ssh-audit - Man Page

ssh-audit [options] <target_host>

ssh-audit analyzes the configuration of SSH servers & clients, then warns the user of weak, obsolete, and/or untested cryptographic primitives.  It is very useful for hardening SSH tunnels, which by default tend to be optimized for compatibility, not security.

See <https://www.ssh-audit.com/> for official hardening guides for common platforms.

-h,  --help

Print short summary of options.

-1,  --ssh1

Only perform an audit using SSH protocol version 1.

-2,  --ssh2

Only perform an audit using SSH protocol version 2.

-4,  --ipv4

Prioritize the usage of IPv4.

-6,  --ipv6

Prioritize the usage of IPv6.

-b,  --batch

Enables grepable output.

-c,  --client-audit

Starts a server on port 2222 to audit client software configuration.  Use -p/--port=<port> to change port and -t/--timeout=<secs> to change listen timeout.

-d,  --debug

Enable debug output.

-g,  --gex-test=<x[,y,...] | min1:pref1:max1[,min2:pref2:max2,...] | x-y[:step]>

Runs a Diffie-Hellman Group Exchange modulus size test against a server.

Diffie-Hellman requires the client and server to agree on a generator value and a modulus value.  In the "Group Exchange" implementation of Diffie-Hellman, the client specifies the size of the modulus in bits by providing the server with minimum, preferred and maximum values. The server then finds a group that best matches the client's request, returning the corresponding generator and modulus.  For a full explanation of this process see RFC 4419 and its successors.

This test acts as a client by providing an SSH server with the size of a modulus and then obtains the size of the modulus returned by the server.

Three types of syntax are supported:

 1. <x[,y,...]>

    A comma delimited list of modulus sizes.
    A test is performed against each value in the list where it acts as the minimum, preferred and maximum modulus size.

 2. <min:pref:max[,min:pref:max,...]>

    A set of three colon delimited values denoting minimum, preferred and maximum modulus size.
    A test is performed against each set.
    Multiple sets can specified as a comma separated list.

 3. <x-y[:step]>

    A range of modulus sizes with an optional step value. Step defaults to 1 if omitted.
    If the left value is greater than the right value, then the sequence operates from right to left.
    A test is performed against each value in the range where it acts as the minimum, preferred and maximum modulus size.

Duplicates are excluded from the return value.

-j,  --json

Output results in JSON format.  Specify twice (-jj) to enable indent printing (useful for debugging).

-l,  --level=<info|warn|fail>

Specify the minimum output level.  Default is info.

-L,  --list-policies

List all official, built-in policies for common systems.  Their full names can then be passed to -P/--policy.

--lookup=<alg1,alg2,...>

Look up the security information of an algorithm(s) in the internal database.  Does not connect to a server.

-m,  --manual

Print the man page (Windows only).

-M,  --make-policy=<custom_policy.txt>

Creates a policy based on the target server.  Useful when other servers should be compared to the target server's custom configuration (i.e.: a cluster environment).  Note that the resulting policy can be edited manually.

-n,  --no-colors

Disable color output.

-p,  --port=<port>

The TCP port to connect to when auditing a server, or the port to listen on when auditing a client.

-P,  --policy=<"built-in policy name" | path/to/custom_policy.txt>

Runs a policy audit against a target using the specified policy (see Policy Audit section for detailed description of this mode of operation).  Combine with -c/--client-audit to audit a client configuration instead of a server.  Use -L/--list-policies to list all official, built-in policies for common systems.

-t,  --timeout=<secs>

The timeout, in seconds, for creating connections and reading data from the socket.  Default is 5.

-T,  --targets=<hosts.txt>

A file containing a list of target hosts.  Each line must have one host, in the format of HOST[:PORT].  Use --threads to control concurrent scans.

--threads=<threads>

The number of threads to use when scanning multiple targets (with -T/--targets).  Default is 32.

-v,  --verbose

Enable verbose output.

By default, ssh-audit performs a standard audit.  That is, it enumerates all host key types, key exchanges, ciphers, MACs, and other information, then color-codes them in output to the user.  Cryptographic primitives with potential issues are displayed in yellow; primitives with serious flaws are displayed in red.

When the -P/--policy option is used, ssh-audit performs a policy audit.  The target's host key types, key exchanges, ciphers, MACs, and other information is compared to a set of expected values defined in the specified policy file.  If everything matches, only a short message stating a passing result is reported.  Otherwise, the field(s) that did not match are reported.

Policy auditing is helpful for ensuring a group of related servers are properly hardened to an exact specification.

The set of official built-in policies can be viewed with -L/--list-policies.  Multiple servers can be audited with -T/--targets=<servers.txt>.  Custom policies can be made from an ideal target server with -M/--make-policy=<custom_policy.txt>.

Basic server auditing:

ssh-audit localhost
ssh-audit 127.0.0.1
ssh-audit 127.0.0.1:222
ssh-audit ::1
ssh-audit [::1]:222

To run a standard audit against many servers (place targets into servers.txt, one on each line in the format of HOST[:PORT]):

ssh-audit -T servers.txt

To audit a client configuration (listens on port 2222 by default; connect using "ssh -p 2222 anything@localhost"):

ssh-audit -c

To audit a client configuration, with a listener on port 4567:

ssh-audit -c -p 4567

To list all official built-in policies (hint: use their full names with -P/--policy):

ssh-audit -L

To run a built-in policy audit against a server (hint: use -L to see list of built-in policies):

ssh-audit -P "Hardened Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS (version 1)" targetserver

To run a custom policy audit against a server (hint: use -M/--make-policy to create a custom policy file):

ssh-audit -P path/to/server_policy.txt targetserver

To run a policy audit against a client:

ssh-audit -c -P ["policy name" | path/to/client_policy.txt]

To run a policy audit against many servers:

ssh-audit -T servers.txt -P ["policy name" | path/to/server_policy.txt]

To create a policy based on a target server (which can be manually edited; see official built-in policies for syntax examples):

ssh-audit -M new_policy.txt targetserver

To run a Diffie-Hellman Group Exchange modulus size test using the values 2000 bits, 3000 bits, 4000 bits and 5000 bits:

ssh-audit targetserver --gex-test=2000,3000,4000,5000

To run a Diffie-Hellman Group Exchange modulus size test where 2048 bits is the minimum, 3072 bits is the preferred and 5000 bits is the maximum:

ssh-audit targetserver --gex-test=2048:3072:5000

To run a Diffie-Hellman Group Exchange modulus size test from 0 bits to 5120 bits in increments of 1024 bits:

ssh-audit targetserver --gex-test=0-5120:1024

When a successful connection is made and all algorithms are rated as "good", ssh-audit returns 0.  Other possible return values are:

1 = connection error
2 = at least one algorithm warning was found
3 = at least one algorithm failure was found
<any other non-zero value> = unknown error

Hardening guides for common platforms can be found at: <https://www.ssh-audit.com/>

Please file bug reports as a Github Issue at: <https://github.com/jtesta/ssh-audit/issues>

ssh-audit was originally written by Andris Raugulis <moo@arthepsy.eu>, and maintained from 2015 to 2017.

Maintainership was assumed and development was resumed in 2017 by Joe Testa <jtesta@positronsecurity.com>.