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PHP Extension

SFTP Authenticate with Password and Private Key

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Demonstrates the Chilkat SFtp.AuthenticatePwPk method, which authenticates with a server that requires both a password and a private key. The arguments are the username, the password, and an 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: Most servers require either a password or a public key, not both — but some high-security deployments mandate two-factor SSH, combining something you know (the password) with something you have (the key). This method satisfies that policy in one call. As always, the password should come from a secure source rather than a literal in code.

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PHP Extension
<?php

include("chilkat.php");

$success = false;

//  Demonstrates the SFtp.AuthenticatePwPk method, which authenticates with a server that requires
//  BOTH a password and a private key.  The 1st argument is the username, the 2nd is the password,
//  and the 3rd is an SshKey private key.

$sftp = new CkSFtp();

//  Step 1: Connect the SSH transport.  Port 22 is the usual port.
$port = 22;
$success = $sftp->Connect('sftp.example.com',$port);
if ($success == false) {
    print $sftp->lastErrorText() . "\n";
    exit;
}

//  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 = new CkSshKey();
$keyText = $privKey->loadText('qa_data/id_rsa');
if ($privKey->get_LastMethodSuccess() == false) {
    print $privKey->lastErrorText() . "\n";
    exit;
}

$success = $privKey->FromOpenSshPrivateKey($keyText);
if ($success == false) {
    print $privKey->lastErrorText() . "\n";
    exit;
}

$success = $sftp->AuthenticatePwPk('mySshLogin',$password,$privKey);
if ($success == false) {
    print $sftp->lastErrorText() . "\n";
    exit;
}

//  Step 3: Open the SFTP subsystem.  This must be done after authentication and before any
//  file or directory operations.
$success = $sftp->InitializeSftp();
if ($success == false) {
    print $sftp->lastErrorText() . "\n";
    exit;
}

print 'Authenticated with a password and a private key.' . "\n";

$sftp->Disconnect();

?>