt-server or DoH server that dnscrypt-proxy should connect to. The NAME_TO_GIVE_YOUR_DNSCRYPT_SERVER part of the dnscrypt-server init command
  • network_mode: "host": Needed so that Pi-hole can reach the dnscrypt-proxy listening port

In order to setup Anonymized-DNS we need to complete the following steps.

You don't necessarily have to use Anonymized-DNS. But, if you don't it will be a bit easier to track your ... (see this explanation for more on why)

  1. Ensure that there is a sub-folder named conf in the folder of the dnscrypt-proxy docker-compose.yml file
    1. In this folder create a file named dnscrypt-proxy.toml
  2. Use this dnscrypt-proxy.toml file as a template
    1. Change the value of server_names in the Global settings section to the name you gave your dnscrypt-server or use e.g. CloudFlare or Scaleway
    2. Potentially change the listen_addresses to the port you want (in the Global section)
    3. Under the Anonymized DNS section change the routes array to contain one or more Anonymized DNS relay servers of your choice. Find available relay servers here. Make sure to change the server_name in the routes definition, to reflect the value of the server_names property in the Global section

N.B. if you look at the dnscrypt-proxy docker-compose.yml file you'll notice that there is a volumes mapping. This volume mapping is what the above steps relate to

OPTIONAL - Using dnscrypt-proxy together with your own dnscrypt-server - OPTIONAL

As you saw in the section above. Configuring dnscrypt-proxy involves its dnscrypt-proxy.toml file. This file comes into play again, now that we are to use the dnscrypt-proxy instance together with the dnscrypt-server you spun up earlier.

  1. Find the [static] section in the file
  2. Change the server name part of [static.'hush.dns'] to the server name you've used throughout the dnscrypt-proxy.toml file
  3. Finally set the value of the stamp property to the DNSCrypt stamp that the dnscrypt-server spit out when it was initialized

Running Pi-hole

The ad blackhole system. Reduces your risk of being PLF (page load finger printed), blocks ads, and speeds up the load-time of websites.

  1. Download the Pi-hole docker-compose file
    1. Ensure to go through the template Pi-hole docker-compose file and change the necessary values accordingly
  2. Execute: docker-compose --project-name pihole -f ./PATH_TO_THE_PIHOLE_DOCKER_COMPOSE_FILE up -d
  3. Execute: docker logs pihole to verify that the container started properly and that Pi-hole is running as it should
Pi-hole configuration details
  • is configured to use a dnscrypt-proxy instance, so that Pi-hole forwards DNS requests to dnscrypt-proxy, in order to secure the queries
    • That dnscrypt-proxy instance is/should be configured to listen on port 5354
  • It is assumed that there is a HAProxy container, acting as a load-balancer, in front of the Pi-hole container. And that HAProxy instance have the Pi-hole backend as its default_backend