Socat – Netcat on steroids
Switchboard
Netcat is the Swiss Army knife of networking for admins. Socat takes this principle one step further, offering multiplexing, TLS-secured channels, pipes, Unix sockets, and executables.
Netcat is undoubtedly a useful tool for testing TCP connections or UDP ports, transferring files, and far more [1]. Socat [2] offers even more: Besides raw TCP and UDP connections, it supports channels secured by TLS and can access pipes, Unix sockets, and executables. As if that were not enough, it can also multiplex multiple client connections.
Just like Netcat, Socat expects two position parameters to establish a connection between two network addresses: socat <address1> <address2>. It can make sense to transfer files via raw TCP connections, for example, if you need to work as a different user on the target system than on the source. On many of the systems I support, sudo I/O logging is enabled.
This means that for SCP or SFTP transfers with a user change (Listing 1), the complete transfer is added to the sudo logs via stdin and stdout. This can mean several gigabytes of data need to be stored in the /var/log/sudo/ directory. If you don't want to do without additional security via public key authentication and deactivated root accounts, you have to come up with something smart for transfers of this type. This is where Netcat and Socat come into play.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Digital Autonomy
• How the Fediverse Found Parts for Its Platforms
• The Answer Was Already on the Shelf
• Changing the Chip Industry: How Public Investment Has Grown Open Silicon
• United Nations Open Source Portal Goes Live
• EU Open Source Strategy Plays Key Role in Tech Sovereignty Package
• France Says “Au Revoir” to Microsoft
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Bottlenecks Discovered by Meta Engineers Lead to Scalability Improvements
Thanks to a small group of engineers at Meta, the Linux kernel module kernfs has been improved, which has led to some serious gains.
-
PwnEscape Poses VM Vulnerability
A guest-to-host escape flaw in Linux KVM, named PwnEscape, might be yet another means of attacking Linux.
-
Linux Mint 27 Set for a Christmas Release
The developers behind Linux Mint have announced a Christmas release, and it looks like Santa's sack will be brimming with features.
-
Is Linus Torvalds Vibe Coding?
The creator of Linux has added AI into his process for Linux kernel development, and it's more than just for debugging.
-
openKylin 3.0 Released with Expanded AI Integration
The latest release features a pre-installed AI agent to help perform tasks.
-
DigitalOcean Ends Open Source Credits Program
In a change that has surprised many open source developers, DigitalOcean has decided to sunset its Open Source Credits Program.
-
Office 365 Available for Testing on Linux via Bottles
Linux users can now test the official Office 365, thanks to Mirko Brombin's work on Bottles.
-
Dutch Government Turns to Open Source for Digital Sovereignty
Following in the footsteps of other European countries, the Netherlands is looking to increase its sovereign digital infrastructure with open source software.
-
Linux May Soon Work on Snapdragon X2-Based PCs
If you're thinking about buying a Snapdragon X2-based desktop or laptop, Linux may soon be an option.
-
KDE for People Initiative Calls for AI Ban in Plasma
A new community of KDE wants the project to adopt a strict no-AI policy for KDE Plasma.