DWIRC:Security & SASL Auth

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📘 DWIRC Guides & Tutorials

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Security

Channel Management

📚 Learn to Connect, Secure, and Manage Your IRC Experience



📘 DWIRC Guides & Tutorials

Guides

Security

  • TLS & SASL Authentication

Channel Management

📚 Learn to Connect, Secure, and Manage Your IRC Experience

🔐 TLS & SASL Authentication

Protecting your connection and IRC account is important when using the DarkWorld IRC Network.

This guide explains how to:

  • Connect securely using TLS encryption.
  • Verify the IRC server certificate.
  • Authenticate automatically using SASL.
  • Protect your NickServ password.
  • Troubleshoot common TLS and SASL problems.

DarkWorld IRC connection settings

Setting Value
Network name DarkWorld
Server irc.darkworld.network
Secure port 6697
Encryption TLS enabled
Certificate verification Enabled
SASL mechanism PLAIN
SASL username Your registered NickServ account name
SASL password Your NickServ account password

Template:Note

Always use: 

irc.darkworld.network:6697

Do not disable certificate verification and do not accept an unexpected certificate warning without contacting DarkWorld IRC support.

🔒 What is TLS?

TLS encrypts the connection between your IRC client and the DarkWorld IRC server.

Without TLS, IRC messages, account commands and other connection data may travel across the network without transport encryption.

TLS helps protect data while it is travelling between your device and the IRC server. It does not make public channel messages private, and it does not replace good account security.

A secure IRC connection should use:

  • Server: irc.darkworld.network
  • Port: 6697
  • TLS or SSL option: enabled
  • Certificate verification: enabled

Certificate warnings

If your IRC client reports that the certificate is expired, untrusted or does not match irc.darkworld.network:

  1. Do not disable certificate verification.
  2. Do not permanently accept the unexpected certificate.
  3. Confirm that the server address is exactly
 irc.darkworld.network.
  1. Confirm that the port is 6697.
  2. Update your IRC client and operating-system certificate store.
  3. Contact DarkWorld IRC support if the warning continues.

🔑 What is SASL?

SASL stands for Simple Authentication and Security Layer.

SASL authenticates your registered NickServ account while the IRC connection is being established. This normally identifies you before automatic channel joins and before another user can interfere with your preferred nickname.

SASL is safer and more reliable than placing a NickServ IDENTIFY command in an automatic perform list.

To use SASL, you must already have a registered DarkWorld NickServ account.

Template:Warning

🧩 SASL setup by client

mIRC

  1. Open Tools → Options.
  2. Select Connect → Servers.
  3. Add or edit the DarkWorld IRC server.
  4. Enter irc.darkworld.network as the server address.
  5. Enter +6697 as the port. The plus sign tells mIRC to use a
 secure connection.
  1. Select SASL as the login method.
  2. Enter your registered NickServ account name as the SASL username.
  3. Enter your NickServ password as the login password.
  4. Save the server entry and connect.

Recommended values:

mIRC field Value
Description DarkWorld IRC
Address irc.darkworld.network
Port +6697
Login method SASL
Username Your NickServ account name
Password Your NickServ password

Do not select an option that bypasses an invalid TLS certificate.

HexChat

  1. Open HexChat → Network List.
  2. Select DarkWorld and choose Edit.
  3. Add irc.darkworld.network/6697 to the server list.
  4. Enable Use SSL for all servers on this network.
  5. Enable certificate verification.
  6. Enter your registered nickname in the username or login field.
  7. Select SASL (username + password) as the login method.
  8. Enter your NickServ account password.
  9. Save the configuration and connect.

Template:Note

WeeChat

The server can be created with TLS enabled: 

/server add darkworld irc.darkworld.network/6697 -tls
/set irc.server.darkworld.tls_verify on
/set irc.server.darkworld.sasl_mechanism plain
/set irc.server.darkworld.sasl_username "YourAccount"

Store the NickServ password in WeeChat secure data instead of placing it directly in the IRC server configuration: 

/secure passphrase
/secure set darkworld_password "YourNickServPassword"
/set irc.server.darkworld.sasl_password "${sec.data.darkworld_password}"
/save
/connect darkworld

The /secure passphrase command will prompt you to configure a passphrase. Do not use your NickServ password as the secure-data passphrase.

Replace:

  • YourAccount with your registered NickServ account.
  • YourNickServPassword with your actual password.

Do not paste these commands into a public channel.

Irssi

Add the DarkWorld network with native SASL support: 

/NETWORK ADD -sasl_mechanism PLAIN -sasl_username YourAccount -sasl_password YourNickServPassword DarkWorld
/SERVER ADD -auto -tls -tls_verify -network DarkWorld irc.darkworld.network 6697
/SAVE
/CONNECT DarkWorld

Replace YourAccount and YourNickServPassword with your own account information.

The SASL password may be stored in the Irssi configuration file. Protect the account running Irssi and ensure that the configuration file is not readable by other users.

On a shared shell account, ask the shell administrator or DarkWorld support for the approved secure configuration procedure.

✅ Verifying TLS and SASL

Verify TLS

After connecting, check the server or status window.

The client should show that:

  • The connection uses TLS.
  • The server is irc.darkworld.network.
  • The port is 6697.
  • Certificate verification succeeded.

Some clients display a padlock icon. A padlock is helpful, but the status or connection information should still be checked.

Verify SASL

A successful connection may show a message similar to: 

You are now logged in as YourAccount

You can also check your current identity with: 

/WHOIS YourNickname

Look for account information showing that your current nickname is logged in to your registered account.

You may also use the NickServ status command supported by DarkWorld Services: 

/msg NickServ STATUS YourNickname

Do not include your password in either command.

🛠 Troubleshooting

SASL authentication failed

Check the following:

  1. The NickServ account is already registered.
  2. The SASL username is the registered account name, not necessarily the
 nickname currently displayed.
  1. The password is correct and has the correct capitalization.
  2. The SASL mechanism is set to PLAIN.
  3. TLS is enabled on port 6697.
  4. There are no accidental spaces before or after the username or password.
  5. The account is not suspended or otherwise restricted.

If you recently changed your NickServ password, update the stored password in every IRC client and bouncer.

Connection succeeds but SASL does not

The client may be connecting without sending SASL credentials.

Review the network-specific settings and confirm that:

  • SASL is enabled for the DarkWorld network entry.
  • The login method is SASL rather than NickServ or a perform command.
  • The username and password are saved under the correct network.
  • The client is not using a different duplicate DarkWorld server entry.

TLS certificate error

Do not bypass the warning.

Confirm:

  • Server: irc.darkworld.network
  • Port: 6697
  • TLS: enabled
  • Certificate verification: enabled
  • Device date and time: correct
  • IRC client and operating system: updated

If the certificate error continues, contact DarkWorld IRC support and provide the exact error message. Do not include passwords or other credentials.

Password accidentally exposed

If a NickServ password is pasted into a channel, private message, log, screenshot or other unauthorized location:

  1. Do not repeat or quote the exposed password.
  2. Change the NickServ password immediately using the official NickServ
 password command.
  1. Update the saved SASL password in your clients and bouncers.
  2. Report the exposure through the approved DarkWorld support or security
 channel.
  1. Review any connected sessions or unexpected account activity.
  2. Change any other account that reused the same password.

Never reuse your NickServ password for email, websites, shell accounts, bots or other services.

🛡 Account security recommendations

  • Use a strong and unique NickServ password.
  • Use a password manager.
  • Enable MFA on related staff, email and project accounts wherever
 supported.
  • Keep your IRC client and operating system updated.
  • Use TLS and SASL on every connection.
  • Do not share IRC configuration files containing credentials.
  • Do not send passwords through IRC messages.
  • Lock your device when it is unattended.
  • Remove old or unused client configurations.
  • Report suspected account exposure immediately.

❓ Getting help

If you cannot configure TLS or SASL, ask for help in the official DarkWorld IRC support channel.

When requesting assistance, provide:

  • IRC client name and version.
  • Operating system.
  • The exact error message.
  • Whether the problem involves TLS, SASL or both.

Never provide your password, authentication token, recovery code or private key.

🧭 Next step

After securing your connection and account, continue with:

References

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📅 Last Updated: 2026-08-17 • Content licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0 unless otherwise noted.

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