Tunnelman

A small Windows app for named ncat SOCKS5 hops. Listen on a local port, and for each connection run Nmap ncat through a local SOCKS5 proxy to a remote host and port.

Built as a tray app in the same visual language as SSH Agent GUI.

Features

• Named tunnels — add, edit, and delete hops
• Enable switch — turn a tunnel on or off from the list
• Session memory — entries save immediately; the next launch starts every tunnel that is still enabled
• Exit prompt — keep the session, clear it, or cancel
• Live ncat log — verbose output for the selected tunnel
• System tray — minimize to the tray and keep hops running
• Single instance — launching again brings the existing window forward
• Export / import — pick tunnels and write or read a *.tunnelman.json file

Requirements

• Windows 10 or 11
• .NET 9 Windows Desktop Runtime
• Nmap ncat (ncat.exe with --proxy and --exec)

Tunnelman does not bundle ncat. Nmap’s license (NPSL) applies to ncat itself.

Getting started

dotnet test Tunnelman.sln
dotnet build Tunnelman.sln -c Release

Run:

src\Tunnelman\bin\Release\net9.0-windows\Tunnelman.exe

If ncat is missing, browse to ncat.exe or install official Nmap (winget Insecure.Nmap, or the installer from nmap.org). Common location: C:\Program Files (x86)\Nmap\ncat.exe.

Settings and the tunnel session live under %AppData%\Tunnelman\.

*.tunnelman.json exports are copy-only: they do not include enable state or ui.json. Imported tunnels stay off until you enable them.

Usage

Action	How
Add a tunnel	Add tunnel, or Ctrl+N
Export tunnels	Export, or Ctrl+E
Import tunnels	Import, or Ctrl+I
Start or stop	Flip the switch on the row
Edit / delete	Row buttons on the right
Hide the window	Escape (app stays in the tray)
Exit	Close the window or tray Exit, then keep or clear the session

Development

• .NET 9
• WPF UI
• Tests: dotnet test Tunnelman.sln