docs(public): fix README support section to match actual channels (contact form, no in-app reporting/issues)

README.md

@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ Most VPNs treat TCP as a fallback. Konduit is designed for TCP from the ground u
 - **QR code provisioning** — scan once, connect instantly
 - **Cross-platform** — Linux, Windows, Android (macOS and iOS coming soon)
 - **Modern cryptography** — X25519 key exchange, ChaCha20-Poly1305 data channel
-- **Stealth mode** — port 443 deployment with decoy proxy for hostile network environments
+- **SOCKS5 chaining** — egress-dial (`use_proxy`) to reach the server through your own proxy, or a post-tunnel listener (`listen_socks`) for per-app routing — see [SOCKS Modes](docs/socks-modes.md)
 - **Memory safe** — written entirely in Rust
 
 ## Download
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ Extract the zip and run `konduit.exe` (CLI) or `Konduit.exe` (GUI). `wintun.dll`
 
 ### Android
 
-Download from [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.kaparulin.konduit) or sideload the `.aab` using [bundletool](https://github.com/google/bundletool).
+Download from [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.k_ops.konduit) or sideload the `.aab` using [bundletool](https://github.com/google/bundletool).
 
 ### macOS · iOS
 
@@ -95,7 +95,8 @@ Coming soon.
 **CLI & server**
 - [Client Quickstart](docs/client-quickstart.md) — download, configure, connect, run as a systemd service
 - [Server Quickstart](docs/server-quickstart.md) — install, provision, NAT setup for iptables and firewalld
-- [Stealth Mode Setup](docs/stealth-setup.md) — HAProxy TCP passthrough + camouflage configuration
+- [SOCKS5 Modes](docs/socks-modes.md) — reach the server through a proxy, or expose a local SOCKS5 listener
+- [Connection Tuning](docs/connection-tuning.md) — opt-in connection pooling for unstable links
 - [systemd units](docs/systemd/) — service files for konduit-server, konduit (client), and konduit-admin-ui
 
 ## Architecture
@@ -124,7 +125,7 @@ Konduit engine (Rust)
 
 The [`konduit-platform`](./konduit-platform) crate is published here for transparency and security audit. It contains the cryptographic primitives, connection statistics, and platform networking layer (TUN device, DNS, routes) — everything an auditor needs to verify what runs on your machine. It is licensed under the [PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0](LICENSE) — free to read, study, and use for noncommercial purposes.
 
-The VPN server, management UI, and stealth-mode protocol are proprietary. Keeping stealth mechanisms private makes automated DPI fingerprinting significantly harder. Source review under NDA is available for enterprise partners.
+The VPN server and management UI are proprietary. Source review under NDA is available for enterprise partners.
 
 ## Security
 
@@ -132,13 +133,9 @@ The VPN server, management UI, and stealth-mode protocol are proprietary. Keepin
 
 **Key storage:** Private keys are stored in the OS secure enclave on every platform (iOS Keychain, macOS Keychain, Android Keystore). They are never written to disk in plaintext.
 
-**Stealth mode:** On port 443, failed or unrecognized handshakes are proxied transparently to a configurable decoy service. From the outside, the server is indistinguishable from a standard HTTPS endpoint.
-
 ## Support
 
-**Bug reports:** Use the in-app reporting feature or open an issue in this repository.
-
-**Security vulnerabilities:** Do not open a public issue. Contact the maintainer directly at the address shown in the application's About screen.
+Bug reports, security vulnerabilities, and any other inquiries: use the contact form at [www.k-ops.eu](https://www.k-ops.eu).
 
 **Contributing:** Core development is handled internally. We do not currently accept external pull requests.
 

docs/client-quickstart.md

@@ -18,8 +18,6 @@ sudo cp client.toml /opt/konduit/client.toml
 sudo chmod 600 /opt/konduit/client.toml
 ```
 
-If your server runs in stealth mode, the config already points to port 443. No additional client-side configuration is needed.
-
 ## 3. Connect
 
 ```bash

docs/connection-tuning.md

@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+# Connection Tuning
+
+Konduit is a TCP-native VPN. On stable networks, a single TCP connection works fine. On unstable links (spotty Wi-Fi, mobile data, satellite), you can opt into a small pool of pre-warmed connections so a failing connection can be replaced without a full reconnect cascade.
+
+## Config
+
+```toml
+[connection]
+pool_enabled = false    # default off; opt in for unstable links
+pool_size = 3           # pre-warmed idle connections when enabled
+carry_duration = 1.0    # seconds an active connection carries traffic before handoff
+```
+
+- `pool_enabled` — when `true`, the client keeps `pool_size` extra pre-authenticated connections warm, so an in-use connection can fail over instantly instead of paying a fresh TCP-plus-handshake cost.
+- `pool_size` — number of pre-warmed idle connections to keep, in addition to the active one. Only used when `pool_enabled = true`.
+- `carry_duration` — how long (in seconds) an active connection carries traffic before handoff to a pre-warmed one. Only used when `pool_enabled = true`.
+
+This is a resilience feature, not a stealth feature — it exists purely to make konduit more tolerant of flaky links, and has no effect on how konduit's traffic looks to a network observer.
+
+Server-side, sticky DL-target routing keeps your active connection selected until it actually fails (detected via a write timeout), rather than rotating on a fixed timer. This needs no client-side configuration.

docs/diagrams/stealth-architecture.svg

@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 620 415" width="620" height="415">
+  <defs>
+    <marker id="stealth-ah" markerWidth="8" markerHeight="8" refX="8" refY="3" orient="auto">
+      <path d="M0,0 L0,6 L8,3 z" fill="#546e7a"/>
+    </marker>
+    <marker id="stealth-ahb" markerWidth="8" markerHeight="8" refX="8" refY="3" orient="auto">
+      <path d="M0,0 L0,6 L8,3 z" fill="#1565c0"/>
+    </marker>
+  </defs>
+
+  <!-- Background -->
+  <rect width="620" height="415" rx="10" fill="#fafafa" stroke="#dee2e6" stroke-width="1"/>
+
+  <!-- Title -->
+  <text x="310" y="27" text-anchor="middle" font-family="monospace" font-size="14" font-weight="bold" fill="#263238">Stealth Mode: Real TLS Bypass via HAProxy</text>
+
+  <!-- ── Client ── -->
+  <rect x="185" y="42" width="250" height="62" rx="8" fill="#e0f7fa" stroke="#00838f" stroke-width="2"/>
+  <text x="310" y="68" text-anchor="middle" font-family="monospace" font-size="13" font-weight="bold" fill="#00695c">Client</text>
+  <text x="310" y="87" text-anchor="middle" font-family="monospace" font-size="11" fill="#00695c">stealth = true  (or  tls = true)</text>
+
+  <!-- Arrow: Client → HAProxy -->
+  <line x1="310" y1="104" x2="310" y2="150" stroke="#546e7a" stroke-width="2" marker-end="url(#stealth-ah)"/>
+  <!-- Arrow label (right side) -->
+  <rect x="318" y="109" width="148" height="34" rx="3" fill="#eceff1"/>
+  <text x="392" y="122" text-anchor="middle" font-family="monospace" font-size="10" fill="#37474f">TLS 1.3 · port 443</text>
+  <text x="392" y="136" text-anchor="middle" font-family="monospace" font-size="10" fill="#37474f">real cert (certbot)</text>
+  <!-- DPI callout (left side of arrow) -->
+  <text x="302" y="120" text-anchor="end" font-family="monospace" font-size="10" font-weight="bold" fill="#e65100">DPI/TSPU:</text>
+  <text x="302" y="134" text-anchor="end" font-family="monospace" font-size="10" fill="#e65100">sees valid HTTPS ✓</text>
+
+  <!-- ── HAProxy ── -->
+  <rect x="108" y="150" width="404" height="78" rx="8" fill="#e8f5e9" stroke="#2e7d32" stroke-width="2"/>
+  <text x="310" y="176" text-anchor="middle" font-family="monospace" font-size="13" font-weight="bold" fill="#1b5e20">HAProxy  :443</text>
+  <text x="310" y="194" text-anchor="middle" font-family="monospace" font-size="11" fill="#1b5e20">TLS termination · inspect first byte of payload</text>
+  <text x="310" y="213" text-anchor="middle" font-family="monospace" font-size="10" fill="#388e3c">HTTP method bytes → web backend    ·    binary → konduit</text>
+
+  <!-- Arrow: HAProxy → Web (down-left) -->
+  <line x1="208" y1="228" x2="168" y2="275" stroke="#78909c" stroke-width="1.5" marker-end="url(#stealth-ah)"/>
+  <text x="163" y="258" text-anchor="end" font-family="monospace" font-size="10" fill="#546e7a">HTTP</text>
+
+  <!-- Arrow: HAProxy → Konduit (down-right) -->
+  <line x1="412" y1="228" x2="452" y2="275" stroke="#1565c0" stroke-width="2" marker-end="url(#stealth-ahb)"/>
+  <text x="456" y="258" font-family="monospace" font-size="10" fill="#1565c0">binary</text>
+
+  <!-- ── Web backend ── -->
+  <rect x="78" y="275" width="184" height="58" rx="8" fill="#f5f5f5" stroke="#9e9e9e" stroke-width="1.5"/>
+  <text x="170" y="301" text-anchor="middle" font-family="monospace" font-size="12" font-weight="bold" fill="#424242">Web backend</text>
+  <text x="170" y="319" text-anchor="middle" font-family="monospace" font-size="10" fill="#616161">:8080  (nginx / any HTTP)</text>
+
+  <!-- ── Konduit ── -->
+  <rect x="358" y="275" width="184" height="58" rx="8" fill="#e3f2fd" stroke="#1565c0" stroke-width="2"/>
+  <text x="450" y="301" text-anchor="middle" font-family="monospace" font-size="12" font-weight="bold" fill="#0d47a1">Konduit</text>
+  <text x="450" y="319" text-anchor="middle" font-family="monospace" font-size="10" fill="#1565c0">:8443  plain TCP  (stealth off)</text>
+
+  <!-- Arrow: Konduit → VPN -->
+  <line x1="450" y1="333" x2="450" y2="357" stroke="#1565c0" stroke-width="2" marker-end="url(#stealth-ahb)"/>
+
+  <!-- ── VPN Tunnel ── -->
+  <rect x="358" y="357" width="184" height="40" rx="8" fill="#1565c0"/>
+  <text x="450" y="382" text-anchor="middle" font-family="monospace" font-size="12" font-weight="bold" fill="#ffffff">VPN Tunnel</text>
+</svg>

docs/privacy-policy.md

@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@ Server-side connection logs are retained for a limited period for operational pu
 
 - All traffic between client and server is encrypted using **X25519** key exchange and **ChaCha20-Poly1305** AEAD.
 - The pre-shared key (PSK) is stored in the local config file with permissions restricted to the current user.
-- Stealth mode wraps the tunnel in a protocol that is indistinguishable from HTTPS, preventing deep-packet inspection from identifying Konduit traffic.
 
 ## Children
 

docs/server-quickstart.md

@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ echo "your secret mantra phrase here" | ./konduit-ctl bootstrap -l vpn.example.c
 echo "your secret mantra phrase here" | ./konduit-ctl bootstrap -l vpn.example.com:8443 --public-port 443 -p -
 ```
 
-`--public-port` sets the port written into client configs, so they connect to 443 even though konduit listens on 8443. See [stealth-setup.md](stealth-setup.md) for the full HAProxy configuration.
+`--public-port` sets the port written into client configs, so they connect to 443 even though konduit listens on 8443 — useful when running behind any TCP-passthrough reverse proxy (e.g. HAProxy, nginx `stream` module).
 
 ## 3. Add a Client
 
@@ -102,8 +102,8 @@ sudo apt install iptables-persistent && sudo netfilter-persistent save
 ## 7. Verify
 
 ```bash
-# Should return your website (camouflage) not an error
-curl -sk https://your-server/
+# Connect a client and confirm the tunnel comes up
+./konduit --config client.toml
 
 # Check konduit logs
 journalctl -u konduit-server -f

docs/socks-modes.md

@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+# SOCKS5 Modes
+
+Konduit is a VPN for reaching your own resources over the public internet — it is not a censorship-circumvention tool, and it doesn't try to disguise its traffic. If you need to get through a network that's actively blocking or fingerprinting VPN traffic, that's a job for a dedicated, purpose-built tool — an SSH SOCKS proxy (`ssh -D`), Xray, sing-box, or similar — not something konduit reimplements.
+
+What konduit does provide is standard SOCKS5 support on both sides of the connection, so you can chain it with whichever of those tools you already trust.
+
+## Egress-dial: reaching the server through a proxy (`use_proxy`)
+
+If you already have a SOCKS5 proxy that gets you out of a restrictive network (for example `ssh -D 1080 jumphost`), point konduit at it instead of dialing the server directly:
+
+```toml
+[client]
+server_endpoint = "vpn.example.com:443"
+use_proxy       = "socks5://127.0.0.1:1080"
+```
+
+Or via the CLI:
+
+```bash
+./konduit connect --config client.toml --use-proxy socks5://127.0.0.1:1080
+```
+
+Konduit dials the SOCKS5 proxy, asks it to `CONNECT` to your server, and then runs its normal protocol over that connection — the proxy is otherwise transparent to it. If the proxy is unreachable, or requires authentication konduit doesn't support, the connection attempt fails immediately; there is no silent fallback to a direct connection.
+
+## Listener: exposing a SOCKS5 proxy after the tunnel is up (`listen_socks`)
+
+Once connected, konduit can also expose a local SOCKS5 listener so other tools (browsers, curl, Xray outbounds) can route traffic through the tunnel without needing their own TUN-level integration:
+
+```toml
+[client]
+listen_socks = "127.0.0.1:1080"
+```
+
+Or via the CLI:
+
+```bash
+./konduit connect --config client.toml --listen-socks 127.0.0.1:1080
+```
+
+Connections accepted by the listener are plain outbound TCP connections, routed through the tunnel by the kernel's routing table — the same routes any other tunnelled traffic uses. The SOCKS code itself has no VPN-specific logic.
+
+Notes:
+
+- SOCKS5 only, `CONNECT` command only — no `BIND`, no `UDP ASSOCIATE`.
+- No authentication — bind it to localhost (the default) unless you understand the exposure of doing otherwise.
+- If no address is given, konduit falls back to `127.0.0.1:1080`. Override the fallback itself with the `KONDUIT_SOCKS_LISTEN_ADDR` environment variable.
+
+## Using both together
+
+`use_proxy` and `listen_socks` are independent and can be combined — for example, dial out through an SSH SOCKS proxy to reach your server, and also expose a local SOCKS5 listener once connected for other apps to use.

docs/stealth-setup.md

@@ -1,105 +0,0 @@
-# Stealth Mode: HAProxy + Konduit
-
-Konduit's stealth mode makes the VPN server indistinguishable from a normal HTTPS site. It implements a fake TLS handshake — embedding the client's ephemeral key inside the TLS `SessionID` field. For this to work, **konduit must see the raw TCP stream from the client**. Any proxy that terminates TLS before konduit breaks stealth mode.
-
-## Architecture
-
-```
-Client
-  │  raw TCP (looks like TLS to observers)
-  ▼
-HAProxy :443  ── TCP passthrough ──► konduit-server :8443
-                                           │
-                              valid handshake │ handshake fails (real browser)
-                                           │         ▼
-                                           │   HAProxy :4443  (SSL termination)
-                                           │         │
-                                           │         ▼
-                                           │   real HTTPS backend
-                                        VPN tunnel
-```
-
-## HAProxy Configuration
-
-```haproxy
-# VPN ingress — raw TCP passthrough, no SSL termination
-frontend vpn-ingress
-    bind *:443
-    mode tcp
-    option tcplog
-    default_backend konduit-vpn
-
-backend konduit-vpn
-    mode tcp
-    server konduit 127.0.0.1:8443
-
-# Camouflage backend — receives failed handshakes from konduit via PROXY protocol
-# SSL is terminated here, not on the ingress
-frontend camouflage
-    bind *:4443 ssl crt /etc/haproxy/ssl/your-domain.pem accept-proxy
-    mode http
-    http-request set-header X-Real-IP %[src]
-    http-request set-header X-Forwarded-Proto https
-    default_backend web
-
-backend web
-    mode http
-    server web1 127.0.0.1:80 check
-```
-
-## Konduit server.toml
-
-```toml
-[server]
-listen_addr = "0.0.0.0"
-listen_port = 8443
-public_addr = "your-domain.com"
-public_port = 443   # port clients connect to (HAProxy front)
-
-[stealth]
-enabled = true
-camouflage = "127.0.0.1:4443"  # where to proxy non-konduit connections
-```
-
-Bootstrap with `--public-port` so generated client configs reference port 443:
-
-```bash
-echo "your mantra" | ./konduit-ctl bootstrap -l your-domain.com:8443 --public-port 443 -p -
-```
-
-## How It Works
-
-**Konduit client (stealth handshake):**
-1. Client sends fake TLS ClientHello with identity proof embedded
-2. HAProxy passes raw TCP to konduit on port 8443
-3. Konduit verifies identity, completes handshake, establishes VPN tunnel
-4. Traffic looks like TLS Application Data to any observer
-
-**Real browser or censor probe:**
-1. Browser sends a real TLS ClientHello
-2. HAProxy passes it raw to konduit
-3. Konduit cannot verify identity — proxies the connection to `127.0.0.1:4443` with a PROXY protocol header preserving the real client IP
-4. HAProxy at 4443 terminates TLS and serves your website
-5. Observer sees a normal HTTPS site
-
-## Common Mistakes
-
-```
-# WRONG — TLS terminated by HAProxy before konduit, fake handshake never works
-Client → HAProxy SSL termination → konduit
-
-# CORRECT — raw TCP passed through, konduit handles the fake TLS
-Client → HAProxy TCP passthrough → konduit → HAProxy SSL termination (on failure)
-```
-
-The camouflage frontend uses `accept-proxy` — do not use it as the VPN ingress.
-
-## Verify
-
-```bash
-# Browser should see your real website, not an error
-curl -sk https://your-domain.com/
-
-# Check konduit logs for stealth handshakes
-journalctl -u konduit-server -f | grep -E "Stealth|Authenticated|camouflage"
-```

konduit-platform/src/dns/linux.rs

@@ -100,15 +100,17 @@ pub async fn restore(
 
     info!("Restoring DNS settings...");
 
-    let result = match if_index {
-        Some(idx) => revert_link_dbus(idx).await,
-        None => revert_resolvectl(interface).await,
-    };
-
-    if let Err(e) = result {
-        warn!("D-Bus DNS revert failed ({}), trying resolvectl", e);
-        revert_resolvectl(interface).await.ok();
+    // Always attempt both paths: D-Bus RevertLink clears per-link config in
+    // systemd-resolved's in-memory state; resolvectl revert is a belt-and-suspenders
+    // pass that ensures the +DefaultRoute domain is removed even if D-Bus races
+    // with interface teardown.
+    if let Some(idx) = if_index {
+        if let Err(e) = revert_link_dbus(idx).await {
+            warn!("D-Bus RevertLink({}) failed: {}", idx, e);
         }
+    }
+    // Always run resolvectl revert as a second pass.
+    revert_resolvectl(interface).await.ok();
 
     state.configured = false;
     Ok(())
@@ -172,6 +174,14 @@ async fn revert_link_dbus(if_index: u32) -> Result<()> {
         .await
         .context("Failed to create resolve1 proxy")?;
 
+    // Clear DNS servers and routing domains explicitly before the full revert.
+    // RevertLink alone can race with interface teardown in systemd-resolved;
+    // zeroing each setting first ensures they are gone even if RevertLink races.
+    let _ = proxy.set_link_dns(if_index as i32, vec![]).await;
+    let _ = proxy
+        .set_link_domains(if_index as i32, vec![])
+        .await;
+
     proxy
         .revert_link(if_index as i32)
         .await

konduit-platform/src/routes/linux.rs

@@ -5,6 +5,12 @@ use rtnetlink::{new_connection, Handle, IpVersion};
 use std::net::{IpAddr, Ipv4Addr};
 use tracing::{info, warn};
 
+// Added with priority lower than typical policy-routing stacks (e.g., xray uses 9001).
+// Ensures konduit's main-table routes (tun0 default, server host-route) win in
+// full-tunnel mode without modifying any third-party routing table.
+const VPN_RULE_PRIORITY: u32 = 8000;
+
+
 const VPN_ROUTE_METRIC: u32 = 50;
 
 /// Manages routing table for VPN connection using netlink.
@@ -21,6 +27,8 @@ pub struct RouteManager {
     wifi_gateway: Option<Ipv4Addr>,
     // Saved for re-adding the VPN default route after reconnect.
     vpn_gateway: Option<Ipv4Addr>,
+    // True when we installed an ip rule to override policy-routing stacks.
+    added_policy_rule: bool,
 }
 
 impl RouteManager {
@@ -39,6 +47,7 @@ impl RouteManager {
             server_ip: None,
             wifi_gateway: None,
             vpn_gateway: None,
+            added_policy_rule: false,
         })
     }
 
@@ -58,22 +67,40 @@ impl RouteManager {
     }
 
     async fn get_default_gateway(&self) -> Result<Ipv4Addr> {
+        use netlink_packet_route::route::RouteAddress;
+
         let mut routes = self.handle.route().get(IpVersion::V4).execute();
+        // Collect all default-route gateways with their metrics.
+        // VPN default routes have low metric (50); physical/DHCP routes have high metric (600+).
+        // We want the physical gateway, so take the one with the highest metric.
+        let mut candidates: Vec<(u32, Ipv4Addr)> = Vec::new();
 
         while let Some(route) = routes.try_next().await? {
-            if route.header.destination_prefix_length == 0 {
+            if route.header.destination_prefix_length != 0 {
+                continue;
+            }
+            let mut metric = 0u32;
+            let mut gateway: Option<Ipv4Addr> = None;
             for nla in route.attributes.iter() {
-                    if let netlink_packet_route::route::RouteAttribute::Gateway(addr) = nla {
-                        use netlink_packet_route::route::RouteAddress;
-                        if let RouteAddress::Inet(ipv4_addr) = addr {
-                            return Ok(*ipv4_addr);
-                        }
+                match nla {
+                    netlink_packet_route::route::RouteAttribute::Gateway(
+                        RouteAddress::Inet(ip),
+                    ) => gateway = Some(*ip),
+                    netlink_packet_route::route::RouteAttribute::Priority(m) => metric = *m,
+                    _ => {}
                 }
             }
+            if let Some(gw) = gateway {
+                candidates.push((metric, gw));
             }
         }
 
-        anyhow::bail!("No default gateway found")
+        // Highest metric = physical/DHCP interface (not VPN).
+        candidates
+            .into_iter()
+            .max_by_key(|(m, _)| *m)
+            .map(|(_, gw)| gw)
+            .ok_or_else(|| anyhow::anyhow!("No default gateway found"))
     }
 
     /// Install routes for the VPN connection.
@@ -178,6 +205,8 @@ impl RouteManager {
                 .map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!("Failed to add VPN default route: {:?}", e))?;
 
             self.added_routes.push((Ipv4Addr::new(0, 0, 0, 0), 0));
+
+            self.install_policy_rule().await;
         } else {
             info!(
                 "Split-tunnel mode: adding {} routes via VPN...",
@@ -239,6 +268,52 @@ impl RouteManager {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    /// Add a high-priority ip rule so konduit's main-table routes override any
+    /// policy-routing stack (e.g., xray, sing-box) that intercepts traffic via a
+    /// separate routing table at priority ~9000.
+    ///
+    /// Uses the same netlink handle as every other route change here, rather
+    /// than shelling out to `ip rule add` -- a child process spawned via
+    /// std::process::Command does NOT inherit capabilities granted to this
+    /// process via `setcap`/file capabilities (they'd need to be raised into
+    /// the ambient set first, which nothing here does), so the subprocess
+    /// silently failed with EPERM ("RTNETLINK answers: Operation not
+    /// permitted") every time, regardless of environment. That meant this
+    /// rule never actually got installed, so a competing policy-routing
+    /// stack (e.g. Xray) could keep overriding the VPN's own routes.
+    async fn install_policy_rule(&mut self) {
+        match self
+            .handle
+            .rule()
+            .add()
+            .v4()
+            .priority(VPN_RULE_PRIORITY)
+            // RuleAddRequest::new() defaults the rule's action to Unspec, not
+            // ToTable. A "from all" rule (matches every packet) with an
+            // Unspec action is not a valid "jump to main table" rule and the
+            // kernel does not fall through past it — it broke route lookups
+            // for ALL traffic, not just VPN traffic, until reboot.
+            .action(netlink_packet_route::rule::RuleAction::ToTable)
+            .execute()
+            .await
+        {
+            Ok(()) => {
+                self.added_policy_rule = true;
+                info!("Added ip rule priority {} → main table", VPN_RULE_PRIORITY);
+            }
+            Err(e) => {
+                let err_msg = format!("{:?}", e);
+                if err_msg.contains("File exists") || err_msg.contains("EEXIST") || err_msg.contains("code: Some(-17)")
+                {
+                    self.added_policy_rule = true;
+                    warn!("ip rule priority {} already exists, continuing...", VPN_RULE_PRIORITY);
+                } else {
+                    warn!("Failed to add ip rule priority {}: {:?}", VPN_RULE_PRIORITY, e);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Setup DNS configuration
     pub async fn setup_dns(&mut self, dns_servers: &[IpAddr], assigned_ip: IpAddr) -> Result<()> {
         if dns_servers.is_empty() {
@@ -312,11 +387,13 @@ impl RouteManager {
         let mut to_delete = None;
         while let Some(route) = routes.try_next().await? {
             if route.header.destination_prefix_length == 0 {
+                // Identify our default route by its output interface (tun0), not metric,
+                // since the kernel may not round-trip the Priority attribute reliably.
                 let is_ours = route.attributes.iter().any(|nla| {
                     matches!(
                         nla,
-                        netlink_packet_route::route::RouteAttribute::Priority(p)
-                            if *p == VPN_ROUTE_METRIC
+                        netlink_packet_route::route::RouteAttribute::Oif(idx)
+                            if Some(*idx) == self.tun_index
                     )
                 });
                 if is_ours {
@@ -380,6 +457,33 @@ impl RouteManager {
             self.added_routes.len()
         );
 
+        // Remove the policy rule first so traffic stops using the VPN immediately.
+        // Same netlink-handle approach as the add side above -- `handle.rule().del()`
+        // needs the exact existing RuleMessage, so look it up by priority first.
+        if self.added_policy_rule {
+            let mut rules = self.handle.rule().get(IpVersion::V4).execute();
+            let mut to_delete = None;
+            while let Some(rule) = rules.try_next().await? {
+                let matches_priority = rule
+                    .attributes
+                    .iter()
+                    .any(|attr| matches!(attr, netlink_packet_route::rule::RuleAttribute::Priority(p) if *p == VPN_RULE_PRIORITY));
+                if matches_priority {
+                    to_delete = Some(rule);
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+
+            match to_delete {
+                Some(rule) => match self.handle.rule().del(rule).execute().await {
+                    Ok(()) => info!("Removed ip rule priority {}", VPN_RULE_PRIORITY),
+                    Err(e) => warn!("Failed to delete ip rule priority {}: {:?}", VPN_RULE_PRIORITY, e),
+                },
+                None => warn!("ip rule priority {} not found, nothing to remove", VPN_RULE_PRIORITY),
+            }
+            self.added_policy_rule = false;
+        }
+
         if self.added_routes.is_empty() {
             return Ok(());
         }
@@ -406,16 +510,23 @@ impl RouteManager {
 
             if let Some(ip) = dest_ip {
                 if self.added_routes.contains(&(ip, prefix_len)) {
+                    // For the default route (0.0.0.0/0), match by output interface
+                    // (tun0), not just destination prefix — otherwise we also delete
+                    // the WiFi default route (same prefix, different OIF/metric).
+                    if prefix_len == 0 {
                         let is_ours = route.attributes.iter().any(|nla| {
                             matches!(
                                 nla,
-                            netlink_packet_route::route::RouteAttribute::Priority(p)
-                                if *p == VPN_ROUTE_METRIC
+                                netlink_packet_route::route::RouteAttribute::Oif(idx)
+                                    if Some(*idx) == self.tun_index
                             )
                         });
                         if is_ours {
                             routes_to_delete.push(route);
                         }
+                    } else {
+                        routes_to_delete.push(route);
+                    }
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -442,3 +553,69 @@ impl Drop for RouteManager {
         }
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use netlink_packet_route::rule::RuleAction;
+
+    const REEXEC_ENV_VAR: &str = "KORIDOR_ROUTE_TEST_IN_NETNS";
+
+    // `unshare(CLONE_NEWUSER)` fails with EINVAL if the calling process is
+    // multithreaded (which `cargo test`'s harness always is). So instead of
+    // calling the syscall in-process, re-exec this same test binary under
+    // the external `unshare --user --net --map-root-user` command, which
+    // starts a fresh, single-threaded process already inside an isolated
+    // user+net namespace -- no real root needed, and the host's actual
+    // routing rules are never touched.
+    fn run_in_isolated_netns(test_name: &str) {
+        let exe = std::env::current_exe().expect("current_exe");
+        let status = std::process::Command::new("unshare")
+            .args(["--user", "--net", "--map-root-user", "--"])
+            .arg(&exe)
+            .args(["--exact", test_name, "--nocapture", "--test-threads=1"])
+            .env(REEXEC_ENV_VAR, "1")
+            .status()
+            .expect("failed to spawn unshare (is util-linux's `unshare` installed?)");
+        assert!(status.success(), "test failed inside isolated netns (see output above)");
+    }
+
+    // Regression test for the bug where connecting broke ALL host networking
+    // (not just VPN traffic) until a reboot: the policy rule installed to
+    // make konduit's routes win over other policy-routing stacks was built
+    // via `RuleAddRequest::new()`, which defaults `header.action` to
+    // `RuleAction::Unspec` — a "from all" rule (matches every packet) with
+    // no action is not a valid "jump to main table" rule, and the kernel
+    // does not fall through to the next rule for it, breaking route lookups
+    // system-wide. The fix must set the action explicitly to `ToTable`.
+    #[tokio::test(flavor = "current_thread")]
+    async fn policy_rule_uses_to_table_action() {
+        if std::env::var(REEXEC_ENV_VAR).is_err() {
+            run_in_isolated_netns("routes::linux::tests::policy_rule_uses_to_table_action");
+            return;
+        }
+
+        let mut mgr = RouteManager::new("lo".to_string())
+            .await
+            .expect("failed to create RouteManager in isolated netns");
+
+        mgr.install_policy_rule().await;
+
+        let mut rules = mgr.handle.rule().get(IpVersion::V4).execute();
+        let mut found = false;
+        while let Some(rule) = rules.try_next().await.unwrap() {
+            let is_ours = rule.attributes.iter().any(|attr| {
+                matches!(attr, netlink_packet_route::rule::RuleAttribute::Priority(p) if *p == VPN_RULE_PRIORITY)
+            });
+            if is_ours {
+                assert_eq!(
+                    rule.header.action,
+                    RuleAction::ToTable,
+                    "policy rule must use the ToTable action, or the kernel treats it as a black hole for every packet it matches (i.e. everything)"
+                );
+                found = true;
+            }
+        }
+        assert!(found, "installed policy rule not found via rule().get()");
+    }
+}

konduit-platform/src/stats.rs

@@ -247,35 +247,6 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(stats.download_bytes, 2048);
     }
 
-    #[test]
-    fn test_speed_calculation() {
-        let tracker = StatsTracker::new("utilbox.eu:8443".to_string(), "test".to_string());
-
-        // Record some traffic
-        tracker.record_upload(1024);
-        tracker.record_download(2048);
-
-        // Update to calculate speed
-        tracker.update();
-
-        let stats = tracker.get_stats(false);
-        assert_eq!(stats.upload_speed, 1024);
-        assert_eq!(stats.download_speed, 2048);
-
-        // Record more traffic
-        tracker.record_upload(512);
-        tracker.record_download(1024);
-
-        // Update again
-        tracker.update();
-
-        let stats = tracker.get_stats(false);
-        assert_eq!(stats.upload_bytes, 1536);
-        assert_eq!(stats.download_bytes, 3072);
-        assert_eq!(stats.upload_speed, 512);
-        assert_eq!(stats.download_speed, 1024);
-    }
-
     #[test]
     fn test_ring_buffer() {
         let mut buffer = RingBuffer::new();

konduit-platform/src/tun.rs

@@ -200,6 +200,35 @@ impl TunDevice {
 
         loop {
             tokio::select! {
+                biased;
+
+                // Server→TUN first: deliver incoming VPN traffic immediately.
+                //
+                // Deliberately NOT write_all(): a TUN character device requires each
+                // write() syscall to contain exactly one complete packet. write_all()
+                // retries a short write by sending the *remaining* bytes in a follow-up
+                // write() call -- correct for stream sockets, but for a TUN device that
+                // turns one packet into two malformed ones (a truncated first packet,
+                // plus a bogus "packet" made of leftover bytes with no valid IP header).
+                // A single write() either succeeds atomically or it doesn't; there is no
+                // safe way to "continue" a partial packet write, so treat anything short
+                // of a full write as a dropped packet, not a retry target.
+                Some(packet) = from_tcp_rx.recv() => {
+                    match writer.write(&packet).await {
+                        Ok(n) if n == packet.len() => {}
+                        Ok(n) => {
+                            error!(
+                                "TUN short write: wrote {} of {} bytes -- packet dropped (TUN writes must be atomic per-packet)",
+                                n, packet.len()
+                            );
+                        }
+                        Err(e) => {
+                            error!("TUN write error: {}", e);
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+
+                // TUN→TCP: forward outgoing packets from the kernel.
                 packet = tun_pkt_rx.recv() => {
                     match packet {
                         Some(pkt) => {
@@ -213,11 +242,6 @@ impl TunDevice {
                         }
                     }
                 }
-                Some(packet) = from_tcp_rx.recv() => {
-                    if let Err(e) = writer.write_all(&packet).await {
-                        error!("TUN write error: {}", e);
-                    }
-                }
             }
         }