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Do HTTPS connections require HTTPS proxies or can I use HTTP proxies?


The question is about HTTP vs HTTPS.

If I want to anonymously load a website that forces HTTPS, like Google.com, do I need an HTTPS proxies, or can I get away with HTTP proxies?


Solution

  • If your proxy is SOCKS it will not care what kind of socket is connecting through it. It has its own handshake and it does not care about what happens after the handshake. Whether after the SOCKS handshake an SSL handshake (HTTPS) is started it is not a SOCKS proxy problem, it will just pass through.

    Several HTTP proxies on the other hand expect HTTP headers to guide them, such a HTTP proxy will not allow HTTPS since it needs to read the headers.

    On the third hand (ekhm... well, foot?), an HTTP proxy that supports HTTP CONNECT can also setup the transfer of arbitrary data. Therefore such a proxy can setup any type of socket, which can have an SSL handshake, which can then be used for HTTPS transfer.