SSH Commands Executor

A Python script that automates SSH connections and executes predefined commands from a text file on remote servers.

Features

• Establishes SSH connections to remote servers
• Executes commands from a configurable text file
• Supports both password and key-based authentication
• Supports parallel execution of commands for faster processing.
• Includes an option to enable legacy cryptographic algorithms for compatibility with older devices like Palo Alto firewalls.
• Provides detailed logging and error handling
• Command-line and configuration file interfaces
• Handles command failures gracefully

Requirements

• Python 3.6+
• paramiko library

Installation

1. Clone this repository:

git clone https://github.com/ronsnr/ssh-commands.git
cd ssh-commands

2. Install dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Usage

Method 1: Command Line Interface

The script uses argparse for flexible command-line arguments.

python ssh_executor.py <hostname> <username> <commands_file> [OPTIONS]

Options:

• -p, --password <password>: SSH password (will prompt if not provided and key is not used).
• -k, --key_file <path>: Path to private key file.
• --port <port_number>: SSH port (default: 22).
• --parallel: Execute commands in parallel using a thread pool.
• --workers <number>: Number of parallel workers (threads) to use. Default is based on CPU count.
• --legacy-crypto: Enable legacy cryptographic algorithms for compatibility with older devices (e.g., Palo Alto firewalls).

Examples:

Using password authentication (password will be prompted):

python ssh_executor.py 192.168.1.100 myuser commands.txt

Using SSH key authentication:

python ssh_executor.py 192.168.1.100 myuser commands.txt -k ~/.ssh/id_rsa

Using SSH key authentication:

python ssh_executor.py 192.168.1.100 myuser commands.txt '' ~/.ssh/id_rsa

Using custom port:

python ssh_executor.py 192.168.1.100 myuser commands.txt '' ~/.ssh/id_rsa 2222

Method 2: Configuration File Interface

1. Create a configuration file by running:

python ssh_executor_config.py

2. Edit the generated config.json file with your connection details:

{
    "hostname": "your-server-ip-or-hostname",
    "username": "your-username",
    "password": "your-password-or-leave-empty-for-key-auth",
    "key_filename": "/path/to/your/private/key",
    "port": 22,
    "commands_file": "commands.txt"
}

3. Run the script:

python ssh_executor_config.py

Commands File Format

The commands.txt file contains the commands to execute on the remote server. Format rules:

• One command per line
• Lines starting with # are treated as comments and ignored
• Empty lines are ignored
• Commands are executed in the order they appear

Example commands.txt:

# System information
whoami
hostname
uname -a

# Directory listing
ls -la
pwd

# System resources
df -h
free -m

Authentication Methods

Password Authentication

The script will prompt for the password during execution.

SSH Key Authentication

Set the key_filename field in config.json to point to your private key file, or pass it as a command line argument. Leave the password field empty when using key authentication.

Error Handling

The script includes comprehensive error handling for:

• SSH connection failures
• Authentication errors
• Command execution failures
• File not found errors
• Network connectivity issues

All operations are logged with timestamps and appropriate log levels.

Security Considerations

• Store SSH keys securely with appropriate file permissions (600)
• Avoid storing passwords in configuration files in production
• Use key-based authentication when possible
• Consider using SSH agent for key management
• Validate commands before execution to prevent security issues

Output

The script provides:

• Real-time command execution status
• STDOUT and STDERR output from each command
• Success/failure count summary
• Detailed logging information

Example Output

2024-01-15 10:30:00,123 - INFO - Connecting to 192.168.1.100:22 as myuser
2024-01-15 10:30:01,456 - INFO - SSH connection established successfully
2024-01-15 10:30:01,457 - INFO - Loaded 5 commands from commands.txt
2024-01-15 10:30:01,458 - INFO - Executing command 1/5
2024-01-15 10:30:01,459 - INFO - Executing command: whoami
2024-01-15 10:30:01,678 - INFO - Command executed successfully (exit code: 0)
STDOUT:
myuser

2024-01-15 10:30:02,180 - INFO - Execution complete: 5/5 commands successful
All commands executed successfully
2024-01-15 10:30:02,181 - INFO - SSH connection closed

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Test thoroughly
5. Submit a pull request

License

This project is open source. See the repository for license details.