SSH Tunnel Manager

Connecting securely to internal systems often requires manual SSH tunneling and multiple key-based authentications. Administrators and developers need to remember hostnames, ports and type long commands each time they work with databases, web services, etc. This is time-consuming, error-prone, and exposes operational risks.

The WedaCon SSH Tunnel Manager changes that: by providing a secure CLI interface and stage-based configurations, it makes accessing internal services faster, safer, and easier.

The Case

In typical corporate environments, accessing internal services involves manually creating SSH tunnels via manually execute commands:

• Users must know the jump hosts, target hosts, ports, and any multi-hop requirements.
• SSH key files must be selected correctly, and different hosts may require different keys.
• Missing a step, typing the wrong port, or forgetting a key file can break connectivity.
• Manually managing tunnels for multiple stages (development, QA, production) is cumbersome and inefficient.

Even experienced administrators face repeated tasks that slow them down and increase the risk of errors. A misplaced command or incorrect key file can prevent access entirely or expose sensitive connections accidentally.

The Goal

The goal is to simplify SSH tunnel management while maintaining full security and flexibility.

• Developers and administrators should be able to open tunnels for multiple services and stages with a single command.
• The correct SSH keys must be applied automatically for each host.
• Opening or closing tunnels should be auditable and error-resistant.

This approach eliminates repetitive manual SSH commands, reduces mistakes, and provides a centralized way to manage access to internal resources.

The Preparation

The challenge is organizing SSH accesses effectively:

• Each stage has its own hosts and services.
• Multiple services require different local and remote ports.
• SSH key files differ between local machines and jump hosts, and multi-hop connections must be supported.

The solution needed a way to unify all of these requirements into a single, repeatable workflow.

The Implementation

What WedaCon SSH Tunnel Manager adds on top:

• Stage-based configuration: Each environment stage has predefined hosts, ports, and key files.
• Service templates: Common internal services are predefined with proper ports.
• Dynamic GUI menu: Using whiptail, users can select tunnels with a few keystrokes.
• SSH key management: Correct keys are applied automatically when choosing tunnels.
• Auditable actions: Every tunnel creation and closure is logged, making operations traceable.

The result is a secure, convenient, and reliable way to manage SSH access to internal systems.

The Conclusion

Manual SSH tunneling is a common operational bottleneck in environments with multiple stages and services. With WedaCon SSH Tunnel Manager, organizations get a centralized, stage-aware, key-managed solution that eliminates repetitive commands and reduces the risk of misconfiguration.

Your teams can now focus on managing applications, databases, and workflows, instead of struggling with SSH syntax or forgetting key files. Ready to make internal system access safer, faster, and easier to use? Reach out to us through one of our chanenls, and we’ll help you implement seamless, secure, and auditable SSH tunnel management across all your environments.