SSH Proxy (MBLink)
What Is SSH Proxy and Who Is It For?
SSH (Secure Shell) is an encrypted remote connection protocol widely used to manage Linux servers and VPS instances. Beyond remote login, SSH has a powerful additional use: turning your server into a proxy exit point.
If you have an overseas VPS or Linux server, you can route your Mbbrowser browser environments through that server using SSH — without purchasing commercial proxy IPs.
Ideal for:
- Users with overseas VPS instances (AWS, GCP, Vultr, BandwagonHost, etc.) who want to use them as proxies
- When your commercial proxy temporarily fails and you need a backup SSH server to step in immediately
- Enterprise intranet access: route Mbbrowser through an SSH tunnel to reach internal company systems
What Is MBLink?
Mbbrowser's installation directory includes a built-in tool called mblink.exe — a self-developed SSH client purpose-built for proxy tunnel scenarios. No need to install PuTTY, XShell, or any other SSH tool.
What mblink.exe can do:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Password Authentication | Log in to your server using username + password |
| Private Key Authentication | Supports .pem / .ppk and other mainstream key formats — more secure |
| Dynamic SOCKS5 Forwarding (-D) | One-click: turns your SSH server into a full-featured SOCKS5 proxy exit |
| Local Port Forwarding (-L) | Maps a specific remote server port to a local port, creating a directed tunnel |
| Remote Port Forwarding (-R) | Exposes a local port on the remote server — ideal for intranet penetration |
| Non-Interactive Batch Mode | Automation-friendly, no pop-up prompts, standard exit codes |
| Heartbeat Auto-Reconnect | Automatically retries if the tunnel drops — keeps long-running business sessions stable |
How to Use SSH Proxy in Mbbrowser?
SSH proxy is configured per browser environment — each environment can have its own SSH server:
Step 1: Open Environment Configuration
In the Mbbrowser main window, click New Environment or right-click an existing environment → Edit to open the environment configuration window.
Step 2: Select SSH as the Proxy Protocol
In the proxy settings area of the environment configuration window, change the proxy protocol from HTTP/SOCKS5 to SSH.
Step 3: Enter Your SSH Server Details
Fill in the following fields:
| Field | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Server Address | IP address or domain name of your VPS or server | 123.45.67.89 or myserver.com |
| Port | SSH port; default is 22. Some providers use a custom port | 22 |
| Username | SSH login username | root or ubuntu |
| Password | SSH login password (leave blank if using private key authentication) | your_password |
| Private Key File | If the server uses key authentication, select the local private key file path (supports .pem / .ppk) | C:\keys\id_rsa.pem |
💡 Password vs. Private Key Authentication: Use one or the other. Cloud platforms like AWS and GCP typically provide a
.pemprivate key file — using key authentication is more secure. Standard VPS users can usually just set a password.
Step 4: Save and Apply
Click "Confirm" to save. From now on, every time you open this browser environment, Mbbrowser will automatically invoke mblink.exe in the background to establish an SSH tunnel and route all traffic from that environment through your SSH server.
Security
mblink.exe is built on a complete implementation of the SSH-2 protocol standard (RFC 4251–4254), with the highest-security algorithms enabled by default:
- Key Exchange: Prefers
curve25519-sha256(Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman) - Transport Encryption:
chacha20-poly1305,aes256-gcm, and other modern cipher suites - Host Verification: Automatically caches server fingerprints on first connection to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks
- Key Protection: All private keys, passwords, and session keys are handled in memory only — immediately cleared on disconnect, never written to disk
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ What's the difference between SSH Proxy (MBLink) and Upstream Proxy (MBBridge)?
| SSH Proxy (MBLink) | Upstream Proxy (MBBridge) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where to configure | Per-environment settings | Global settings — applies to all environments |
| Purpose | Uses a specific SSH server as the exit IP for that environment | Routes traffic from local VPN/proxy software into Mbbrowser so it can reach your purchased proxy IPs |
| Who needs it | Users with a VPS who don't want to buy commercial proxies | Users who have proxy IPs but need a VPN to connect to them |
| VPS required | ✅ Yes, you need an SSH server | ❌ No — just the local port from your proxy software |
❓ What happens to the browser environment if the SSH connection drops?
mblink.exe has a built-in heartbeat reconnection mechanism — it automatically retries when the tunnel unexpectedly disconnects. No manual intervention is usually needed. If the server is completely unavailable, that specific environment won't have internet access, but other environments remain unaffected.
❓ What if my private key file format isn't recognized?
mblink.exe supports all mainstream formats (.pem, .ppk, OpenSSH format). If your key comes from AWS, simply select the downloaded .pem file directly. PuTTY .ppk format is also supported — no conversion needed.
❓ What if SSH port 22 is blocked by a firewall?
Some network environments block the default port 22. You can configure your server to listen on a different SSH port (such as 443 or 8080), then update the port number in Mbbrowser's environment configuration accordingly.
📌 Summary: Select SSH as the proxy protocol, enter your server address, port, and credentials — Mbbrowser will automatically establish a secure tunnel via the built-in
mblink.exe. For users with overseas VPS instances, this is the most cost-effective and direct proxy method available.