SSH from Windows to HP-UX

[Anthony_141]

We are using SSH on our new HP-UX server.

We have turned off FTP, Telnet, etc.

This all is working fine.

We have some Windows applications (Putty, Ultra-Edit, Tinyterm,etc) that we use to connect to the HP-UX server from our Windows XP desktops.

We set the connection method to SSH and we are able to pull back files, etc.

Our question is this: How does this work since we never had to put a key on our PC's?

If the PC application can connect without giving it a key from the HP-UX server, just how secure can this be? (Of course we still have to give it a valid userid and password).

[Denver Osborn]

You're not using publickey authentication, but you still have to authenticate. The Secure Shell daemon on the HP-UX server provides more than one way to authenticate. You're using Password (or possibly ChalengeResponse, Keyboard interactive auth... depends on sshd_config and UsePAM)

If you're getting access without a userid/password and no authorized keys were setup, then something's obviously wrong.

-denver

[gstonian]

The fact you are having to give it a username & password to connect provides the security. SSH itself is just a secure connection protocol from one host to another

You only have to provide public & private keys etc on the PC when you don't want to provide user/password information.

[Anthony_141]

The PC applications do not have a place to put in a private key even if we wanted to.

I assume there is someway to force your PC to use the private key?

[gstonian]

Not sure about other applications but you can set up putty to create/use the private keys

Try find puttygen.exe on your pc or look in putty itself (under SSH Auth)

Check out http://www.cs.uu.nl/technical/services/ssh/putty/putty.html#putty

For some more info

[Bill Hassell]

If you are using a terminal emulator that offers SSH then the emulator knows where to store and refer to the keys. Each emulator is different so you have to refer to the documentation as to how you would generate and store the keys. The online help in Putty and Tinyterm will give you the details.

[Robert Fritz]

Also for PuTTY, you can use Pageant to cache the key, like ssh-agent on HP-uX

[Anthony_141]

Our emulator (TinyTerm) does not (and never has) asked for a key when we set it for SSH(using Triple DES encryption). Since there is no key, how can their be encryption/decryption going on?

[Bill Hassell]

You're probably using TinyTerm Plus because TinyTerm does not have SSH according to Century Software website. A quick search of the TinyTerm website finds no mention of keygen or any other utility to setup public keys. You'll have to contact Century Software to get the details.

Again, ssh will encrypt communication without using the public/private keys and your host allows login+password authentication. The keys are needed only when you want to bypass the login authentication and connect immediately.

[Anthony_141]

closing this thread