kickstarts, installs and root ssh keys

[seth vidal]

On Tue, 10 Apr 2012 23:38:30 +0200
Jan-Frode Myklebust <janfrode at tanso.net> wrote:

> On Tue, Apr 10, 2012 at 05:11:14PM -0400, seth vidal wrote:
> > 
> > 1. allow lockbox01-only and ssh-key-only access, as root, via ssh to
> > our systems. This would be an ssh key only on lockbox and owned by
> > root
> 
> I'm no fan of passphrase-less ssh-keys..  as they turn
> read-random-file vulnerabilities into full root exploits.
> 
> Wouldn't it be better to have root's authorized_keys file contain the
> pubkeys of each individual admin that should be allowed to ssh from
> lockbox01 (prefixed with from=lockbox01 of course) ? Or is this too
> much hassle to maintain?
> 

I'm not sure how having and managing N-keys is better than having and
managing 1-Key.

Either way you have to manage/maintain the key(s). And instead of
having 1 key you have to protect from theft/compromise you have N-keys
to protect from theft/compromise.



-sv