MASQUE
also: Multiplexed Application Substrate over QUIC Encryption
MASQUE is a QUIC extension that enables tunneling of arbitrary network traffic through QUIC connections, allowing proxying of TCP/UDP traffic and IP packets over encrypted QUIC streams.
MASQUE (Multiplexed Application Substrate over QUIC Encryption) is an IETF standard that extends QUIC protocol capabilities to support general-purpose traffic proxying. It allows clients to tunnel non-HTTP traffic through a QUIC connection to a proxy server.
MASQUE operates at a lower layer than traditional HTTP proxying, enabling the encapsulation of IP packets, TCP connections, and UDP datagrams within QUIC streams. This is useful for scenarios like VPN-like functionality, circumventing network restrictions, or optimizing traffic routing over high-latency connections.
Example use case: A client behind a restrictive firewall can open a QUIC connection to a MASQUE proxy server and tunnel SSH traffic through it, effectively bypassing the firewall's port restrictions while maintaining encryption.