SSH
SSH Key Offloading

Configure KMES Series 3

17min

This section covers the necessary configurations for this integration.

Configure the Futurex PKCS #11 integration

This section covers general configurations you must make on the to enable the PKCS #11 module to integrate for SSH Key Offloading.

Create a role and identity for SSH with the required permissions

Perform the following steps to create a new role and identity for SSH on the KMES Series 3:

A later section configures the identity name and password in the PKCS #11 configuration file.

1

Log in to the application interface with the default Admin identities.

2

Go to Identity Management > Roles, and select [ Add ].

3

In the Role Editor window, configure the following settings:

  • Specify a name for the role.
  • Set the number of logins required to 1.
  • Navigate to the Advanced tab.
  • Allow authentication to the Host API port only.
  • Leave all other fields set to the default values.
4

Go to the Permissions tab and select the following permissions:

Permission

Subpermission



Certificate Authority

Export, Upload



Keys

Top-level permission only



Signing Approval

Add

5

Select [ OK ] to finish creating the role.

6

Go to Identity Management > Identities, right-click anywhere in the window, and select Add > Client Application.

7

In the Info tab of the Identity Editor window, select Application for the storage location and specify a name for the identity, such as crypto1.

8

In the Assigned Roles tab, select the role you created in the previous section.

9

Under Authentication, select the API Key mechanism and then [ Remove ]. Then select [ Add ] and set the type to Password. Set the password for the identity and then select [ OK ] to finish.

A later section configures the password in the Futurex PKCS #11 configuration file.

10

Select [ OK ] to finish creating the identity.

Enable the Host API commands required for PKCS #11

Because the PKCS #11 library connects to the Host API port on the , you must define which Host API commands to enable for execution by the FXPKCS11 library. To set the allowed commands, complete the following steps:

1

Log in to the application interface with the default Admin identities.

2

Go to Administration > Configuration > Host API Options, select the All preset to enable all commands, and then select [ Save ].

Configure TLS communication

This section covers the steps required to configure TLS communication between the and the PKCS #11 library.

Create a Certificate Authority (CA)

1

Log in to the application interface with the default Admin identities.

2

Select PKI > Certificate Authorities in the left menu, then select [ Add CA ] at the bottom of the page.

3

In the Certificate Authority window, enter a name for the certificate container, leave all other fields as the default values, and then select [ OK ].

The new certificate container now displays in the Certificate Authorities menu.

4

Right-click the certificate container and select Add Certificate > New Certificate.

5

In the Subject DN tab, set a Common Name for the certificate, such as System TLS CA Root.

6

On the Basic Info tab, leave all fields set to the default values.

7

In the V3 Extensions tab, select the Certificate Authority profile, then select [ OK ].

The root CA certificate now displays under the previously created certificate container.

Generate a CSR for the System/Host API connection pair

1

Go to Administration > Configuration > Network Options.

2

In the Network Options window, go to the TLS/SSL Settings tab.

3

Under the System/Host API connection pair, uncheck Use Futurex certificates, and select [ Edit ] next to PKI Keys in the User Certificates section.

4

In the Application Public Keys window, select [ Generate ].

5

When warned that SSL will not be functional until new certificates are imported, select [ Yes ] to continue.

6

In the PKI Parameters window, leave the default values set and select [ OK ].

A message states that a PKI Key Pair is loaded in the Application Public Keys window.

7

Select [ Request ].

8

In the Subject DN tab, set a Common Name for the certificate, such as KMES.

9

In the V3 Extensions tab, select the TLS Server Certificate profile.

10

In the PKCS #10 Info tab, select a save location for the CSR, then select [ OK ].

A message states that the certificate signing request was successfully written to the file location selected.

11

Select [ OK ].

12

Select [ OK ] again to save the Application Public Keys settings.

The main Network Options window shows Loaded next to PKI Keys for the System/Host API connection pair.

Sign the System/Host API CSR

1

Go to PKI > Certificate Authorities.

2

Right-click on the root CA certificate you created for this integration, and select Add Certificate > From Request.

3

Select the CSR generated for the System/Host API connection pair in the file browser.

4

After it loads, you don't need to modify any certificate settings. Select [ OK ].

The signed System/Host API certificate now displays under the root CA certificate on the Certificate Authorities page.

Export the Root CA certificate

1

Go to PKI > Certificate Authorities.

2

Right-click the System TLS CA Root certificate, and select Export > Certificate(s).

3

In the Export Certificate window, change the encoding to PEM, and select [ Browse ].

4

In the file browser, go to the directory to save the Root CA certificate. Specify a name for the file and select [ Open ].

5

Select [ OK ].

A message box states that the PEM file was successfully written to your specified location.

Export the signed System/Host API certificate

1

Go to PKI > Certificate Authorities.

2

Right-click the KMES certificate and select Export > Certificate(s).

3

In the Export Certificate window, change the encoding to PEM and select [ Browse ].

4

In the file browser, go to the directory where you want to save the signed System/Host API certificate. Specify a name for the file and select [ Open ].

5

Select [ OK ].

A message states that the PEM file was successfully written to your specified location.

Load the exported certificates into the System/Host API connection pair

1

Go to Administration > Configuration > Network Options.

2

In the Network Options window, go to the TLS/SSL Settings tab.

3

Select [ Edit ] next to Certificates in the User Certificates section.

4

Right-click on the System/Host API SSL CA X.509 certificate container and select [ Import ].

5

Select [ Add ] at the bottom of the Import Certificates window.

6

Select the root CA certificate and the signed System/Host API certificate in the file browser and select [ Open ].

The certificate chain displays in the Verified section of the window.

7

Select [ OK ] to save the changes.

In the Network Options window, the System/Host API connection pair shows Signed loaded next to Certificates in the User Certificates section.

Issue a client certificate for the Futurex PKCS #11 module

You configure the client certificate created here in the Futurex PKCS #11 configuration file.

1

Go to PKI > Certificate Authorities.

2

Right-click the System TLS CA Root certificate and select Add Certificate > New Certificate.

3

In the Subject DN tab, set a Common Name for the certificate.

4

Leave all settings in the Basic Info tab set to the default values.

5

In the V3 Extensions tab, select the TLS Client Certificate profile and select [ OK ].

The PKCS #11 client certificate will now be listed under the System TLS CA Root certificate.

Export the client certificate as a PKCS #12 file

To perform the following steps, go to Administration > Configuration > Options and enable the Allow export of certificates using password option.

1

Go to PKI > Certificate Authorities.

2

Right-click the PKCS #11 client certificate, and select Export > PKCS12.

3

Set a PKCS #12 password, leave Export Selected Certificate with Parents selected, and select [ Next ].

4

Select the storage device to use and select [ OK ].

5

Enter a name for the file, select the location where you want to save it, and select [ Open ].

You must move the FXPKCS11 Client certificate to the computer where the PKCS #11 module is installed. A later section configures it in the FXPKCS11 configuration file and uses it for TLS communication with the .

General KMES configurations for SSH key offloading

This section covers general SSH key offloading configuration.

Create a CA for the SSH key pair

1

Go to PKI > Certificate Authorities, then select [ Add CA ] at the bottom of the page.

2

Set the name of the certificate container, such as SSH Key Offloading, and set the Owner group to the role you created for this integration. Then select [ OK ].

3

Right-click on the certificate container you created and select Add Certificate > New Certificate.

4

In the Subject DN tab of the Create X.509 Certificate window, select the Classic Preset in the drop-down list and specify SSH as the certificate's Common Name.

5

In the Basic Info tab, you can leave the default values set.

6

In the V3 Extensions tab, leave the default value of None in the profile drop-down menu.

7

Select [ OK ] to finish creating the SSH client key pair.

Create an Approval Group for PKI Signing

1

Go to PKI > Signing Workflow and select [ Add Approval Group ] at the bottom of the page.

2

Specify SSH as the Name of the Approval Group and select [ OK ].

3

Right-click on the newly created Approval Group and select Permission.

4

Give the role created for SSH Key Offloading the Use permission, then select [ OK ].

Add an Issuance Policy to the SSH certificate

1

Go to PKI > Certificate Authorities.

2

Right-click the SSH certificate and select Issuance Policy > Add.

3

In the Basic Info tab, set Approvals to 0 and Allowed Hashes to SHA-512.

4

In the X.509 tab, set the Default Approval Group to SSH.

5

In the Object Signing tab, select the Allow Object signing checkbox.

6

Select [ OK ] to apply the Issuance Policy to the SSH client certificate.

7

Right-click the SSH certificate and select Change Security Usage.

8

In the Security Usage drop-down menu, select Anonymous Signing.

9

Select [ OK ] to apply the change.

Export the public key for the SSH key pair

1

Go to PKI > Certificate Authorities.

2

Right-click on the SSH certificate and select Export > Public Key(s).

3

Browse for where you want to save the file and select [ Choose ].

4

Select [ OK ] in the dialog box that says, Successfully exported certificate public key(s).