OnionShare Receive Mode VPS for Anonymous Drop Boxes
OnionShare receive mode runs a persistent .onion address that anyone with Tor Browser can use to upload files anonymously. This is the simplest possible anonymous drop box. AnubizHost provides VPS preconfigured for receive-mode operation with hardened upload-directory encryption and crypto-only billing. Sources need only Tor Browser; no account, no credentials.
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Receive Mode as a Drop Box
Receive mode displays an upload form at the .onion address. Sources connect with Tor Browser, drop files, click submit. Files arrive in /var/lib/onionshare/uploads/ on the VPS with original filenames and a timestamp. No source identification, no metadata beyond filenames. The journalist or operator retrieves files via SSH-over-Tor periodically.
Hardened Configuration
onionshare-cli --persistent /etc/onionshare/receive.json \
--receive \
--receive-data-dir /var/lib/onionshare/uploads/ \
--auto-start-timer 0 \
--auto-stop-timer 0 \
--public--public removes the OnionShare default access password. For closed communities, omit --public and distribute the password out-of-band. For open journalism drop boxes, --public is appropriate.
Operational Discipline
The journalist or operator needs to retrieve files regularly. SSH into the VPS over Tor, download to a separate analysis machine, wipe the originals. The uploads directory should be on a LUKS-encrypted partition mounted only during retrieval sessions.
Do not analyze documents on the receive-mode VPS itself. Compromised submissions can compromise the box. Air-gap or qubes-style isolation for analysis.
Crypto Billing
BTC and XMR. Iceland is the most common jurisdiction for receive-mode drop boxes due to press-shield jurisprudence.
Related: OnionShare self-host, SecureDrop source server, SecureDrop Iceland, v3 onion Iceland, Tor hosting parent.
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