RDP over SSH (copSSH/PuTTY): am i doing this right?

skanky · 18 Feb 2008 at 08:32

not sure if this is in the right forum, but mods feel free to move if its wrong.

i'm following instructions here: http://theillustratednetwork.mvps.org/Ssh/RemoteDesktopSSH.html and seem to have gotten it to work (i can connect to my network using <localhost

ort> in rdp instead of the ip etc) but is the username/password prompt supposed to be the same one i've "activated" using copssh?

for example: i forward port the ssh port to my machine, and activate the windows account "skanky" on my machine then configure PuTTY as shown in the link.

when i log in using PuTTY, i have to enter the login/pass for the "skanky" on the machine which it accepts and then when i rdp in, it again asks me for the same password..

my question is, is there any way of changing PuTTY's login request to something else or is it always going to be the same as the windows account info? is that secure having the same user/password twice?

or is there a way of automating the RDP login from PuTTY somehow, as i've already authenticated using PuTTY?

mynsa · 18 Feb 2008 at 09:23

you could use ssh keys to automatically log in through ssh, you would only need to enter the RDP user and pass then?

http://www.lesbell.com.au/Home.nsf/...ed0d3f0199e49f57ca25734000023a77?OpenDocument

skanky · 18 Feb 2008 at 11:24

got a bit put off by the big "Make sure that when you leave your Windows workstation you lock the computer (Ctrl+Alt+Del, then click on "Lock Computer")." warning on that page, as the machine i'm connecting from is at work, so anyone with local or domain access will be able to access my key and in turn my machine at home!

i wouldnt mind finding out how/where to change the user/pass to log onto ssh in the first place. thinking about it, i dont mind entering 2 different passwords, as long as they're both not the same ones!!

also when trying to connect the first time via ssh, it says it doesnt recognise the host key and prompts me to verify if its correct or not. how'd i check on the machine (where i'm connecting to), what the host key should be?

skanky · 18 Feb 2008 at 11:38

are there any web based clients or anything i could use instead of putty to establish the ssh connection in the first place?

i saw plink which uses putty sessions and can get it to work that way, but i'd like to have it so i dont have to install anything on the machine or write to the registry and plink seems like it could do what i want but got a lot lost trying to figure out the command link options though to do it.

i've used web-rdp before which sets up a rdp window within a web browser, is that secureable using ssh at all?

mynsa · 18 Feb 2008 at 11:50

skanky said:
got a bit put off by the big "Make sure that when you leave your Windows workstation you lock the computer (Ctrl+Alt+Del, then click on "Lock Computer")." warning on that page, as the machine i'm connecting from is at work, so anyone with local or domain access will be able to access my key and in turn my machine at home!

That message is used as a caution, I cant see any reason why you wouldnt lock your computer when not at it - what about all those emails in your email client, your proxy details - etc etc.

skanky said:
i wouldnt mind finding out how/where to change the user/pass to log onto ssh in the first place. thinking about it, i dont mind entering 2 different passwords, as long as they're both not the same ones!!

Can you not configure a seperate user in copSSH and use a different password, are you logging into copSSH and RD as administrator?

I've never used copSSH so im not sure what options / configs you got?

mynsa · 18 Feb 2008 at 11:58

skanky said:
are there any web based clients or anything i could use instead of putty to establish the ssh connection in the first place?

i saw plink which uses putty sessions and can get it to work that way, but i'd like to have it so i dont have to install anything on the machine or write to the registry and plink seems like it could do what i want but got a lot lost trying to figure out the command link options though to do it.

i've used web-rdp before which sets up a rdp window within a web browser, is that secureable using ssh at all?

Why dont you post what your trying to do in its simplest form (Access to RDP on a home workstation from work where port 3389 outgoing is dropping traffic?) and specify the limitations you have from work or wherever in regards to communications over the LAN and Internet?

skanky · 19 Feb 2008 at 18:13

mynsa said:
Why dont you post what your trying to do in its simplest form (Access to RDP on a home workstation from work where port 3389 outgoing is dropping traffic?) and specify the limitations you have from work or wherever in regards to communications over the LAN and Internet?

i'm trying to come up with a way of getting secure access to my machine via RDP from say an internet cafe where it would be locked down pretty tight so no way of installing any software on it and ideally i'd like to leave no trace of the fact i've been on there to get to my machine.