Visual FoxPro

Set the FTP Password from a SecureString

Demonstrates the Chilkat Ftp2.SetSecurePassword method, which sets the login password from a SecureString. The only argument is the SecureString. It is equivalent to setting the Password property but avoids holding the password as an ordinary immutable string.

Background: An ordinary string password can linger in memory (and in memory dumps) because strings are immutable and copied freely. A SecureString keeps the value encrypted under a session key and clears it deterministically, reducing that exposure — a sensible upgrade for a credential the process holds for the life of the connection. Populate it from a runtime source rather than a hard-coded literal.

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LOCAL lnSuccess
LOCAL loFtp
LOCAL lcPassword
LOCAL loSecurePassword

lnSuccess = 0

*  Demonstrates the Ftp2.SetSecurePassword method, which sets the login password from a
*  SecureString.  The only argument is the SecureString.  This avoids holding the password as an
*  ordinary immutable string.

loFtp = CreateObject('Chilkat.Ftp2')

loFtp.Hostname = "ftp.example.com"
loFtp.Username = "myFtpLogin"

*  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.
lcPassword = "myPassword"

*  Place the password into a SecureString, which keeps it encrypted in memory.
loSecurePassword = CreateObject('Chilkat.SecureString')
loSecurePassword.Append(lcPassword)

*  Setting the secure password is equivalent to setting the Password property, but more
*  protective.
lnSuccess = loFtp.SetSecurePassword(loSecurePassword)
IF (lnSuccess = 0) THEN
    ? loFtp.LastErrorText
    RELEASE loFtp
    RELEASE loSecurePassword
    CANCEL
ENDIF

lnSuccess = loFtp.Connect()
IF (lnSuccess = 0) THEN
    ? loFtp.LastErrorText
    RELEASE loFtp
    RELEASE loSecurePassword
    CANCEL
ENDIF

? "Connected using a secure password."

lnSuccess = loFtp.Disconnect()
IF (lnSuccess = 0) THEN
    ? loFtp.LastErrorText
    RELEASE loFtp
    RELEASE loSecurePassword
    CANCEL
ENDIF

RELEASE loFtp
RELEASE loSecurePassword