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How is Airtel Blocking Even https:// Sites?
- Thread starter apuw
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That is what I am asking @Karan how are they even able to block https:// websites. Isn't https:// supposed to be a secure protocol that can't be breached by people who want to snoop the data being transferred like ISPs such as Airtel. How are they blocking and snooping https:// connections?
@Sushubh Please share your insight if you know how they are able to do this?
Edit: I should add that the website I have given the example of is using a Cloudflare certificate.
@Sushubh Please share your insight if you know how they are able to do this?
Edit: I should add that the website I have given the example of is using a Cloudflare certificate.
ssl certificates have domains listed in them. one possibility is that they are reading ssl certificates before loading the website. they read one of the blocked domains in the ssl certificate, they block access to it.
They could be but I have another example. Try visiting 1fichier.com: Cloud Storage, it is blocked by Airtel. But now visit it by adding https://, i.e., 1fichier.com: Cloud Storage it will be accessible. If they were reading SSL certificated shouldn't this have been blocked too?
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HTTPS isn't something that can't be blocked at all. There are many ways it can be achieved. I am not sure of the exact method they use, but being an ISP with hundreds if not thousands of network engineers working for them, it should not be to difficult. Remember, they aren't injecting data into your https stream, which is what https is mainly used for, end to end data security/integrity. They are simply redirecting you to a block page in the event you are accessing a webpage on the block list.
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Ok, did a little bit of digging into the blocking, seems airtel uses the same methods to block websites as other ISPs from the Gulf region do. Upon further investigation of the same, they use filtering tech developed by Netsweeper -- Web filtering software for ISP's, business and schools
Even found an article linking the two together Airtel is using a web filtering software: Netsweeper - MediaNama
Even found an article linking the two together Airtel is using a web filtering software: Netsweeper - MediaNama
Some more info by someone who has dug deeper into this method Julius Plenz - Blog - Internet Censorship in Dubai and the UAE
my TP-Link router allows to block 'domain' (http/s both), basically it checks if the domain requested is in block list or not.
Ex 1- block 'google.com' - only google.com domain is blocked
Ex 2- block 'google' - all domains which contain google will be blocked (google.ca/.com/.in etc and anyprefixgoogle.com etc)
So airtel could be using a similar filter list in their routers' firewall.
Ex 1- block 'google.com' - only google.com domain is blocked
Ex 2- block 'google' - all domains which contain google will be blocked (google.ca/.com/.in etc and anyprefixgoogle.com etc)
So airtel could be using a similar filter list in their routers' firewall.
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