SQL Server

SFTP Authenticate with a SecureString Password

Demonstrates the Chilkat SFtp.AuthenticateSecPw method, which authenticates using SecureString login and password objects. The first argument is the login and the second is the password.

Background: A SecureString keeps the credential encrypted in memory, reducing the chance of a plaintext password lingering in the process. The behavior otherwise matches AuthenticatePw; only the credential handling is more protective. Populate the SecureString from a value obtained at runtime, not a hard-coded literal.

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-- Important: See this note about string length limitations for strings returned by sp_OAMethod calls.
--
CREATE PROCEDURE ChilkatSample
AS
BEGIN
    DECLARE @hr int
    DECLARE @sTmp0 nvarchar(4000)
    DECLARE @success int
    SELECT @success = 0

    --  Demonstrates the SFtp.AuthenticateSecPw method, which authenticates using SecureString login
    --  and password objects.  The 1st argument is the login and the 2nd is the password.

    DECLARE @sftp int
    EXEC @hr = sp_OACreate 'Chilkat.SFtp', @sftp OUT
    IF @hr <> 0
    BEGIN
        PRINT 'Failed to create ActiveX component'
        RETURN
    END

    --  Step 1: Connect the SSH transport.  Port 22 is the usual port.
    DECLARE @port int
    SELECT @port = 22
    EXEC sp_OAMethod @sftp, 'Connect', @success OUT, 'sftp.example.com', @port
    IF @success = 0
      BEGIN
        EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @sftp, 'LastErrorText', @sTmp0 OUT
        PRINT @sTmp0
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @sftp
        RETURN
      END

    --  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.
    DECLARE @password nvarchar(4000)
    SELECT @password = 'mySshPassword'

    --  Place the login and password into SecureString objects.
    DECLARE @secureLogin int
    EXEC @hr = sp_OACreate 'Chilkat.SecureString', @secureLogin OUT

    EXEC sp_OAMethod @secureLogin, 'Append', @success OUT, 'mySshLogin'
    DECLARE @securePassword int
    EXEC @hr = sp_OACreate 'Chilkat.SecureString', @securePassword OUT

    EXEC sp_OAMethod @securePassword, 'Append', @success OUT, @password

    EXEC sp_OAMethod @sftp, 'AuthenticateSecPw', @success OUT, @secureLogin, @securePassword
    IF @success = 0
      BEGIN
        EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @sftp, 'LastErrorText', @sTmp0 OUT
        PRINT @sTmp0
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @sftp
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @secureLogin
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @securePassword
        RETURN
      END

    --  Step 3: Open the SFTP subsystem.  This must be done after authentication and before any
    --  file or directory operations.
    EXEC sp_OAMethod @sftp, 'InitializeSftp', @success OUT
    IF @success = 0
      BEGIN
        EXEC sp_OAGetProperty @sftp, 'LastErrorText', @sTmp0 OUT
        PRINT @sTmp0
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @sftp
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @secureLogin
        EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @securePassword
        RETURN
      END


    PRINT 'Authenticated with secure strings.'

    EXEC sp_OAMethod @sftp, 'Disconnect', NULL

    EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @sftp
    EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @secureLogin
    EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @securePassword


END
GO