Installing Two or More Tor hidden Services on an Ubuntu Server

By molly9 Posted on February 24, 2025February 24, 2025 Category :

Uncategorized

How to Install Multiple Tor Hidden Services on Ubuntu Server (VirtualBox) Without a Panel

Introduction

Tor hidden services allow you to host websites that are only accessible through the Tor network, providing strong privacy and anonymity. In this guide, we will install and configure multiple hidden services on an Ubuntu server running inside a VirtualBox VM, set up a web server (Nginx, PHP, and MariaDB), and optionally install Webmin for simplified management.

1. Install VirtualBox and Create an Ubuntu VM

Before setting up the server, we need VirtualBox installed.

1.1 Download and Install VirtualBox

Go to the VirtualBox official website:
👉 https://www.virtualbox.org/
Download the latest version for your operating system.
Install VirtualBox by following the installation wizard.

1.2 Create a New Ubuntu Virtual Machine

Open VirtualBox and click “New”.
Enter the name (e.g., Ubuntu Tor Server).
Set Type to Linux and Version to Ubuntu (64-bit).
Assign at least 2GB RAM (4GB recommended).
Create a Virtual Hard Disk (20GB+ recommended).
Select “Create”, then start the VM and install Ubuntu.

2. Install Required Software on Ubuntu Server

Once your Ubuntu VM is up and running, update the system:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Now install Nginx, PHP, and MariaDB (LAMP/LEMP stack).

2.1 Install Nginx Web Server

sudo apt install nginx -y
sudo systemctl enable nginx
sudo systemctl start nginx

To verify that Nginx is running:

sudo systemctl status nginx

2.2 Install PHP and Required Modules

sudo apt install php php-fpm php-cli php-mysql php-curl php-xml php-mbstring -y

Start PHP service:

sudo systemctl enable php-fpm
sudo systemctl start php-fpm

2.3 Install MariaDB (MySQL Alternative)

sudo apt install mariadb-server -y
sudo systemctl enable mariadb
sudo systemctl start mariadb

Secure the database installation:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

During setup:

Press Enter to use the default root password.
Choose Y to remove anonymous users and disallow remote root logins.

2.4 Create a Database and User

sudo mysql -u root -p

Create a new database and user:

CREATE DATABASE tor_db;
CREATE USER 'tor_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON tor_db.* TO 'tor_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

3. Install and Configure Tor for Hidden Services

3.1 Install Tor

sudo apt install tor -y

Enable and start Tor service:

sudo systemctl enable tor
sudo systemctl start tor

3.2 Configure Multiple Tor Hidden Services

Edit the Tor configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/tor/torrc

At the end of the file, add the following lines:

HiddenServiceDir /var/lib/tor/hidden_service1/
HiddenServicePort 80 127.0.0.1:8081

HiddenServiceDir /var/lib/tor/hidden_service2/
HiddenServicePort 80 127.0.0.1:8082

Save the file (CTRL + X, then Y, then Enter).

Now restart Tor to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl restart tor

Tor will generate .onion addresses for your hidden services. Retrieve them using:

cat /var/lib/tor/hidden_service1/hostname
cat /var/lib/tor/hidden_service2/hostname

4. Configure Nginx for Hidden Services

Create two server blocks for the hidden services.

4.1 Configure First Hidden Service

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/hidden_service1

Paste the following configuration:

server {
    listen 8081;
    server_name localhost;

    root /var/www/hidden_service1;
    index index.php index.html;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
    }

    location ~ \.php$ {
        include snippets/fastcgi-php.conf;
        fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php-fpm.sock;
        fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
        include fastcgi_params;
    }
}

4.2 Configure Second Hidden Service

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/hidden_service2

Paste the following configuration:

server {
    listen 8082;
    server_name localhost;

    root /var/www/hidden_service2;
    index index.php index.html;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
    }

    location ~ \.php$ {
        include snippets/fastcgi-php.conf;
        fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php-fpm.sock;
        fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
        include fastcgi_params;
    }
}

4.3 Enable Nginx Sites and Restart Server

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/hidden_service1 /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/hidden_service2 /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/

Restart Nginx:

sudo systemctl restart nginx

5. Upload Files and Set Permissions

Create website directories:

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/hidden_service1
sudo mkdir -p /var/www/hidden_service2

Set ownership:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/

Upload files using SCP from another machine:

scp index.html user@your_server:/var/www/hidden_service1/

6. (Optional) Install Webmin for Easier Server Management

wget https://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/webadmin/webmin_2.021_all.deb
sudo dpkg -i webmin_2.021_all.deb
sudo apt --fix-broken install -y

Access Webmin via:

https://your-server-ip:10000
or localhost:10000

Conclusion

Now, your multiple Tor hidden services are running on Ubuntu inside a VirtualBox VM. Each .onion site is securely routed through Tor. You can manage files via SCP, configure Nginx for more sites, or use Webmin for additional convenience.