https://github.com/avakar/cngeant

A drop-in replacement for PuTTY's Pageant that uses Windows' key-store for secure and password-less experience
https://github.com/avakar/cngeant

cng cryptoapi pageant putty ssh windows

Last synced: 2 days ago
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A drop-in replacement for PuTTY's Pageant that uses Windows' key-store for secure and password-less experience

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/avakar/cngeant
• Owner: avakar
• License: mit
• Created: 2019-12-25T18:27:25.000Z (almost 5 years ago)
• Default Branch: master
• Last Pushed: 2022-04-23T21:27:51.000Z (over 2 years ago)
• Last Synced: 2023-03-11T05:06:56.465Z (over 1 year ago)
• Topics: cng, cryptoapi, pageant, putty, ssh, windows
• Language: C++
• Homepage:
• Size: 47.9 KB
• Stars: 15
• Watchers: 4
• Forks: 1
• Open Issues: 0
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md
  • License: LICENSE

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README

        
# cngeant

A drop-in replacement for PuTTY's Pageant that uses Windows'

key-store for secure and password-less experience.

The keys can also be stored in your computer's TPM module

for additional security.

## Getting Started

* Get the latest release,

* run it,

* generate a new key pair,

* copy the public key to clipboard, and

* add it among your github SSH keys.

## Compatibility

The agent should be able to provide keys to PuTTy clients immendiately

after its started. Make sure to run the agent non-elevated, otherwise

it won't be able to service non-elevated PuTTy clients.

Furthermore, cngeant provides ssh-agent services via

a cygwin (think Git for Windows) and an AF_UNIX socket.

Both are created in your temp folder and are named `cngeant.cygsock`

and `cngeant.sock` respectively.

The ssh client distributed with Git for Windows should be able to use the cygwin

socket as soon as it picks up the SSH_AUTH_SOCK environment variable.

The shell picks the variable immediately, it should be sufficient restart your

applications after starting cngeant for the first time.

The AF_UNIX socket can be used by WSL's ssh client. Add the following to your

`~/.bashrc` file.

    export SSH_AUTH_SOCK=/mnt/c/Users/$USER/AppData/Local/Temp/cngeant.sock

## Features

* Supports SSH2 with RSA or ECDSA (with p256, p384 and p521 curves).

* Private keys are stored per-user. You can't share

  a single key between users.

* Generated private keys are not exportable. You need a fresh key

  for each computer and user account.

## TODO

* Importing private keys.

* Better GUI.

* An icon.

* Notify the user when a key is used.