GOST is a tunnel and proxy tool written in Go that implements multiple protocol standards for secure network forwarding.
The tool addresses the need for flexible network tunneling by supporting a wide range of protocols including HTTP, HTTPS, HTTP2, SOCKS4, SOCKS5, Shadowsocks, and SSH. It enables users to establish proxy chains—sequences of forwarding proxies through which traffic is routed—allowing requests to pass through multiple intermediaries before reaching their destination. The tool supports both TCP and UDP port forwarding in local and remote configurations, transparent proxy modes, SNI-based routing, DNS resolution and proxying, and TUN/TAP device integration. Traffic can be encrypted through TLS negotiation on SOCKS5 connections, and UDP traffic can be tunneled over TCP when needed.
Developers considering adoption should be aware that the project has entered maintenance mode and is no longer receiving new features. A successor repository exists where active development continues. The tool suits users who need a lightweight, configurable tunneling solution with support for multiple protocols and proxy chaining. It is particularly useful for scenarios requiring port forwarding, transparent proxying, or multi-hop proxy configurations. The project is suitable for those who can work with its current feature set without expecting new capabilities to be added.
Issues and pull requests in the project typically experience delays of weeks or longer before receiving initial responses. The issue tracker is dominated by items marked as needing investigation or requiring future work. Nearly all open issues originate from external users rather than the core team, indicating an established user base reporting real-world usage patterns.
