SSH-AUDIT(1)

NAME
ssh-audit - SSH server & client configuration auditor

SYNOPSIS
ssh-audit [options] <target_host>

DESCRIPTION

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.

OPTIONS

-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.

STANDARD AUDIT

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.

POLICY AUDIT

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>.

EXAMPLES

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

RETURN VALUES
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

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

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

AUTHOR

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>.