PGP Encryption on Drughub Darknet
Every account on Drughub is tied to a PGP keypair generated locally on the user's device. The public key is uploaded during registration, while the private key never touches the platform's servers. This means that all encrypted messages — order details, shipping addresses, support tickets — can only be decrypted by the intended recipient using their local private key.
When a buyer places an order, their shipping address is encrypted with the seller's public key. The seller decrypts it locally after confirming the order. The platform stores only the encrypted payload, meaning a server compromise would yield nothing readable. This is a deliberate departure from markets that stored addresses in plaintext or used weak symmetric encryption.
Key Management Best Practices
Users are strongly encouraged to generate RSA-4096 or Ed25519 keys using offline tools such as GnuPG or Kleopatra. Keys should be stored on encrypted removable media, not on the primary operating system. The platform provides a key revocation mechanism that allows users to invalidate a compromised key and migrate to a new one without losing their account history or vendor rating.
Escrow System on Drughub Market
Drughub market uses a secure escrow system for all orders. When a buyer places an order, funds are held in escrow until the buyer confirms receipt of the product. Only then are funds released to the seller. This structure ensures that the platform cannot unilaterally release or freeze funds, and exit scams — where a marketplace disappears with user deposits — are structurally far more difficult to execute.
Under normal operation, the buyer confirms receipt and funds are released. In disputes, the platform reviews the case and determines the appropriate resolution. This was the primary design motivation: eliminating the trust requirement that led to losses on previous centralized markets.
Dispute Resolution Process
When a dispute is opened, both parties submit encrypted evidence through the platform's moderation interface. The moderation team reviews correspondence timestamps, tracking information, and prior transaction history. Decisions are typically rendered within 72 hours. The losing party may appeal once with additional evidence. Repeated disputes from the same vendor trigger automatic account review and potential suspension.
Tor Hidden Service Infrastructure
Drughub operates exclusively as a Tor onion service. The platform has no clearnet domain, meaning all connections route through the Tor network, providing three layers of encryption and three relays between the user and the server. This prevents IP logging, geographic tracking, and traffic correlation by network observers.
The onion service uses a v3 address format, providing improved cryptographic strength over the deprecated v2 format. The server itself runs on hardened hardware with full disk encryption, minimal attack surface, and no unnecessary services exposed. All logs are written to memory and discarded on restart — no persistent logs are maintained.
Server Hardening Details
The operating system is stripped to essential packages only. SSH access is key-based with root login disabled. A custom firewall restricts all inbound traffic except through the Tor hidden service port. Disk encryption uses LUKS with a key stored in memory only. The platform is deployed via reproducible builds, meaning the production environment can be audited against source code at any time.
Privacy by Design
Drughub does not store buyer addresses, transaction logs, or private messages in plaintext. Session data is held in memory only and cleared on logout. The platform runs on dedicated hardware with full disk encryption, and all external dependencies are minimized to reduce vulnerability exposure. Every architectural decision prioritizes user privacy over platform convenience.
Withdrawal addresses are never reused. Each session generates a fresh identifier to prevent clustering and correlation analysis. This is a small but meaningful privacy improvement over markets that allowed identifier reuse and maintained persistent session trails.