Openssh Bastion Host Node Execution
Rundeck, Inc.

OpenSSH Bastion Host Node Execution Plugins

This plugin provides a node-executor and file-copier supporting ssh actions through a bastion host. Use this plugin if you must access remote servers via a jump host.

Dry run mode

You can configure the plugin to just print the invocation string to the console. This can be useful when defining the configuration properties.

Plugin Configuration Properties

  • Bastion SSH Key Storage Path: Identity to use for the bastion host connection.
  • SSH Options: Extra options to pass to the ssh command invocation. You can overwrite this attribute at node level, using ssh-bastion-ssh-config (node-executor) and scp-bastion-ssh-config (file-copier).
  • ssh_config: Specify ProxyCommand and other flags. Consult the reference for ssh_config(5) to learn about posible settings.
  • Dry run? If set true, just print the command invocation that would be used but do not execute the command. This is useful to preview.

Node Specific Key

If the node is configured with the ssh-key-storage-path attribute, the ssh connection will use that to connect to the remote node.

  • ssh-key-storage-path: Set to location in Rundeck Keystore

Configuration

The plugin can be configured as a default node executor and file copier for a Project. Use the Simple Conguration tab to see the configuration properties. The page has a form with inputs to configure the connection to the bastion host.

You can also modify the project.properties or use the API/CLI to define the plugin configuration. The Plugin List page will describe the key names to set.

Customize the ssh_config

You can define multiple lines using a trailing backslash and an indent on the following line.

Here is an example that defines ssh_config file.

project.plugin.NodeExecutor.openssh-bastion-host.node-executor.ssh_config=Host * \
  StrictHostKeyChecking no
  Port 22
  ProxyCommand ssh user@bastionhost -W %h\:%p
  IdentityFile @plugin.config.identity_file@

Here ssh_options are set.

project.plugin.NodeExecutor.openssh-bastion-host.node-executor.ssh_options="-q -oCiphers=arcfour -oClearAllForwardings=yes"

Using Dry run, you might see output similar to this:

[dry-run] +------------------------------------------+
[dry-run] | ssh_config                               |
[dry-run] +------------------------------------------+
[dry-run] | Host *
[dry-run] |   StrictHostKeyChecking no
[dry-run] |   Port 22
[dry-run] |   ProxyCommand ssh user@bastion -W %h:%p
[dry-run] |   IdentityFile /tmp/bastion.ssh-keyfile.prWLUyFU
[dry-run] +------------------------------------------+
[dry-run] ssh -q -oCiphers=arcfour -oClearAllForwardings=yes -F /tmp/ssh_config.zTr9j5KK -i /tmp/host1234.ssh-keyfile.4cjnI2qL alexh@Targa.local whoami
Begin copy 18 bytes to node host1234: /etc/motd -> /tmp/motd
[dry-run] +------------------------------------------+
[dry-run] | ssh_config                               |
[dry-run] +------------------------------------------+
[dry-run] | Host *
[dry-run] |   StrictHostKeyChecking no
[dry-run] |   Port 22
[dry-run] |   ProxyCommand ssh user@bastion -W %h:%p
[dry-run] |   IdentityFile /tmp/bastion.ssh-keyfile.XXXXX.WAlpZLNb
[dry-run] | 
[dry-run] +------------------------------------------+
[dry-run] scp -q -oCiphers=arcfour -oClearAllForwardings=yes -F /tmp/ssh_config.XXXX.cosJ7xQ2 -i /tmp/host1234.ssh-keyfile.XXXXX.BOqYAKRu /etc/motd alexh@Targa.local:/tmp/motd
/tmp/motd
Copied: /tmp/motd

Docker Example

To star the docker example:

  • Run ./start-docker-example.sh
  • Got to http://localhost:8080
  • User/Password => admin/admin

The example has two networks:

  • Network1: rundeck, bastion
  • Network2: bastion, linux-1 (running on port 2223), linux-2 (running on default port)

The goal of this example is that Rundeck connects to the nodes linux-1 and linux-2 through the bastion container (Rundeck cannot see linux-X nodes). Notices the node attribute for "linux-1" node, we set the port connection on the "SSH Options" at the node level.