Add an SSH Server With Certificate Auth
Overview
An SSH server is a combination of a specific SSH destination and the credentials to access it. This guide describes how to set up an SSH server with a certificate in the Admin UI.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure that the server you are attempting to add is accessible from your strongDM gateways or relays. You must have a properly functioning gateway or relay up and running, and it must be able to reach the target server before you can proceed.
To verify, go to the gateway or relay server and from a command prompt, type ping <YOUR_HOSTNAME>. If your gateway or relay can connect to this hostname, you can continue.
Add an SSH Certificate-Based Server
To add your new SSH certificate-based server as a strongDM resource, use the following steps.
- Log in to the Admin UI and go to Infrastructure > Servers.
- Click Add server.
- Select SSH (Certificate Based) as the Server Type and set other resource properties to configure how the strongDM relay connects to the server via SSH.
- Click create to save the resource.
- Click the resource name to view status, diagnostic information, and setting details. After the server is created, the Admin UI displays that resource as unhealthy until the health checks run successfully. When the resource is ready, the Health icon indicates a positive, green status.
Resource properties
Configuration properties are visible when you add a Server Type or when you click to view the server's settings. The following table describes the settings available for your SSH (Certificate Based) server.
| Property | Requirement | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Display Name | Required | Meaningful name to display the resource throughout strongDM; exclude special characters like quotes (") or angle brackets (< or >) |
| Server Type | Required | Select SSH (Certificate Based) |
| Hostname | Required | Hostname or IP address to which you are connecting, such as testserver-01.example.org; relay server should be able to connect to your target server or hostname |
| Port | Required | Port to connect to the resource; default port value 22 |
| Port Override | Optional | Automatically generated with a value between 1024-59999 as long as that port is not used by another resource; preferred port can be modified later under Settings > Port Overrides |
| Secret Store | Required | Credential store location with the default set to strongDM; to learn more, see Secret Store options |
| Key Type | Required | Signing algorithm with default value set to RSA-2048; other options include RSA-4096, ECDSA-256, ECDSA-384, ECDSA-521, and ED25519; to learn more, see Key Type options |
| Authentication | Required | Select Leased Credentials (default) or Remote Identities |
| Username | Required | Displays if Authentication is set to Leased Credentials; enter the username the relay should utilize to connect to the server via SSH (for example, bob.belcher) |
| Username (path) | Required | Path to the secret in your Secret Store location (for example, path/to/credential?key=optionalKeyName where key argument is optional); required when using a non-strongDM Secret Store type |
| Healthcheck Username | Required | Displays if Authentication is set to Remote Identity; enter the username that will be utilized to verify strongDM's connection to the server; username must exist on the target server |
| Resource Tags | Optional | Resource tags consisting of key-value pairs <KEY>=<VALUE> (for example, env=dev) |
Secret Store options
By default, server credentials are stored in strongDM. However, these credentials can also be saved in a secret management tool, such as AWS Secrets Manager, Azure Key Vault, GCP Secret Manager, or HashiCorp Vault.
Non-strongDM options appear in the Secret Store dropdown if they are created under Network > Secret Stores. When you select another Secret Store type, its unique properties display. For more details, see Configure Secret Store Integrations.
Key Type options
The following table describes the different key types strongDM can use to encrypt and secure SSH connections.
| Key type | Description | Additional information |
|---|---|---|
| RSA-2048 | 2048-bit key generated with RSA algorithm | Lowest security guarantees, but has broad support across hosts |
| RSA-4096 | 4096-bit key generated with RSA algorithm | Slightly better than RSA-2048; still uses RSA, but larger keys can prolong the time to crack if an attacker gains access |
| ECDSA-256 | Key generated with 256-bit elliptic curve and ECDSA algorithm | Provides better security guarantees than RSA |
| ECDSA-384 | Key generated with 384-bit elliptic curve and ECDSA algorithm | Slightly better than ECSDA-256 |
| ECDSA-521 | Key generated with 521-bit elliptic curve and ECDSA algorithm | Serves as the best ECDSA choice from a security standpoint |
| ED25519 | Key generated with ED25519 algorithm | Provides the best performance and comparable security to ECDSA; much smaller keys, but not as widely supported as other options |
Add the strongDM CA to Your Host
If you have not already, add your organization's certificate authority (CA) public key to the targeted host.
Create a
/etc/ssh/sdm_ca.pubfile and add the CA public key. See SSH Certificate Auth for more information on keys.SSH can sometimes be unpredictable if permissions are not set correctly. Therefore, update the file's permissions:
sudo chmod 600 /etc/ssh/sdm_ca.pubWith your editor of choice, modify
/etc/ssh/sshd_configby appending the following lines:# strongDM CATrustedUserCAKeys /etc/ssh/sdm_ca.pubRestart the SSH service on this host for the changes to take effect. The command may differ based on your system configuration. Here is an example:
sudo systemctl restart ssh
For more settings, see SSH Certificate Auth.
If any errors occur, please copy them into an email and send them to support@strongdm.com.