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Welcome to Orb

Orb - Zero-Trust Folder Tunneling

Secure file sharing with end-to-end encryption

No accounts • No cloud • No port forwarding

What is Orb?

Orb is a production-ready zero-trust file sharing tool that allows you to securely share a local folder across the internet using end-to-end encryption. It's designed for security professionals, developers, and teams who need to share files without relying on cloud services.

Key Features

Zero-Trust Architecture - The relay server never sees plaintext data
Strong Cryptography - Argon2id, Noise Protocol, ChaCha20-Poly1305
Cross-Platform - Works on Linux, macOS, and Windows
NAT-Safe - Works behind firewalls without port forwarding
No Accounts - No registration, no authentication servers
Single Binary - No dependencies, just download and run
Terminal UI - Interactive file browser that works everywhere

Quick Example

Share a folder (Terminal 1)

orb share ./documents

Output:

╔════════════════════════════════════════╗
║     Orb - Secure Folder Sharing       ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════╝

  Session:  7F9Q2A
  Passcode: 493-771

Connect and browse (Terminal 2)

orb connect 7F9Q2A --passcode 493-771

Opens an interactive file browser where you can:

  • Navigate directories
  • Download files
  • Browse securely over encrypted tunnel

How It Works

┌─────────┐                  ┌───────────┐                  ┌─────────┐
│ Sharer  │◄────encrypted────►│   Relay   │◄────encrypted────►│Receiver │
│  (CLI)  │                  │  Server   │                  │  (CLI)  │
└─────────┘                  └───────────┘                  └─────────┘
     │                              │                              │
     └──────────────────────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
              All encryption happens at the edges
              Relay never sees plaintext data
  1. Sharer creates a session and gets a session ID + passcode
  2. Relay Server acts as a blind byte pipe (never sees plaintext)
  3. Receiver connects using session ID + passcode
  4. Encrypted Tunnel established with mutual authentication
  5. Files are accessed through secure, sandboxed filesystem

Security Highlights

  • Argon2id key derivation (64MB memory-hard, GPU-resistant)
  • Noise Protocol for authenticated key exchange with perfect forward secrecy
  • ChaCha20-Poly1305 authenticated encryption
  • Path sanitization prevents traversal attacks
  • Symlink protection blocks escapes outside shared directory
  • Rate limiting prevents brute force (5 attempts → lockout)
  • Session expiration automatic cleanup after 24 hours

Use Cases

Development Teams

Share build artifacts, logs, or config files between team members without uploading to cloud storage.

Security Auditing

Share sensitive files for security review without leaving traces on third-party servers.

Large File Transfer

Transfer large files between machines without size limits or cloud storage costs.

Remote Work

Access files from home server while traveling, without VPN or port forwarding.

DevOps DevOps

Share deployment artifacts or debugging information with contractors or remote teams.

Getting Started

Choose your path:

Quick Start

Get up and running in 5 minutes.

Quick Start Guide

Installation

Install Orb on your system.

Install Now

User Guide

Learn how to use all features.

Read Guide

Security

Understand the security architecture.

Security Details

Why Orb?

No Cloud, No Problem

Traditional file sharing requires:

  • Cloud accounts
  • Upload time
  • Storage limits
  • Subscription fees
  • Trust in third parties

Orb provides:

  • Direct peer-to-peer sharing
  • Instant access (no uploads)
  • No size limits
  • Free and open source
  • Zero-trust architecture

Designed for Security

Orb is built from the ground up with security in mind:

  • No long-term secrets - Sessions expire automatically
  • No static keys - Ephemeral keys for perfect forward secrecy
  • No plaintext leakage - Relay server is blind to all data
  • Constant-time operations - Resistant to timing attacks
  • Memory-hard key derivation - Resistant to brute force

Community & Support

  • Documentation: You're reading it!
  • GitHub: github.com/Zayan-Mohamed/orb
  • Issues: Report bugs and request features
  • Discussions: Ask questions and share experiences

License

Orb is open source software licensed under the MIT License.

Summary

Orb provides secure, zero-trust file sharing with end-to-end encryption. Focus on security and privacy drives every design decision.