install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install ptunnel

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install ptunnel

MacPorts ports tree · net/ptunnel/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install ptunnel

Debian stable package indexes · ptunnel · source: deb.debian.org

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#ptunnel

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/pt/ptunnel/package.nix · source: api.github.com

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%

sudo pacman -S ptunnel

Arch Linux sync databases · ptunnel · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

overview

Package summary

Tunnel over ICMP

Project links

Commands and aliases

ptunnel

history

Project history and usage

Ping Tunnel, whose executable is ptunnel, tunnels reliable TCP streams over ICMP echo traffic using a client and an internet-accessible proxy.

Project history

Daniel Stødle created Ping Tunnel to carry TCP connections through ICMP echo requests and replies when ordinary TCP or UDP access is blocked. The official page documents version 0.72 and was last updated on September 5, 2011.

Adoption history

The official project page documents testing on Linux and macOS, a Windows port added by version 0.70, an iPhone port for jailbroken devices, and historical Debian packaging instructions. The input also records packages in Homebrew, Debian, MacPorts, Nix, Arch Linux, and Ubuntu.

How it is used

Run ptunnel on an accessible proxy host, then run a local client specifying the proxy, listening port, destination address, and destination port. Raw sockets normally require root privileges. Optional password authentication is supplied on the command line rather than through a credentials file.

Why package nerds care

Ping Tunnel is a classic example of protocol tunneling used to traverse unusually restrictive networks. Package maintainers care about its raw-socket and libpcap requirements, elevated privileges, aging upstream surface, and security-sensitive proxy behavior.

Timeline

Version 0.70: Windows support was incorporated.
January 2010: The official page noted an iPhone port.
September 5, 2011: The official project page was last updated and documented version 0.72.

Related projects

SSH: The official usage example forwards an SSH connection through a local Ping Tunnel endpoint.
libpcap: Used for packet capture where raw-socket behavior is insufficient.

Sources

https://www.cs.uit.no/~daniels/PingTunnel/
source_facts.package-manager

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 12 platform targets.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`ptunnel`	cli	global executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-09-19

manager version0.72

manager updated2026-09-13

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://www.cs.uit.no/~daniels/PingTunnel/

infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://www.cs.uit.no/~daniels/PingTunnel/none confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:ptunnel
Version	0.72
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/ptunnel
Homepage	https://www.cs.uit.no/~daniels/PingTunnel/
Upstream docs	https://www.cs.uit.no/~daniels/PingTunnel/
License	BSD-3-Clause
Source archive	https://www.cs.uit.no/~daniels/PingTunnel/PingTunnel-0.72.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-09-13T12:45:44Z
Pulse	updated
Uses from macOS	libpcap
Bottle	available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, monterey, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared
Caveats	Normally, ptunnel uses raw sockets and must be run as root (using sudo, for example). Alternatively, you can try using the -u flag to start ptunnel in 'unprivileged' mode, but this is not recommended. See https://www.cs.uit.no/~daniels/PingTunnel/ for details.

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	ptunnel
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Debian apt95%

ptunnel 0.72-3+b3

Tunnel TCP connections over ICMP packets

http://www.mit.edu/afs.new/sipb/user/golem/tmp/ptunnel-0.61.orig/web/

sudo apt install ptunnel

Section: net
Architecture: amd64
Source Package: ptunnel
4 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Ptunnel

Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: ptunnel from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

Nix95%

ptunnel

nix profile install nixpkgs#ptunnel

normalized package name match
Matched by: Ptunnel

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/pt/ptunnel/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

Ubuntu apt95%

ptunnel 0.72-3build2

Tunnel TCP connections over ICMP packets

http://www.mit.edu/afs.new/sipb/user/golem/tmp/ptunnel-0.61.orig/web/

sudo apt install ptunnel

Section: universe/net
Architecture: amd64
4 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Ptunnel

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: ptunnel from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz

pacman95%

ptunnel 0.72-7

A tool for reliably tunneling TCP connections over ICMP echo request and reply packets

https://www.cs.uit.no/~daniels/PingTunnel

sudo pacman -S ptunnel

License: BSD
Architecture: x86_64
1 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Ptunnel

Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: ptunnel from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz

MacPorts95%

ptunnel

sudo port install ptunnel

normalized package name match
Matched by: Ptunnel

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: net/ptunnel/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/ptunnel.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment
pkg.so package database
pkgdb category and tag curation

Install ptunnel with Homebrew, apt, MacPorts, Nix, pacman