Show Table of Contents
12.4. More Than a Secure Shell
A secure command-line interface is just the beginning of the many ways SSH can be used. Given the proper amount of bandwidth, X11 sessions can be directed over an SSH channel. Or, by using TCP/IP forwarding, previously insecure port connections between systems can be mapped to specific SSH channels.
12.4.1. X11 Forwarding
To open an X11 session over an SSH connection, use a command in the following form:
ssh -Y username@hostname
For example, to log in to a remote machine named
penguin.example.com
with USER
as a user name, type:
~]$ ssh -Y USER@penguin.example.com
USER@penguin.example.com's password:
When an X program is run from the secure shell prompt, the SSH client and server create a new secure channel, and the X program data is sent over that channel to the client machine transparently.
Note that the X Window system must be installed on the remote system before X11 forwarding can take place. Enter the following command as
root
to install the X11 package group:
~]# yum group install "X Window System"
For more information on package groups, see Section 9.3, “Working with Package Groups”.
X11 forwarding can be very useful. For example, X11 forwarding can be used to create a secure, interactive session of the Print Settings utility. To do this, connect to the server using ssh and type:
~]$ system-config-printer &
The Print Settings tool will appear, allowing the remote user to safely configure printing on the remote system.
12.4.2. Port Forwarding
SSH can secure otherwise insecure
TCP/IP
protocols via port forwarding. When using this technique, the SSH server becomes an encrypted conduit to the SSH client.
Port forwarding works by mapping a local port on the client to a remote port on the server. SSH can map any port from the server to any port on the client. Port numbers do not need to match for this technique to work.
Note
Setting up port forwarding to listen on ports below 1024 requires
root
level access.
To create a TCP/IP port forwarding channel which listens for connections on the
localhost
, use a command in the following form:
ssh -L local-port:remote-hostname:remote-port username@hostname
For example, to check email on a server called
mail.example.com
using POP3
through an encrypted connection, use the following command:
~]$ ssh -L 1100:mail.example.com:110 mail.example.com
Once the port forwarding channel is in place between the client machine and the mail server, direct a POP3 mail client to use port
1100
on the localhost
to check for new email. Any requests sent to port 1100
on the client system will be directed securely to the mail.example.com
server.
If
mail.example.com
is not running an SSH server, but another machine on the same network is, SSH can still be used to secure part of the connection. However, a slightly different command is necessary:
~]$ ssh -L 1100:mail.example.com:110 other.example.com
In this example, POP3 requests from port
1100
on the client machine are forwarded through the SSH connection on port 22
to the SSH server, other.example.com
. Then, other.example.com
connects to port 110
on mail.example.com
to check for new email. Note that when using this technique, only the connection between the client system and other.example.com
SSH server is secure.
The OpenSSH suite also provides local and remote port forwarding of UNIX domain sockets. To forward UNIX domain sockets over the network to another machine, use the
ssh -L local-socket:remote-socket username@hostname
command, for example:
~]$ ssh -L /var/mysql/mysql.sock:/var/mysql/mysql.sock username@hostname
Port forwarding can also be used to get information securely through network firewalls. If the firewall is configured to allow SSH traffic via its standard port (that is, port 22) but blocks access to other ports, a connection between two hosts using the blocked ports is still possible by redirecting their communication over an established SSH connection.
Important
Using port forwarding to forward connections in this manner allows any user on the client system to connect to that service. If the client system becomes compromised, the attacker also has access to forwarded services.
System administrators concerned about port forwarding can disable this functionality on the server by specifying a
No
parameter for the AllowTcpForwarding
line in /etc/ssh/sshd_config
and restarting the sshd
service.
Where did the comment section go?
Red Hat's documentation publication system recently went through an upgrade to enable speedier, more mobile-friendly content. We decided to re-evaluate our commenting platform to ensure that it meets your expectations and serves as an optimal feedback mechanism. During this redesign, we invite your input on providing feedback on Red Hat documentation via the discussion platform.