(MFC) TLS Connection within SSH Tunnel (Port Forwarding)

Demonstrates using Chilkat Socket to communicate to a TLS service through an SSH tunnel. This example will connect (through a port-forwarded SSH tunnel) to the GMAIL IMAP server via TLS and will receive the greeting.

Note: The Chilkat IMAP API provides direct support for using SSH tunneling with the IMAP protocol. This example serves only to demonstrate that, in general, TLS connections can be tunneled through SSH.

Chilkat C/C++ Library Downloads MS Visual C/C++ Libs

See Also: Using MFC CString in Chilkat

#include <CkSocket.h>

void ChilkatSample(void)
    {
    CkString strOut;

    // This example requires the Chilkat API to have been previously unlocked.
    // See Global Unlock Sample for sample code.

    CkSocket tunnel;

    const char *sshHostname = "www.my-ssh-server.com";
    int sshPort = 22;

    // Connect to an SSH server and establish the SSH tunnel:
    bool success = tunnel.SshOpenTunnel(sshHostname,sshPort);
    if (success != true) {
        strOut.append(tunnel.lastErrorText());
        strOut.append("\r\n");
        SetDlgItemText(IDC_EDIT1,strOut.getUnicode());
        return;
    }

    // Authenticate with the SSH server via a login/password
    // or with a public key.
    // This example demonstrates SSH password authentication.
    success = tunnel.SshAuthenticatePw("mySshLogin","mySshPassword");
    if (success != true) {
        strOut.append(tunnel.lastErrorText());
        strOut.append("\r\n");
        SetDlgItemText(IDC_EDIT1,strOut.getUnicode());
        return;
    }

    //  OK, the SSH tunnel is setup.  Now open a channel within the tunnel.
    //  Once the channel is obtained, the Socket API may
    //  be used exactly the same as usual, except all communications
    //  are sent through the channel in the SSH tunnel.
    //  Any number of channels may be created from the same SSH tunnel.
    //  Multiple channels may coexist at the same time.

    // Connect to the GMAIL IMAP server via TLS (through the port-forwarded SSH tunnel)
    CkSocket *channel = 0;
    int maxWaitMs = 4000;
    bool useTls = true;
    channel = tunnel.SshOpenChannel("imap.gmail.com",993,useTls,maxWaitMs);
    if (tunnel.get_LastMethodSuccess() == false) {
        strOut.append(tunnel.lastErrorText());
        strOut.append("\r\n");
        SetDlgItemText(IDC_EDIT1,strOut.getUnicode());
        return;
    }

    // If desired, visually inspect the LastErrorText to see that indeed the TLS
    // protocol was run inside the SSH tunnel:
    strOut.append(tunnel.lastErrorText());
    strOut.append("\r\n");

    // The first thing an IMAP server does is to send a greeting terminated with a CRLF.
    const char *imapGreeting = channel->receiveToCRLF();
    if (channel->get_LastMethodSuccess() != true) {
        strOut.append(channel->lastErrorText());
        strOut.append("\r\n");
        delete channel;
        SetDlgItemText(IDC_EDIT1,strOut.getUnicode());
        return;
    }

    strOut.append(imapGreeting);
    strOut.append("\r\n");

    // Close the connection to imap.gmail.com.  This is actually closing our channel
    // within the SSH tunnel, but keeps the tunnel open for the next port-forwarded connection.
    success = channel->Close(maxWaitMs);
    if (success != true) {
        strOut.append(channel->lastErrorText());
        strOut.append("\r\n");
        SetDlgItemText(IDC_EDIT1,strOut.getUnicode());
        return;
    }

    delete channel;

    // Finally, close the SSH tunnel.
    success = tunnel.SshCloseTunnel();
    if (success != true) {
        strOut.append(tunnel.lastErrorText());
        strOut.append("\r\n");
        SetDlgItemText(IDC_EDIT1,strOut.getUnicode());
        return;
    }

    strOut.append("TLS SSH tunneling example completed.");
    strOut.append("\r\n");


    SetDlgItemText(IDC_EDIT1,strOut.getUnicode());

    }