this post was submitted on 04 Nov 2025
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How to check if Tor Onion Service is alive? (lemmy.vg)
submitted 1 day ago by maltfield@lemmy.vg to c/privacy@lemmy.world
2 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

How can I check to see if a given Onion Service is still in-use?

To be clear: I'm not asking about just Onion Services bound to port 80. Of course I can just curl it, but that won't tell me if the Onion Service is running something on another port.

I'm trying to find an XMPP server that uses an Onion Service. I found several lists of XMPP servers and their .onion names, but I expect most of these services are offline.

2n3tvihf4n27pqyqdtcqywl33kbjuv2kj3eeq6qvbtud57jwiaextmid.onion
32qywqnlnqzbry42nmotr47ebts3k6lhiwfob6xniosmepz2tsnsx7ad.onion
4colmnerbjz3xtsjmqogehtpbt5upjzef57huilibbq3wfgpsylub7yd.onion
6voaf7iamjpufgwoulypzwwecsm2nu7j5jpgadav2rfqixmpl4d65kid.onion
6w5iasklrbr2kw53zqrsjktgjapvjebxodoki3gjnmvb4dvcbmz7n3qd.onion
7drfpncjeom3svqkyjitif26ezb3xvmtgyhgplcvqa7wwbb4qdbsjead.onion
ae3w7fkzr3elfwsk6mhittjj7e7whme2tumdrhw3dfumy2hsiwomc3yd.onion
chillingguw3yu2rmrkqsog4554egiry6fmy264l5wblyadds3c2lnyd.onion
fzdx522fvinbaqgwxdet45wryluchpplrkkzkry33um5tufkjd3wdaqd.onion
gku6irp4e65ikfkbrdx576zz6biapv37vv2cmklo2qyrtobugwz5iaad.onion
gois4b6fahhrlsieupl56xd6ya226m33abzuv26vgfpuvv44wf6vbdad.onion
j4dhkkxfcsvzvh3p5djkmuehhgd6t6l7wmzih6b4ss744hegwkiae7ad.onion
jabjabdea2eewo3gzfurscj2sjqgddptwumlxi3wur57rzf5itje2rid.onion
jaswtrycaot3jzkr7znje4ebazzvbxtzkyyox67frgvgemwfbzzi6uqd.onion
jeirlvruhz22jqduzixi6li4xyoweytqglwjons4mbuif76fgslg5uad.onion
jukrlvyhgguiedqswc5lehrag2fjunfktouuhi4wozxhb6heyzvshuyd.onion
mrbenqxl345o4u7yaln25ayzz5ut6ab3kteulzqusinjdx6oh7obdlad.onion
nixnet54icmeh25qsmcsereuoareofzevjqjnw3kki6oxxey3jonwwyd.onion
qawb5xl3mxiixobjsw2d45dffngyyacp4yd3wjpmhdrazwvt4ytxvayd.onion
qwikoouqore6hxczat3gwbe2ixjpllh3yuhaecixyenprbn6r54mglqd.onion
qwikxxeiw4kgmml6vjw2bsxtviuwjce735dunai2djhu6q7qbacq73id.onion
razpihro3mgydaiykvxwa44l57opvktqeqfrsg3vvwtmvr2srbkcihyd.onion
rurcblzhmdk22kttfkel2zduhyu3r6to7knyc7wiorzrx5gw4c3lftad.onion
szd7r26dbcrrrn4jthercrdypxfdmzzrysusyjohn4mpv2zbwcgmeqqd.onion
xdkriz6cn2avvcr2vks5lvvtmfojz2ohjzj4fhyuka55mvljeso2ztqd.onion
xiynxwxxpw7olq76uhrbvx2ts3i7jagqnqix7arfbknmleuoiwsmt5yd.onion
xmppccwrohw3lmfap6e3quep2yzx3thewkfhw4vptb5gwgnkttlq2vyd.onion
ynnuxkbbiy5gicdydekpihmpbqd4frruax2mqhpc35xqjxp5ayvrjuqd.onion
yxkc2uu3rlwzzhxf2thtnzd7obsdd76vtv7n34zwald76g5ogbvjbbqd.onion

I don't want to eliminate them just for not running an HTTP server (eg port 80, 443, 8080, etc). Nor do I want to eliminate them for not running on a common XMPP port (5222, 5223, 5269, 5298, 8010). I'm trying to find something that checks if an Onion Service has been used in the past days/weeks without requiring me to test a connection on a given port.

My understanding is that Onion Services will (by default) generate and publish hidden service descriptors (HSDir).

Is there some way I can query the Tor directory of HSDirs to see if a given Onion Service is still active?

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[–] maltfield@lemmy.vg 1 points 21 hours ago

This can be done by querying the "Hidden Service Descriptor".

By default, Onion Services publish a "Hidden Service Descriptor" to the Tor network’s distributed Hidden Service Directory (HDir) every 3 hours.

The Hidden Service Descriptor returned by the HDir contains the metadata necessary for a client to connect to the Onion Service.

If a given Onion Service’s Hidden Service Descriptor cannot be found, then the Onion Service is likely dead.

Script

Here's a simple python script that queries the HDir for a list of onions

from stem.control import Controller
from stem.descriptor.hidden_service import HiddenServiceDescriptorV3
 
onions = ['2n3tvihf4n27pqyqdtcqywl33kbjuv2kj3eeq6qvbtud57jwiaextmid.onion', '32qywqnlnqzbry42nmotr47ebts3k6lhiwfob6xniosmepz2tsnsx7ad.onion', '4colmnerbjz3xtsjmqogehtpbt5upjzef57huilibbq3wfgpsylub7yd.onion', '6voaf7iamjpufgwoulypzwwecsm2nu7j5jpgadav2rfqixmpl4d65kid.onion', '6w5iasklrbr2kw53zqrsjktgjapvjebxodoki3gjnmvb4dvcbmz7n3qd.onion', '7drfpncjeom3svqkyjitif26ezb3xvmtgyhgplcvqa7wwbb4qdbsjead.onion', 'ae3w7fkzr3elfwsk6mhittjj7e7whme2tumdrhw3dfumy2hsiwomc3yd.onion', 'chillingguw3yu2rmrkqsog4554egiry6fmy264l5wblyadds3c2lnyd.onion', 'fzdx522fvinbaqgwxdet45wryluchpplrkkzkry33um5tufkjd3wdaqd.onion', 'gku6irp4e65ikfkbrdx576zz6biapv37vv2cmklo2qyrtobugwz5iaad.onion', 'gois4b6fahhrlsieupl56xd6ya226m33abzuv26vgfpuvv44wf6vbdad.onion', 'j4dhkkxfcsvzvh3p5djkmuehhgd6t6l7wmzih6b4ss744hegwkiae7ad.onion', 'jabjabdea2eewo3gzfurscj2sjqgddptwumlxi3wur57rzf5itje2rid.onion', 'jaswtrycaot3jzkr7znje4ebazzvbxtzkyyox67frgvgemwfbzzi6uqd.onion', 'jeirlvruhz22jqduzixi6li4xyoweytqglwjons4mbuif76fgslg5uad.onion', 'jukrlvyhgguiedqswc5lehrag2fjunfktouuhi4wozxhb6heyzvshuyd.onion', 'mrbenqxl345o4u7yaln25ayzz5ut6ab3kteulzqusinjdx6oh7obdlad.onion', 'nixnet54icmeh25qsmcsereuoareofzevjqjnw3kki6oxxey3jonwwyd.onion', 'qawb5xl3mxiixobjsw2d45dffngyyacp4yd3wjpmhdrazwvt4ytxvayd.onion', 'qwikoouqore6hxczat3gwbe2ixjpllh3yuhaecixyenprbn6r54mglqd.onion', 'qwikxxeiw4kgmml6vjw2bsxtviuwjce735dunai2djhu6q7qbacq73id.onion', 'razpihro3mgydaiykvxwa44l57opvktqeqfrsg3vvwtmvr2srbkcihyd.onion', 'rurcblzhmdk22kttfkel2zduhyu3r6to7knyc7wiorzrx5gw4c3lftad.onion', 'szd7r26dbcrrrn4jthercrdypxfdmzzrysusyjohn4mpv2zbwcgmeqqd.onion', 'xdkriz6cn2avvcr2vks5lvvtmfojz2ohjzj4fhyuka55mvljeso2ztqd.onion', 'xiynxwxxpw7olq76uhrbvx2ts3i7jagqnqix7arfbknmleuoiwsmt5yd.onion', 'xmppccwrohw3lmfap6e3quep2yzx3thewkfhw4vptb5gwgnkttlq2vyd.onion', 'ynnuxkbbiy5gicdydekpihmpbqd4frruax2mqhpc35xqjxp5ayvrjuqd.onion', 'yxkc2uu3rlwzzhxf2thtnzd7obsdd76vtv7n34zwald76g5ogbvjbbqd.onion']
 
controller = Controller.from_port(port=9051)
controller.authenticate()
if controller.is_alive():
  print( "INFO: Confirmed that Tor is working." )
 
print( "INFO: Trying get_hidden_service_descriptor()" )
for onion in onions:
	print( onion )
	try:
		desc = controller.get_hidden_service_descriptor(onion)
		print( "\tOK" )
	except Exception as e:
		print( "\tNo Descriptor Found" )

Example

And an example execution of the above script follows

user@disp6307:~$ time sudo python3 get_hidden_service_descriptor.py 
INFO: Confirmed that Tor is working.
INFO: Trying get_hidden_service_descriptor()
2n3tvihf4n27pqyqdtcqywl33kbjuv2kj3eeq6qvbtud57jwiaextmid.onion
   OK
32qywqnlnqzbry42nmotr47ebts3k6lhiwfob6xniosmepz2tsnsx7ad.onion
   OK
4colmnerbjz3xtsjmqogehtpbt5upjzef57huilibbq3wfgpsylub7yd.onion
   OK
6voaf7iamjpufgwoulypzwwecsm2nu7j5jpgadav2rfqixmpl4d65kid.onion
   OK
6w5iasklrbr2kw53zqrsjktgjapvjebxodoki3gjnmvb4dvcbmz7n3qd.onion
   No Descriptor Found
7drfpncjeom3svqkyjitif26ezb3xvmtgyhgplcvqa7wwbb4qdbsjead.onion
   No Descriptor Found
ae3w7fkzr3elfwsk6mhittjj7e7whme2tumdrhw3dfumy2hsiwomc3yd.onion
   OK
chillingguw3yu2rmrkqsog4554egiry6fmy264l5wblyadds3c2lnyd.onion
   OK
fzdx522fvinbaqgwxdet45wryluchpplrkkzkry33um5tufkjd3wdaqd.onion
   OK
gku6irp4e65ikfkbrdx576zz6biapv37vv2cmklo2qyrtobugwz5iaad.onion
   OK
gois4b6fahhrlsieupl56xd6ya226m33abzuv26vgfpuvv44wf6vbdad.onion
   OK
j4dhkkxfcsvzvh3p5djkmuehhgd6t6l7wmzih6b4ss744hegwkiae7ad.onion
   OK
jabjabdea2eewo3gzfurscj2sjqgddptwumlxi3wur57rzf5itje2rid.onion
   OK
jaswtrycaot3jzkr7znje4ebazzvbxtzkyyox67frgvgemwfbzzi6uqd.onion
   OK
jeirlvruhz22jqduzixi6li4xyoweytqglwjons4mbuif76fgslg5uad.onion
   OK
jukrlvyhgguiedqswc5lehrag2fjunfktouuhi4wozxhb6heyzvshuyd.onion
   No Descriptor Found
mrbenqxl345o4u7yaln25ayzz5ut6ab3kteulzqusinjdx6oh7obdlad.onion
   No Descriptor Found
nixnet54icmeh25qsmcsereuoareofzevjqjnw3kki6oxxey3jonwwyd.onion
   OK
qawb5xl3mxiixobjsw2d45dffngyyacp4yd3wjpmhdrazwvt4ytxvayd.onion
   No Descriptor Found
qwikoouqore6hxczat3gwbe2ixjpllh3yuhaecixyenprbn6r54mglqd.onion
   OK
qwikxxeiw4kgmml6vjw2bsxtviuwjce735dunai2djhu6q7qbacq73id.onion
   OK
razpihro3mgydaiykvxwa44l57opvktqeqfrsg3vvwtmvr2srbkcihyd.onion
   No Descriptor Found
rurcblzhmdk22kttfkel2zduhyu3r6to7knyc7wiorzrx5gw4c3lftad.onion
   OK
szd7r26dbcrrrn4jthercrdypxfdmzzrysusyjohn4mpv2zbwcgmeqqd.onion
   OK
xdkriz6cn2avvcr2vks5lvvtmfojz2ohjzj4fhyuka55mvljeso2ztqd.onion
   OK
xiynxwxxpw7olq76uhrbvx2ts3i7jagqnqix7arfbknmleuoiwsmt5yd.onion
   OK
xmppccwrohw3lmfap6e3quep2yzx3thewkfhw4vptb5gwgnkttlq2vyd.onion
   OK
ynnuxkbbiy5gicdydekpihmpbqd4frruax2mqhpc35xqjxp5ayvrjuqd.onion
   No Descriptor Found
yxkc2uu3rlwzzhxf2thtnzd7obsdd76vtv7n34zwald76g5ogbvjbbqd.onion
   OK
 
real  0m53.311s
user  0m0.005s
sys   0m0.006s
user@disp6307:~$

Attribution

This script was originally published here.

For more information, see the article linked-to above.