RHCSA Rapid Track

Instructions

1. Log in to the serverb machine as the student user.

   [student@workstation ~]$ ssh student@serverb
   ...output omitted...
   [student@serverb ~]$

2. Switch to the operator1 user on the serverb machine. Use redhat as the password.

   [student@serverb ~]$ su - operator1
   Password: redhat
   [operator1@serverb ~]$

3. Generate a set of SSH keys. Do not enter a passphrase.

   [operator1@serverb ~]$ ssh-keygen
   Generating public/private rsa key pair.
   Enter file in which to save the key (/home/operator1/.ssh/id_rsa): Enter
   Created directory '/home/operator1/.ssh'.
   Enter passphrase (empty for no passphrase): Enter
   Enter same passphrase again: Enter
   Your identification has been saved in /home/operator1/.ssh/id_rsa.
   Your public key has been saved in /home/operator1/.ssh/id_rsa.pub.
   The key fingerprint is:
   SHA256:JainiQdnRosC+xXh operator1@serverb.lab.example.com
   The key's randomart image is:
   +---[RSA 3072]----+
   |E+*+ooo .        |
   |.= o.o o .       |
   |o.. = . . o      |
   |+. + * . o .     |
   |+ = X . S +      |
   | + @ +   = .     |
   |. + =   o        |
   |.o . . . .       |
   |o     o..        |
   +----[SHA256]-----+

4. Send the public key of the SSH key pair to the operator1 user on the servera machine, with redhat as the password.

   [operator1@serverb ~]$ ssh-copy-id operator1@servera
   /usr/bin/ssh-copy-id: INFO: Source of key(s) to be installed: "/home/operator1/.ssh/id_rsa.pub"
   The authenticity of host 'servera (172.25.250.10)' can't be established.
   ED25519 key fingerprint is SHA256:h/hEJa/anxp6AP7BmB5azIPVbPNqieh0oKi4KWOTK80.
   This key is not known by any other names
   Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no/[fingerprint])? yes
   /usr/bin/ssh-copy-id: INFO: attempting to log in with the new key(s), to filter out any that are already installed
   /usr/bin/ssh-copy-id: INFO: 1 key(s) remain to be installed -- if you are prompted now it is to install the new keys
   operator1@servera's password: redhat
   
   Number of key(s) added: 1
   
   Now try logging in to the machine, with:   "ssh 'operator1@servera'"
   and check to make sure that only the key(s) you wanted were added.

5. Execute the hostname command on the servera machine remotely by using the ssh command without accessing the remote interactive shell.

   [operator1@serverb ~]$ ssh operator1@servera hostname
   servera.lab.example.com

   The preceding ssh command does not prompt you for a password, because it uses the passphrase-less private key against the exported public key to authenticate as the operator1 user on the servera machine.

   This approach is not secure, because anyone who has access to the private key file can log in to the servera machine as the operator1 user.

   In a following step in this exercise, you make your private key more secure by encrypting it and protecting access to it by adding a passphrase.

6. Generate another set of SSH keys with the default name and without a passphrase, and overwrite the previously generated SSH key files. Try to connect to the servera machine by using the new SSH keys. The ssh command asks for a password, because it cannot authenticate with the SSH key. Run again the ssh command with the -v (verbose) option to verify it.

   Send the new public key of the SSH key pair to the operator1 user on the servera machine, to replace the previous public key. Use redhat as the password for the operator1 user on the servera machine. Execute the hostname command on the servera machine remotely by using the ssh command without accessing the remote interactive shell, to verify that it works again.

   1. Again, generate another set of SSH keys with the default name and without a passphrase, and overwrite the previously generated SSH key files.

      [operator1@serverb ~]$ ssh-keygen
      Generating public/private rsa key pair.
      Enter file in which to save the key (/home/operator1/.ssh/id_rsa): Enter
      /home/operator1/.ssh/id_rsa already exists.
      Overwrite (y/n)? y
      Enter passphrase (empty for no passphrase): Enter
      Enter same passphrase again: Enter
      Your identification has been saved in /home/operator1/.ssh/id_rsa
      Your public key has been saved in /home/operator1/.ssh/id_rsa.pub
      ...output omitted...

   2. Try to connect to the servera machine by using the new SSH keys. The ssh command asks for a password, because it cannot authenticate with the SSH key. Press Ctrl+c to exit from the ssh command when it prompts for a password. Run again the ssh command with the -v (verbose) option to verify it. Press again Ctrl+c to exit from the ssh command when it prompts for a password.

      [operator1@serverb ~]$ ssh operator1@servera hostname
      operator1@servera's password: ^C
      [operator1@serverb ~]$ ssh -v operator1@servera hostname
      OpenSSH_8.7p1, OpenSSL 3.0.1 14 Dec 2021
      debug1: Reading configuration data /etc/ssh/ssh_config
      debug1: Reading configuration data /etc/ssh/ssh_config.d/01-training.conf
      ...output omitted...
      debug1: Next authentication method: publickey
      debug1: Offering public key: /home/operator1/.ssh/id_rsa RSA SHA256:ad597Zf64xckV26xht8bjQbzqSPuOXQPXksGEWVsP80
      debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,gssapi-keyex,gssapi-with-mic,password
      debug1: Trying private key: /home/operator1/.ssh/id_dsa
      debug1: Trying private key: /home/operator1/.ssh/id_ecdsa
      debug1: Trying private key: /home/operator1/.ssh/id_ecdsa_sk
      debug1: Trying private key: /home/operator1/.ssh/id_ed25519
      debug1: Trying private key: /home/operator1/.ssh/id_ed25519_sk
      debug1: Trying private key: /home/operator1/.ssh/id_xmss
      debug1: Next authentication method: password
      operator1@servera's password: ^C

   3. Send the new public key of the SSH key pair to the operator1 user on the servera machine, to replace the previous public key. Use redhat as the password for the operator1 user on the servera machine. Execute the hostname command on the servera machine remotely by using the ssh command without accessing the remote interactive shell, to verify that it works again.

      [operator1@serverb ~]$ ssh-copy-id operator1@servera
      ...output omitted...
      operator1@servera's password: redhat
      
      Number of key(s) added: 1
      
      Now try logging in to the machine, with:   "ssh 'operator1@servera'"
      and check to make sure that only the key(s) you wanted were added.
      [operator1@serverb ~]$ ssh operator1@servera hostname
      servera.lab.example.com

7. Generate another set of SSH keys with passphrase-protection. Save the key as /home/operator1/.ssh/key2. Use redhatpass as the passphrase of the private key.

   [operator1@serverb ~]$ ssh-keygen -f .ssh/key2
   Generating public/private rsa key pair.
   Enter passphrase (empty for no passphrase): redhatpass
   Enter same passphrase again: redhatpass
   Your identification has been saved in .ssh/key2.
   Your public key has been saved in .ssh/key2.pub.
   The key fingerprint is:
   SHA256:OCtCjfPm5QrbPBgqb operator1@serverb.lab.example.com
   The key's randomart image is:
   +---[RSA 3072]----+
   |O=X*             |
   |OB=.             |
   |E*o.             |
   |Booo   .         |
   |..= . o S        |
   | +.o   o         |
   |+.oo+ o          |
   |+o.O.+           |
   |+ . =o.          |
   +----[SHA256]-----+

8. Send the public key of the passphrase-protected key pair to the operator1 user on the servera machine. The command does not prompt you for a password, because it uses the public key of the passphrase-less private key that you exported to the servera machine in the preceding step.

   [operator1@serverb ~]$ ssh-copy-id -i .ssh/key2.pub operator1@servera
   /usr/bin/ssh-copy-id: INFO: Source of key(s) to be installed: ".ssh/key2.pub"
   /usr/bin/ssh-copy-id: INFO: attempting to log in with the new key(s), to filter out any that are already installed
   /usr/bin/ssh-copy-id: INFO: 1 key(s) remain to be installed -- if you are prompted now it is to install the new keys
   
   Number of key(s) added: 1
   
   Now try logging in to the machine, with:   "ssh 'operator1@servera'"
   and check to make sure that only the key(s) you wanted were added.

9. Execute the hostname command on the servera machine remotely by using the ssh command. Use the /home/operator1/.ssh/key2 key as the identity file. Specify redhatpass as the passphrase, which you set for the private key in the preceding step.

   The command prompts you for the passphrase that you used to protect the private key of the SSH key pair. If an attacker gains access to the private key, then the attacker cannot use it to access other systems, because a passphrase protects the private key itself. The ssh command uses a different passphrase from the operator1 user on the servera machine, and so users must know both passphrases.

   [operator1@serverb ~]$ ssh -i .ssh/key2 operator1@servera hostname
   Enter passphrase for key '.ssh/key2': redhatpass
   servera.lab.example.com

   Use the ssh-agent program, as in the following step, to avoid interactively typing the passphrase when logging in with SSH. Using the ssh-agent program is both more convenient and more secure when the administrators log in to remote systems regularly.

10. Run the ssh-agent program in your Bash shell, and add the passphrase-protected private key (/home/operator1/.ssh/key2) of the SSH key pair to the shell session.

    The command starts the ssh-agent program and configures the shell session to use it. Then, you use the ssh-add command to provide the unlocked private key to the ssh-agent program.

    [operator1@serverb ~]$ eval $(ssh-agent)
    Agent pid 1729
    [operator1@serverb ~]$ ssh-add .ssh/key2
    Enter passphrase for .ssh/key2: redhatpass
    Identity added: .ssh/key2 (operator1@serverb.lab.example.com)

11. Execute the hostname command on the servera machine remotely without accessing a remote interactive shell. Use the /home/operator1/.ssh/key2 key as the identity file.

    The command does not prompt you to enter the passphrase interactively.

    [operator1@serverb ~]$ ssh -i .ssh/key2 operator1@servera hostname
    servera.lab.example.com

12. Open another terminal on the workstation machine and log in to the serverb machine as the student user.

    [student@workstation ~]$ ssh student@serverb
    ...output omitted...
    [student@serverb ~]$

13. On the serverb machine, switch to the operator1 user and remotely log in to the servera machine. Use the /home/operator1/.ssh/key2 key as the identity file to authenticate by using the SSH keys.

    1. Use the su command to switch to the operator1 user. Use redhat as the password for the operator1 user.

       [student@serverb ~]$ su - operator1
       Password: redhat
       [operator1@serverb ~]$

    2. Log in to the servera machine as the operator1 user.

       The command prompts you to enter the passphrase interactively, because you do not invoke the SSH connection from the same shell where you started the ssh-agent program.

       [operator1@serverb ~]$ ssh -i .ssh/key2 operator1@servera
       Enter passphrase for key '.ssh/key2': redhatpass
       ...output omitted...
       [operator1@servera ~]$

14. Exit and close all extra terminals, and return to the workstation machine.

    1. Exit and close extra terminal windows. The exit commands leave the operator1 user's shell; terminate the shell session where ssh-agent is active; and return to the student user's shell on the serverb machine.

       [operator1@servera ~]$ exit
       logout
       Connection to servera closed.
       [operator1@serverb ~]$

    2. Return to the workstation system as the student user.

       [operator1@serverb ~]$ exit
       logout
       [student@serverb ~]$ exit
       logout
       Connection to serverb closed.
       [student@workstation ~]$