Definition: SOCKS is a network protocol designed to allow clients to communicate with Internet servers through firewalls. SOCKS is typically implemented on proxy servers. It is supported as a proxy configuration option in popular Web browsers and instant messaging programs. SOCKS can also be found in some VPN implementations.
Multiple versions of the SOCKS protocol exist including SOCKS v4 and SOCKS v5. SOCKS v4 uses TCP as a transport, while SOCKS v5 also supports UDP. The base SOCKS v5 specification is RFC 1928 with additional details captured in RFC 1929 and RFC 1961.
Also Known As: SOCKetS
