Unicode C++

SSH Authenticate with a SecureString Password and Private Key

Demonstrates the Chilkat Ssh.AuthenticateSecPwPk method, which performs the same combined password/private-key authentication as AuthenticatePwPk but receives the username and password as SecureString objects. 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 multi-factor SSH 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 Unicode C++ Downloads

Download Chilkat for Unicode C++

Unicode C++

#include <CkSshW.h>
#include <CkSshKeyW.h>
#include <CkSecureStringW.h>

void ChilkatSample(void)
    {
    bool success = false;

    //  Demonstrates the Ssh.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.

    CkSshW ssh;

    //  Connect to the SSH server.  Port 22 is the usual SSH port.
    int sshPort = 22;
    success = ssh.Connect(L"ssh.example.com",sshPort);
    if (success == false) {
        wprintf(L"%s\n",ssh.lastErrorText());
        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.
    const wchar_t *password = L"mySshPassword";

    //  Load the SSH private key.  LoadText reads the file's text, which is then imported.
    CkSshKeyW privKey;
    const wchar_t *keyStr = privKey.loadText(L"qa_data/id_rsa");
    if (privKey.get_LastMethodSuccess() == false) {
        wprintf(L"%s\n",privKey.lastErrorText());
        return;
    }

    success = privKey.FromOpenSshPrivateKey(keyStr);
    if (success == false) {
        wprintf(L"%s\n",privKey.lastErrorText());
        return;
    }

    //  Place the login and password into SecureString objects.
    CkSecureStringW secureLogin;
    secureLogin.Append(L"mySshLogin");
    CkSecureStringW securePassword;
    securePassword.Append(password);

    success = ssh.AuthenticateSecPwPk(secureLogin,securePassword,privKey);
    if (success == false) {
        wprintf(L"%s\n",ssh.lastErrorText());
        return;
    }

    wprintf(L"Authenticated.\n");

    ssh.Disconnect();
    }