Skip to content

Native support for paqet (raw-packet / KCP-over-raw-TCP) as a protocol or transport #6558

Description

@inbigj-cyber

Please consider adding native support for paqet as a protocol or transport layer in Xray-core, similar to how Hysteria2 was integrated.

What is paqet?
paqet is a bidirectional packet-level proxy that:

Uses raw sockets + pcap to inject/capture crafted TCP packets
Carries traffic over KCP (with encryption, FEC, and aggressive retransmission)
Completely bypasses the host OS TCP/IP stack

This makes it useful in highly restrictive networks where normal TCP handshakes, connection tracking, or standard DPI rules are applied.
Repository: https://github.com/hanselime/paqet
License: MIT
Language: Go
Status: Active development (currently alpha)

Real-world relevance
During the nationwide internet shutdown in Iran in January 2026 (particularly the severe blackout starting 8–9 January 2026), tools that rely on normal TCP/IP stacks or common VPN protocols largely stopped working.
paqet’s approach of sending encrypted KCP traffic inside raw/crafted TCP packets (bypassing the host OS network stack) showed practical value in such extreme censorship environments. Native support in Xray-core would make this capability much more accessible and manageable for users facing similar total or near-total shutdowns.

Metadata

Metadata

Assignees

No one assigned

    Labels

    No labels
    No labels

    Type

    No type

    Projects

    No projects

    Milestone

    No milestone

    Relationships

    None yet

    Development

    No branches or pull requests

    Issue actions