Configure SSH Access on an ASA

If you have recently tried to setup SSH access on a new ASA, it might not have worked the way you wanted. That is because the RSA keys need to be generated first. To do that:

crypto key generate rsa
asa(config)# crypto key generate rsa
INFO: The name for the keys will be:
Keypair generation process begin. Please wait…

And then configure SSH to be allowed from the inside interface:

ssh 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 inside

Now you will be able to login using the default username and password of pix/cisco, Or you can configure AAA and setup your own usernames. Doing this will make the pix username no longer work for SSH.

First, a username needs to be created:

username cisco password c1sc0

And then configure AAA:

aaa authentication ssh console LOCAL

Done!


7 Responses to “Configure SSH Access on an ASA”


  1. 1 techallenged Jul 11th, 2008 at 1:52 pm

    ran into this very issue and I tried to apply your fix. however i still get denied. I get the key but it doesn’t allow me to login. Also I tried to zeroize the key first. Noting. Does it require a reboot.

  2. 2 raventech Aug 21st, 2011 at 9:52 am

    I ran into this very issue as well but I had been trying everything I could find in the ASDM admin to get it working first. I think the only difference is that I created my user in ASDM first and made sure they had full management access. Thanks!

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