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<li><a href="#python-bindings-to-mcaptcha-powhttpsgithubcommcaptchapow_sha256">Python bindings to <a href="https://github.com/mCaptcha/pow_sha256/">mCaptcha PoW</a></a></li>
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<h1>May, 2022: Monthly Report</h1>
<p><small>Posted June 10, 2022 by <a class="stretched-link position-relative" href="/contributors/aravinth-manivannan/">Aravinth Manivannan</a>&nbsp;&hyphen;&nbsp;<strong>4&nbsp;min read</strong></small><p>
<p><small>Last Edited March 10, 2023</small><p>
</div>
<p class="lead">We are mCaptcha. We build kickass CAPTCHA systems that give (DDoS) attackers a run for their money. And we do all of this without tracking your users. Oh and did I mention our UX is great?</p>
<p>Hello and welcome to the May 2022 edition of the monthly report!</p>
<p>mCaptcha, for a while was showing all the signs of a dead project:
no commits on the repositories and no monthly updates. But the project
is far from dead!</p>
<h2 id="python-bindings-to-mcaptcha-powhttpsgithubcommcaptchapow_sha256">Python bindings to <a href="https://github.com/mCaptcha/pow_sha256/">mCaptcha PoW</a></h2>
<p><a href="https://github.com/mCaptcha/pow_py">pow_py</a> contains bindings to
<a href="https://github.com/mCaptcha/pow_sha256">pow_sha256</a>, the
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proof_of_work">proof-of-work</a> library
that mCaptcha uses. For the uninitiated, the bindings allow for python
programs to automatically solve mCaptcha.</p>
<p>So if you are writing a script to do some chore on your favourite
website that is protected by mCaptcha, you can now solve the mCaptcha
automatically from within the program.</p>
<p>Here&rsquo;s an example:</p>
<div class="highlight"><pre tabindex="0" style="color:#f8f8f2;background-color:#282a36;-moz-tab-size:4;-o-tab-size:4;tab-size:4;"><code class="language-python" data-lang="python"><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f"> 1</span><span><span style="color:#ff79c6">import</span> os
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f"> 2</span><span>
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f"> 3</span><span><span style="color:#ff79c6">import</span> mcaptcha_pow_py
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f"> 4</span><span><span style="color:#ff79c6">import</span> requests
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f"> 5</span><span>
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f"> 6</span><span><span style="color:#6272a4"># get the sitekey that is used in the mCaptcha protected form</span>
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f"> 7</span><span>SITEKEY <span style="color:#ff79c6">=</span> os<span style="color:#ff79c6">.</span>getenv(<span style="color:#f1fa8c">&#34;MCAPTCHA_CAPTCHA_SITEKEY&#34;</span>)
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f"> 8</span><span><span style="color:#6272a4"># the hostname of the mCaptcha instance that the form is using</span>
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f"> 9</span><span>MCAPTCHA_HOST <span style="color:#ff79c6">=</span> os<span style="color:#ff79c6">.</span>getenv(<span style="color:#f1fa8c">&#34;MCAPTCHA_CAPTCHA_HOST&#34;</span>)
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">10</span><span>
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">11</span><span>
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">12</span><span>GET_CONFIG_ROUTE <span style="color:#ff79c6">=</span> <span style="color:#f1fa8c">f</span><span style="color:#f1fa8c">&#34;</span><span style="color:#f1fa8c">{</span>MCAPTCHA_HOST<span style="color:#f1fa8c">}</span><span style="color:#f1fa8c">/api/v1/pow/config&#34;</span>
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">13</span><span>VERIFY_POW_ROUTE <span style="color:#ff79c6">=</span> <span style="color:#f1fa8c">f</span><span style="color:#f1fa8c">&#34;</span><span style="color:#f1fa8c">{</span>MCAPTCHA_HOST<span style="color:#f1fa8c">}</span><span style="color:#f1fa8c">/api/v1/pow/verify&#34;</span>
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">14</span><span>
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">15</span><span><span style="color:#ff79c6">def</span> <span style="color:#50fa7b">solve_captcha</span>():
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">16</span><span>
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">17</span><span> <span style="color:#6272a4"># get challenge configuration</span>
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">18</span><span> key <span style="color:#ff79c6">=</span> {<span style="color:#f1fa8c">&#34;key&#34;</span>: sitekey}
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">19</span><span> challenge_config <span style="color:#ff79c6">=</span> requests<span style="color:#ff79c6">.</span>post(GET_CONFIG_ROUTE, json<span style="color:#ff79c6">=</span>key)
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">20</span><span> challenge_config <span style="color:#ff79c6">=</span> challenge_config<span style="color:#ff79c6">.</span>json()
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">21</span><span>
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">22</span><span> <span style="color:#6272a4"># extract configuration data</span>
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">23</span><span> config <span style="color:#ff79c6">=</span> mcaptcha_pow_py<span style="color:#ff79c6">.</span>PoWConfig(challenge_config[<span style="color:#f1fa8c">&#34;salt&#34;</span>])
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">24</span><span> pow_string <span style="color:#ff79c6">=</span> challenge_config[<span style="color:#f1fa8c">&#34;string&#34;</span>]
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">25</span><span> pow_difficulty_factor <span style="color:#ff79c6">=</span> challenge_config[<span style="color:#f1fa8c">&#34;difficulty_factor&#34;</span>]
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">26</span><span>
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">27</span><span> <span style="color:#6272a4"># generate work</span>
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">28</span><span> work <span style="color:#ff79c6">=</span> config<span style="color:#ff79c6">.</span>work(pow_string, pow_difficulty_factor)
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">29</span><span>
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">30</span><span> <span style="color:#6272a4"># verify PoW</span>
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">31</span><span> proof <span style="color:#ff79c6">=</span> {
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">32</span><span> <span style="color:#f1fa8c">&#34;key&#34;</span>: SITEKEY,
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">33</span><span> <span style="color:#f1fa8c">&#34;nonce&#34;</span>: work<span style="color:#ff79c6">.</span>nonce,
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">34</span><span> <span style="color:#f1fa8c">&#34;result&#34;</span>: work<span style="color:#ff79c6">.</span>result,
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">35</span><span> <span style="color:#f1fa8c">&#34;string&#34;</span>: challenge_config[<span style="color:#f1fa8c">&#34;string&#34;</span>],
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">36</span><span> }
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">37</span><span> resp <span style="color:#ff79c6">=</span> requests<span style="color:#ff79c6">.</span>post(VERIFY_POW_ROUTE, json<span style="color:#ff79c6">=</span>proof)
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">38</span><span> resp <span style="color:#ff79c6">=</span> resp<span style="color:#ff79c6">.</span>json()
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">39</span><span>
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">40</span><span> <span style="color:#6272a4"># extract verification token</span>
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">41</span><span> token <span style="color:#ff79c6">=</span> resp[<span style="color:#f1fa8c">&#34;token&#34;</span>]
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">42</span><span>
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">43</span><span> <span style="color:#ff79c6">return</span> token
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">44</span><span>
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">45</span><span>
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">46</span><span>token <span style="color:#ff79c6">=</span> solve_captcha()
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">47</span><span>data <span style="color:#ff79c6">=</span> {
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">48</span><span> <span style="color:#f1fa8c">&#34;username&#34;</span>: <span style="color:#f1fa8c">&#34;me&#34;</span>,
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">49</span><span> <span style="color:#f1fa8c">&#34;password&#34;</span>: <span style="color:#f1fa8c">&#34;superlongpassword&#34;</span>,
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">50</span><span> <span style="color:#f1fa8c">&#34;confirm_password&#34;</span>: <span style="color:#f1fa8c">&#34;superlongpassword&#34;</span>,
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">51</span><span> <span style="color:#f1fa8c">&#34;mcaptcha__token&#34;</span>: token,
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">52</span><span>}
</span></span><span style="display:flex;"><span style="white-space:pre;user-select:none;margin-right:0.4em;padding:0 0.4em 0 0.4em;color:#7f7f7f">53</span><span>response <span style="color:#ff79c6">=</span> requests<span style="color:#ff79c6">.</span>post(<span style="color:#f1fa8c">&#34;/mCaptcha-protected-form&#34;</span>, data<span style="color:#ff79c6">=</span>data)
</span></span></code></pre></div><p>This could be missed for building DDoS bots(more on that
<a href="#measuring-ddos-protection-effectiveness">here</a>) but this could also be
used to make CAPTCHA solving automated within screen readers and other
accessibility devices!</p>
<h2 id="measuring-ddos-protection-effectiveness">Measuring DDoS protection effectiveness</h2>
<p>Proof-of-work has historically been a good method to achieve rate
limiting but how much attack can it, specifically mCaptcha&rsquo;s
implementation, withstand when compared to an unprotected endpoint? To
find out, we used the recently created Python bindings to the mCaptcha
PoW library, the excellent load testing tool,
<a href="https://locust.io">locust</a> and wrote
<a href="https://github.com/mCaptcha/dos">mCaptcha/dos</a>!</p>
<p><a href="https://vitap.ac.in">VIT AP</a> kindly permitted me, @realaravinth, to use their network
security lab for setting up a isolated, contained testing environment to
mount a DDoS attack on a <a href="https://github.com/mCaptcha/dos/tree/master/rust-server/demo-server">test
server</a>
instance.</p>
<p>The initial topology consisted of one mCaptcha instance, one DDoS demo
server, one locust node running in leader configuration and six locust
nodes running in follower configuration. I was authorised to use the
netsec lab for three days, which unfortunately wasn&rsquo;t enough to go
finish running the experiment. <a href="https://sibichakkaravarthy.github.io/">Dr. Sibi Chakkaravarthy
Sethuraman</a> has kindly offered to
arrange authorisation to use the netsec lab once again in July 2022,
during which I hope to finish running the experiment</p>
<p>Special thanks to <a href="http://ackr8.com/">ackr-8</a> and
<a href="https://github.com/alan2000alex">alan2000alex</a> for help with setting up
infrastructure of the experiment.</p>
<h2 id="refactor">Refactor</h2>
<p>mCaptcha underwent a major refactor during the month of May: We re-wrote
and cleaned up all database-related stuff for higher flexibility
and generally good architecture. This refactor lays the foundation
for implementing support for alternate database software
programs(we currently support PostgreSQL only).</p>
<h2 id="mcaptcha-is-now-on-the-fediverse">mCaptcha is now on the Fediverse</h2>
<p>We recently joined the Fediverse on a
<a href="https://docs.gotosocial.org/">GoToSocial</a> instance run by
@realaravinth. We&rsquo;ll soon be deleting our Twitter account in favour of
the Fediverse account.</p>
<p><strong>Fediverse account:</strong>
<a href="https://gts.batsense.net/@mcaptcha">@mCaptcha@batsense.net</a></p>
<h2 id="generic-hosting">Generic hosting</h2>
<p>I, @realaravinth, have been busy with <a href="https://forgeflux.org">ForgeFlux</a>
and <a href="https://hostea.org">Hostea</a> &mdash; both of which are <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forge_(software)">software
forge</a> related and so
when usable, will mostly improve the Free Software ecosystem. Hostea is
a project that aims to create a libre software development ecosystem and
provide managed hosting for the same. The project is <a href="https://forum.hostea.org/t/a-guide-to-hostea-governance/57">built by a
horizontal community</a>, which allows for multiple service providers who
adhere to the Hostea policies to operate
under the Hostea umbrella &mdash; essentially allowing for the creation of
smaller, highly localised cooperatives.</p>
<p>Cooperatives are interesting, and we believe that mCaptcha, too, can
benefit from such an architecture as it will prevent any one party from
single-handedly sabotaging the project. The experience gained from
Hostea will be reused in providing managed hosting for mCaptcha.</p>
<p>By the end of this year, mCaptcha will reorganise into a horizontal
community and adopt <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_transparency#Radical_corporate_transparency">radical transparency</a> to improve trust and
reliability of the project</p>
<blockquote>
<p>P.S: I, realaravinth, would do it sooner but I&rsquo;m a little busy right
now, so if someone is interested to help out do reach out and so that
we could do it sooner!</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In context of mCaptcha, radical transparency will include all decisions
publicly made, funding and expenses publicly documented, and all
collaborations, too, publicly documented. This of course doesn&rsquo;t imply
that private, personally identifiable information(addresses and phone
numbers, for instance) will be publicly disclosed. Such information will
be redacted and published.</p>
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