BitBang: Browser-Based Remote Access Without the Hassle

BitBang is a versatile, single-binary tool designed for remote machine access. It allows you to launch an interactive shell, manage files, and access local web applications directly from a web browser. The best part? It requires no port forwarding, no account creation, and no complex configuration.

🚀 Quick Start Guide

To get started, follow these steps:

• Install the binary on the target machine.
• Run the server to generate a connection link.
• Connect via a browser or the BitBang CLI.

Installation

Run the following one-liner to install:

curl -sSfL bitba.ng/install | sh

Establishing a Connection

On the remote host, execute: bitbang serve

This will output a unique URL. Once you open this link in any browser, you instantly gain access to a terminal, a file explorer, and a network proxy. Alternatively, you can connect from another terminal using: bitbang connect <url>

🛠 How It Works

BitBang utilizes WebRTC as its transport layer rather than traditional TCP. The connection is peer-to-peer and end-to-end encrypted.

Note: The signaling server only facilitates the initial handshake. Once the connection is established, the server steps aside. If a direct P2P path is blocked, a TURN relay is used, but it only handles ciphertext.

Secure Pairing

When URLs or QR codes are impractical (e.g., you are speaking to someone over the phone), BitBang uses a 6-digit pairing code.

1. bitbang serve displays a code.
2. The connector visits bitba.ng/<code> or runs bitbang connect <code>.
3. The connector reads back a second 6-digit number to verify the identity.

This mechanism prevents man-in-the-middle attacks. The probability of a random match is roughly: $\text{Probability} = \frac{1}{10^6}$

This approach is conceptually similar to Magic Wormhole.

⚖️ BitBang vs. SSH

While BitBang is shaped like SSH (with serve $\approx$ sshd, connect $\approx$ ssh, and cp $\approx$ scp), it solves specific pain points:

📖 Usage Details

The Listener (bitbang serve)

You can control exactly what the remote machine exposes:

• Full Access: bitbang serve (Shell, files, and proxy).
• Terminal Only: bitbang serve shell.
• File Sharing: bitbang serve files ~/share (Use -upload to permit uploads).
• Generic Proxy: bitbang serve proxy (Select target in browser).
• Specific Proxy: bitbang serve proxy localhost:8080.

The Connector (CLI)

For those who prefer the command line over a browser:

# Open an interactive shell
bitbang connect <url>

# Execute a single command
bitbang connect <url> -- tail -f /var/log/syslog

# Copy a file from remote to local
bitbang cp <url>:/var/log/app.log ./app.log

# Pipe remote data to local stdout
bitbang cp - <url>:/tmp/firmware.bin firmware.bin

Pro Tip: Successful connections are stored in ~/.bitbang/devices.json. After the first pairing, you can simply use a nickname: bitbang connect nas1.

📦 Installation Options

The installation script automatically detects your architecture (amd64, arm64, or armv7), fetches the latest release from GitHub, and verifies the binary using a SHA-256 checksum.

Custom Installation Commands:

• Specify Version: curl -sSfL bitba.ng/install | sh -s -- --version v0.5.0
• Change Install Path: curl -sSfL bitba.ng/install | sh -s -- --prefix /usr/local/bin
• Audit Before Running:

  curl -sSfL bitba.ng/install -o install.sh
  less install.sh
  sh install.sh