Sample code for 30+ languages & platforms
C

SFTP Authenticate with a SecureString Password and Private Key

See more SFTP Examples

Demonstrates the Chilkat SFtp.AuthenticateSecPwPk method, which authenticates using SecureString login and password objects together with a private key. The third argument is the SshKey private key.

Note: The private-key path is relative to the application's current working directory. Supply the path to your own key file.

Background: This is the SecureString form of two-factor SFTP authentication: the password is held encrypted in memory and combined with a private key for servers that require both. It is the most protective option when a deployment mandates two-factor SSH and you also want to minimize plaintext credential exposure in the process.

Chilkat C Downloads

C
#include <C_CkSFtp.h>
#include <C_CkSshKey.h>
#include <C_CkSecureString.h>

void ChilkatSample(void)
    {
    BOOL success;
    HCkSFtp sftp;
    int port;
    const char *password;
    HCkSshKey privKey;
    const char *keyText;
    HCkSecureString secureLogin;
    HCkSecureString securePassword;

    success = FALSE;

    //  Demonstrates the SFtp.AuthenticateSecPwPk method, which authenticates using SecureString login
    //  and password objects together with a private key.  The 1st argument is the username, the 2nd
    //  is the password, and the 3rd is an SshKey private key.

    sftp = CkSFtp_Create();

    //  Step 1: Connect the SSH transport.  Port 22 is the usual port.
    port = 22;
    success = CkSFtp_Connect(sftp,"sftp.example.com",port);
    if (success == FALSE) {
        printf("%s\n",CkSFtp_lastErrorText(sftp));
        CkSFtp_Dispose(sftp);
        return;
    }

    //  Normally you would not hard-code the password in source.  You should instead obtain it
    //  from an interactive prompt, environment variable, or a secrets vault.
    password = "mySshPassword";

    //  Load the SSH private key.  LoadText reads the file's text, which is then imported.
    privKey = CkSshKey_Create();
    keyText = CkSshKey_loadText(privKey,"qa_data/id_rsa");
    if (CkSshKey_getLastMethodSuccess(privKey) == FALSE) {
        printf("%s\n",CkSshKey_lastErrorText(privKey));
        CkSFtp_Dispose(sftp);
        CkSshKey_Dispose(privKey);
        return;
    }

    success = CkSshKey_FromOpenSshPrivateKey(privKey,keyText);
    if (success == FALSE) {
        printf("%s\n",CkSshKey_lastErrorText(privKey));
        CkSFtp_Dispose(sftp);
        CkSshKey_Dispose(privKey);
        return;
    }

    //  Place the login and password into SecureString objects.
    secureLogin = CkSecureString_Create();
    CkSecureString_Append(secureLogin,"mySshLogin");
    securePassword = CkSecureString_Create();
    CkSecureString_Append(securePassword,password);

    success = CkSFtp_AuthenticateSecPwPk(sftp,secureLogin,securePassword,privKey);
    if (success == FALSE) {
        printf("%s\n",CkSFtp_lastErrorText(sftp));
        CkSFtp_Dispose(sftp);
        CkSshKey_Dispose(privKey);
        CkSecureString_Dispose(secureLogin);
        CkSecureString_Dispose(securePassword);
        return;
    }

    //  Step 3: Open the SFTP subsystem.  This must be done after authentication and before any
    //  file or directory operations.
    success = CkSFtp_InitializeSftp(sftp);
    if (success == FALSE) {
        printf("%s\n",CkSFtp_lastErrorText(sftp));
        CkSFtp_Dispose(sftp);
        CkSshKey_Dispose(privKey);
        CkSecureString_Dispose(secureLogin);
        CkSecureString_Dispose(securePassword);
        return;
    }

    printf("Authenticated.\n");

    CkSFtp_Disconnect(sftp);


    CkSFtp_Dispose(sftp);
    CkSshKey_Dispose(privKey);
    CkSecureString_Dispose(secureLogin);
    CkSecureString_Dispose(securePassword);

    }