CODEWITHSUNDEEP
socketsssl
sgowd
sgowd

Reputation: 1034

Plain socket vs SSL socket

What is the difference between a plain socket vs a ssl socket (with respect to openSSL)?

Can a client connect to port 443 (https) on the server on a plain socket and then initiate a ssl Handshake?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 5600

Answers (2)

Remy Lebeau
Remy Lebeau

Reputation: 597205

Yes. OpenSSL's classic (non-BIO) API is designed to support exactly that type of usage, allowing an SSL/TLS session be attached to an existing socket at any time. HTTPS is not a good example of this usage, since HTTPS requires handshaking immediately upon connecting. Think more like POP3 or SMTP, which support STARTTLS commands to dynamically initiate an SSL handshake after both parties have explicitally agreed to it over a plain connection first.

Upvotes: 2

Chris
Chris

Reputation: 18022

The only distinction between plain communication and SSL communication is the protocol. There's also nothing special about port 443, other than that it expects to communicate over the SSL protocol.

As a result, a client can definitely connect to port 443 using nothing special, and as long as they send the correct bytes (those which represent an SSL handshake), any server listening for SSL connections on port 443 will respond.

If by 'plain socket' and 'ssl socket' you mean something API specific, like a Java EncryptedSSLSocketConnection, then please clarify.

Upvotes: 2

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