How does key based authentication work?

The key-based authentication mechanism in SSH is called public key authentication. Essentially, some session-specific data is signed using the private identity key. The signature is then sent to the server that checks if the key used for signing is configured as an authorized key.

What is SSH key pair authentication?

SSH key pairs are two cryptographically secure keys that can be used to authenticate a client to an SSH server. Each key pair consists of a public key and a private key. The key is added to a special file within the user account you will be logging into called ~/. ssh/authorized_keys .

Can multiple users use the same SSH key?

So, No – you’ll need a separate key for each account. Although you need multiple ssh key pairs for multiple accounts you can configure multiple ssh identities and use via aliases on your machine. You can also just use your username in place of “git” or “hg”. Still need separate keys, though.

How do I generate a key pair in SSH?

Generate an SSH Key Pair

1. Run the ssh-keygen command. You can use the -t option to specify the type of key to create.
2. The command prompts you to enter the path to the file in which you want to save the key.
3. The command prompts you to enter a passphrase.
4. When prompted, enter the passphrase again to confirm it.

How does SSH authenticate a user?

When a user or process requests a connection to the remote server using the SSH client, a challenge-response sequence is initiated to complete authentication. The SSH server recognizes that a connection is being requested and sends an encrypted challenge request using the shared public key information.

How does SSH fingerprinting work?

A host key fingerprint is also known as RSA key, host key, and key fingerprint. Every SSH server is configured to use a host key to verify that the client is connecting to the correct host. The SSH server administrator provides the host key fingerprint to the various clients.

Can SSH share private keys?

ssh between systems is fine so long as it’s limited to just files like authorized_keys , config , and known_hosts . If you want two hosts to be able to access each other, each host needs its own private SSH key, which must then be added to the other host’s authorized_keys file.

Is SSH key specific to user?

The short answer is no. Sample scenario: you (Bob) want to connect to remote host ( earth ) as alice . SSH is a connection from someplace (a Unix, Windows, tablet.) to a user ( alice ) on a host ( earth ). When you ( bob ) connect without password, you use a private key (on Unix it is traditionally located in ~/.

How do I find my SSH key Mac?

To generate SSH keys in macOS, follow these steps:

1. Enter the following command in the Terminal window. ssh-keygen -t rsa.
2. Press the ENTER key to accept the default location. The ssh-keygen utility prompts you for a passphrase.
3. Type in a passphrase. You can also hit the ENTER key to accept the default (no passphrase).