Addressing Denial of Service (DoS) Threats

Mitigating all possible Denial of Service (DoS) attacks in the Tor network is a complex task. The current C-Tor implementation includes an anti-DoS system that defends against the most critical vulnerabilities. However, this system can't handle all the types of DoS attacks the network faces, and redesigning it is beyond the scope of C-Tor. To fill these gaps, the remaining DoS vulnerabilities are addressed in the new Rust-based implementation, Arti.

A key part of defending against DoS threats involves collaboration with the relay operator community and Directory Authorities. These groups have played a crucial role in identifying and understanding DoS attacks in the real world. Their input has been proved essential in testing potential fixes and workarounds, especially in cases where the current anti-DoS system has limitations that prevent direct solutions.

We hope that by working together, we can reduce both the short- and long-term impacts of these attacks.