socat

Socat

socat is a command line utility that establishes two bidirectional byte streams and transfers data between them. It can be used for various networking and connectivity tasks like creating TCP ports, SOCKS proxies, or UNIX sockets.
Network & Admin Networking Utilities
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socat: Command Line Utility for Bidirectional Data Transfer

A command line utility for establishing bidirectional byte streams and transferring data between them, useful for various networking and connectivity tasks

What is Socat?

Socat is a versatile command line utility that can establish two bidirectional byte streams between a variety of different data sources and sinks. It performs the role of a bidirectional byte stream relay and is useful for solving numerous connectivity and networking tasks.

Some common uses of socat include:

  • Creating TCP ports or UNIX sockets for listening or connecting
  • Implementing secure shell port forwarding more flexibly than with OpenSSH
  • Setting up SOCKS or proxy servers for routing application traffic
  • Connecting two instances of a program's standard input and output streams
  • Transferring files between two locations while optionally performing on-the-fly data transformations

Socat streams data between arbitrary combinations of data sinks and sources specified on the command line or in a configuration file. Possible data sinks and sources include TCP ports, UNIX sockets, local and remote files, named pipes, terminal devices, environment variables, and external programs.

With its ability to combine together many types of data inputs and outputs using advanced redirectors and modifiers, socat can solve complex connectivity challenges. It offers more flexibility than tools like netcat and makes it easy to set up one-off network utilities.

Socat Features

Features

  1. Creates bidirectional byte streams between two data channels
  2. Transfers data between TCP ports, UNIX sockets, files, pipes, devices, SSL sockets, and more
  3. Can be used for TCP port forwarding, proxying, network tunneling, etc
  4. Lightweight and portable with no dependencies

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Very versatile for connecting two arbitrary data channels

Built-in SSL/TLS support

Lightweight with minimal resource usage

Portable with no dependencies for easy installation

Cons

Configuration can be complex with many options

No built-in authentication

Requires understanding of sockets and network concepts

Not optimized for extremely high throughput

Official Links

Official Website
https://www.dest-unreach.org/socat/

The Best Socat Alternatives

Top Network & Admin and Networking Utilities and other similar apps like Socat

Here are some alternatives to Socat:

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netcat
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pwncat
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NetCrypt
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Netcat

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