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How does the bastion host use ssh key to implement single sign-on to the server through SecureCRT?

Created on 2025-04-01 18:10:56
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A bastion host uses SSH keys to enable single sign-on (SSO) to servers through SecureCRT by leveraging public-key cryptography. Here's how it works:

  1. Key Generation: First, a pair of SSH keys is generated on the client machine (the one you're using to connect through SecureCRT). This pair consists of a private key, which you keep secret, and a public key, which you can distribute.

  2. Key Distribution: The public key is uploaded to the bastion host. This is typically done manually or via automated scripts. On the bastion host, the public key is added to the ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file of the user account you intend to use for login.

  3. SecureCRT Configuration: In SecureCRT, you configure the session to use SSH2 and specify the private key file. This tells SecureCRT to use this key for authentication when connecting to the bastion host.

  4. Connection Process:

    • When you initiate a connection to the bastion host through SecureCRT, it first authenticates using the private key.
    • Once authenticated on the bastion host, if you need to access other servers behind it, the bastion host can act as a jump server. You might configure SecureCRT to use SSH tunneling or a similar feature to connect from the bastion to the target server.
    • For direct access to internal servers without manually logging into the bastion each time, you can set up a "proxy command" in SecureCRT that uses the bastion host as an intermediary. This is often configured in the session options under SSH2 > Proxy.

Example: Suppose you have a bastion host at bastion.example.com and a target server at internal-server.example.com. You configure SecureCRT to connect to bastion.example.com using your private key. Once logged in, you can use an SSH tunnel or a configured proxy command to access internal-server.example.com without needing to enter credentials again.

For enhanced security and scalability in managing SSH keys and access to cloud servers, consider using services like Tencent Cloud's Identity and Access Management (IAM), which provides robust mechanisms for controlling who can access which resources and what they can do with them.