OpenNHP is an open-source implementation of the Network-infrastructure Hiding Protocol (NHP), a next-generation zero trust security protocol designed to secure network connections and hide infrastructure.

• Introduction
• Key Features
• Quick Start
• Installation
• Usage Example
• Dependencies
• Architecture
• Components
• Workflow
• Deployment Models
• Security Benefits
• Cryptographic Foundations
• Comparison to SPA
• Compatibility
• Roadmap
• Contributing
• Acknowledgments
• License
• Contact

OpenNHP implements the Network-infrastructure Hiding Protocol (NHP), which operates at the session layer (layer 5) of the OSI model to enforce zero trust principles. NHP addresses key security challenges:

• Mitigates vulnerability exploitation by enforcing "deny-all" rules by default
• Prevents phishing attacks through encrypted DNS resolution
• Protects against DDoS attacks by hiding infrastructure
• Enables attack attribution through identity-based connections

NHP enhances security, reliability, and scalability compared to previous approaches like Single Packet Authorization (SPA).

🔐 OpenNHP is designed with security-first principles, implementing a true zero-trust architecture.

• Default-deny access control for all protected resources
• Identity and device-based authentication before network access
• Encrypted DNS resolution to prevent DNS hijacking
• Distributed infrastructure to mitigate DDoS attacks
• Scalable architecture with decoupled components
• Integration with existing identity and access management systems
• Support for various deployment models (client-to-gateway, client-to-server, etc)
• Cryptographically secure using modern algorithms (ECC, Noise Protocol, IBC)

Get OpenNHP up and running in minutes:

git clone https://github.com/opennhp/nhp.git
cd nhp
make
./nhp-server run

Detailed installation instructions:

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/opennhp/nhp.git

2. Navigate to the project directory:

   cd nhp

3. Build the project:

   make

4. Install (optional):

   sudo make install

⚠️ Note: Running sudo make install requires root privileges. Make sure you trust the source before running this command.

Here's a simple example of using OpenNHP to secure a connection:

from opennhp import NHPClient

client = NHPClient("config.yaml")
connection = client.connect("protected-resource-id")
response = connection.send("Hello, secure world!")
print(response)

OpenNHP requires the following major dependencies:

OpenNHP follows a modular architecture with the following core components:

• NHP-Agent: Client-side component that initiates requests
• NHP-Server: Processes requests and manages authentication
• NHP-AC: Enforces access policies on protected resources

These interact with:

• Protected Resources: Applications, servers, network devices to be secured
• Authorization Service Provider: Validates access policies

The NHP-Agent is a client-side component that initiates communication and requests access to protected resources. It can be implemented as:

• A standalone client application
• An SDK integrated into existing applications
• A browser plugin
• A mobile app

The agent is responsible for:

• Generating and sending knock requests to the NHP-Server
• Maintaining secure communication channels
• Handling authentication flows

The NHP-Server is the central controller that:

• Processes and validates knock requests from agents
• Interacts with the Authorization Service Provider for policy decisions
• Manages NHP-AC components to allow/deny access
• Handles key management and cryptographic operations

It can be deployed in a distributed or clustered configuration for high availability and scalability.

NHP-AC (Access Control) components enforce access policies on protected resources. Key functions:

• Implement default deny-all rules
• Open/close access based on NHP-Server instructions
• Ensure network invisibility of protected resources
• Log access attempts

1. NHP-Agent sends knock request to NHP-Server
2. NHP-Server validates request and retrieves agent info
3. NHP-Server queries Authorization Service Provider
4. If authorized, NHP-Server instructs NHP-AC to allow access
5. NHP-AC opens connection and notifies NHP-Server
6. NHP-Server provides resource access details to NHP-Agent
7. NHP-Agent can now access the protected resource
8. Access is logged for auditing purposes

OpenNHP supports multiple deployment models to suit different use cases:

• Client-to-Gateway: Secures access to multiple servers behind a gateway
• Client-to-Server: Directly secures individual servers/applications
• Server-to-Server: Secures communication between backend services
• Gateway-to-Gateway: Secures site-to-site connections

• Reduces attack surface by hiding infrastructure
• Prevents unauthorized network reconnaissance
• Mitigates vulnerability exploitation
• Stops phishing via encrypted DNS
• Protects against DDoS attacks
• Enables fine-grained access control
• Provides identity-based connection tracking

OpenNHP leverages state-of-the-art cryptographic algorithms:

• Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC): For efficient public key operations
• Noise Protocol Framework: For secure key exchange and identity verification
• Identity-Based Cryptography (IBC): For simplified key management at scale

NHP offers several advantages over Single Packet Authorization (SPA):

• Decoupled architecture improves scalability
• Bidirectional communication increases reliability
• Modern cryptographic primitives enhance security
• More comprehensive infrastructure hiding capabilities
• Extensible design supports various use cases
• Interoperable with existing protocols and systems

OpenNHP is designed for broad compatibility:

• International algorithms: Curve25519, AES, SHA256

• Windows
• macOS
• Linux (various distributions)
• iOS
• Android

• x86
• ARM
• RISC-V
• MIPS

Our plans for the near future include:

We welcome contributions to OpenNHP! Please see our Contributing Guidelines for more information on how to get involved.

We'd like to thank the Cloud Security Alliance for their work on the SDP specification, which inspired many aspects of NHP.

OpenNHP is released under the Apache 2.0 License.

• Project Website: https://opennhp.org
• Mailing List: [email protected]
• Slack Channel: Join our Slack

For more detailed documentation, please visit our Official Documentation.

🌟 Thank you for your interest in OpenNHP! We look forward to your contributions and feedback.