Running dnscrypt-proxy in a Container
2026-01-17
Introduction
Containerizing dnscrypt-proxy provides a clean, isolated way to encrypt your DNS traffic without installing dependencies directly on your host system. Whether you're running a DNS resolver for your entire network or securing DNS queries from a single machine, a containerized approach offers reproducibility, ease of deployment, and straightforward updates.
The primary use case explored here is leveraging dnscrypt-proxy in a container to establish encrypted DNS connections to upstream resolvers, ensuring your DNS queries remain private and protected from eavesdropping on untrusted networks.
Why Containerize dnscrypt-proxy?
Running dnscrypt-proxy in a Docker or Podman container provides several advantages:
- Isolation: The DNS resolver runs in its own environment, separated from your host system and other services
- Reproducibility: The container ensures consistent behavior across different systems and operating systems
- Version control: Easy to maintain specific dnscrypt-proxy versions and configurations
- Clean namespace: Port bindings and network configurations don't pollute your host
- Simple updates: Rebuild the container image to update dnscrypt-proxy without affecting your host system
DNS Encryption and Security
By default, DNS queries are sent in cleartext over UDP or TCP, making them susceptible to eavesdropping and modification by attackers in a man-in-the-middle position. DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) and DNSCrypt encrypt DNS traffic between your resolver and upstream DNS services on the internet, providing confidentiality and integrity.
dnscrypt-proxy supports multiple encrypted DNS protocols, including DNSCrypt and DNS-over-HTTPS, allowing you to choose the protocol and upstream resolver that best fits your privacy and security requirements.
Getting Started
I've created a ready-to-use Dockerfile and comprehensive documentation for running dnscrypt-proxy in a container. The repository includes everything you need to build and run the container, along with examples of how to configure your applications to use the encrypted DNS resolver.
Check out the full implementation on GitHub:
dnscrypt-proxy Dockerfile and Documentation
The README offers detailed instructions for building the container image, configuring upstream DNS servers, and running the container with the correct port mappings and network settings.
Integration with Pi-hole
If you're running Pi-hole for network-wide ad blocking and DNS filtering, containerized dnscrypt-proxy integrates seamlessly as an upstream DNS resolver. This approach combines the benefits of both tools: Pi-hole's domain filtering capabilities with dnscrypt-proxy's DNS encryption.
For a comprehensive guide on setting up dnscrypt-proxy with Pi-hole on Raspberry Pi OS, refer to my previous blog post:
Pi-hole on Raspberry Pi OS with dnscrypt-proxy
Practical Applications
This setup is invaluable in several scenarios:
- Securing DNS queries on untrusted networks, such as public Wi-Fi
- Protecting DNS traffic within containerized applications and microservices
- Building privacy-respecting DNS infrastructure for your home or organization
- Testing DNS filtering and resolution behavior in isolated environments
- Ensuring compliance with DNS encryption requirements in regulated industries
Conclusion
Containerizing dnscrypt-proxy provides a powerful, flexible approach to DNS encryption and privacy. By leveraging container technology for isolation and reproducibility, you gain fine-grained control over your DNS infrastructure while maintaining security and ease of deployment.
Whether you're a developer, system administrator, or privacy-conscious individual, this technique is a valuable addition to your toolbox for securing DNS in modern, containerized environments.