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SAML/OIDC SSO for SSH on Fedora

Fedora is a trademark of Red Hat, Inc.

Add SAML/OIDC Single Sign-On to SSH on Fedora. Replace SSH keys with identity-based authentication via your corporate IdP. Deploy via local agent or gateway SSH proxy. Stay ahead of SSH zero-days on Fedora's fast-moving release cycle.

Quick Start Guide How It Works
Quick Start

Get Started in Minutes

Install the OnePAM agent with a single command. No packages to download, no repositories to configure.

Step 1 — Install
curl -sSL https://onepam.com/install/YOUR_ORG_UUID | sudo bash
Step 2 — Verify
systemctl status onepam-agent
The installer auto-registers the endpoint. Confirm the service is active.
Before OnePAM
Distribute SSH keys across dev workstations
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 ssh-copy-id [email protected] ssh-copy-id [email protected] ssh-copy-id [email protected]
Keys must be redistributed after every Fedora version upgrade
SSH keys survive Fedora upgrades
# Fedora 39 → 40 upgrade via dnf system-upgrade # authorized_keys persist — including former employees # No mechanism to audit which keys are still valid
Rapid release cycle means keys accumulate faster than cleanup happens
No MFA on developer workstations
# SSH keys = single-factor auth on dev machines # No session recording on shared build servers # No audit trail for CI/CD infrastructure access
Developer environments often have weaker SSH security than production
After OnePAM
Install OnePAM agent
curl -sSL https://onepam.com/install/YOUR_ORG_UUID | sudo bash
Works on Fedora 33 and later — survives dnf system-upgrade
Verify service and registration
systemctl status onepam-agent
The installer auto-registers this endpoint with your organization
SSH with corporate identity
onepam ssh build01.corp.com # → Redirected to Okta/Azure AD/Google Workspace # → MFA verified, short-lived certificate issued # → Session recorded automatically
Use 'onepam ssh' — works across Fedora version upgrades without reconfiguration
Overview

Why Fedora Systems Need Identity-Based SSH Access

Fedora is the upstream proving ground for Red Hat Enterprise Linux and the distribution of choice for Red Hat developers, open-source contributors, and DevOps engineers. Its rapid release cadence — roughly every six months — means OpenSSH versions advance quickly, but each release has a short support window. Development workstations and CI/CD build servers running Fedora accumulate SSH keys that outlive the release they were configured on. OnePAM adds SAML/OIDC SSO to SSH on Fedora without modifying sshd configuration. The local agent installs with a single command and survives Fedora version upgrades. The gateway SSH proxy protects Fedora servers and workstations without any agent installation — ideal for shared developer environments, QA labs, and ephemeral build infrastructure. Both modes enforce MFA via your corporate IdP, issue short-lived certificates, record sessions, and provide centralized audit trails across your entire Fedora fleet.

Local Agent

Install the OnePAM agent on Fedora with a single command. Survives Fedora version upgrades via dnf system-upgrade. Supports Fedora 33 and later.

Gateway SSH Proxy

Deploy a OnePAM gateway to proxy SSH connections to Fedora systems. No agent required. Ideal for ephemeral build servers, QA environments, and developer workstations where agent installation is impractical.

SSH Security Risks

SSH Security Risks on Fedora

Without identity-based SSH access, these risks threaten your servers every day.

Fedora ships the latest OpenSSH versions, but each release is supported for only ~13 months — forcing frequent upgrades or leaving SSH unpatched
Developer workstations running Fedora often have SSH enabled with minimal hardening compared to production servers
SSH key sprawl across Fedora-based CI/CD build servers creates unauditable access to source code and deployment pipelines
Fedora's bleeding-edge packages may introduce regressions in OpenSSH that create transient SSH vulnerabilities
Shared SSH keys on QA and staging Fedora servers allow lateral movement between development and production networks
The Challenge

SSH Security Challenges

These are the risks organizations face with traditional SSH authentication.

Rapid Release Cycle

Fedora releases every 6 months with a 13-month support window. SSH configurations, keys, and authentication setups must survive frequent version upgrades.

Developer Workstation Security

Fedora is the standard desktop for Red Hat developers. SSH keys on developer machines grant access to build infrastructure, repos, and staging environments.

CI/CD Infrastructure Access

Fedora-based build servers and CI runners need SSH access managed centrally. Static SSH keys on build infrastructure are a supply chain risk.

No Native SSO for SSH

Fedora ships modern OpenSSH but has no built-in SAML/OIDC integration for SSH sessions. FreeIPA provides Kerberos but not cloud IdP support.

Key Persistence Across Upgrades

SSH authorized_keys files survive Fedora version upgrades. Keys from former employees persist through multiple release cycles without detection.

Shared Lab Environments

QA labs and test environments running Fedora often share SSH credentials among teams, making individual accountability impossible.

Setup Guide

How OnePAM Adds SSO to SSH on Fedora

Step-by-step guide to deploying identity-based SSH access.

1

Choose Agent or Gateway Deployment

Install the OnePAM agent on Fedora, or deploy a gateway SSH proxy for agentless protection.

Agent: Run 'curl -sSL https://onepam.com/install/YOUR_ORG_UUID | sudo bash' on Fedora 33+. The agent persists across dnf system-upgrade. Gateway: Deploy OnePAM gateway as a container or VM to proxy SSH connections.
2

Connect Your Identity Provider

Configure your corporate IdP (Okta, Azure AD, Google Workspace, or any SAML 2.0/OIDC provider) for SSH authentication.

OnePAM handles SAML/OIDC handshakes. Users authenticate with MFA and receive short-lived certificates. IdP attributes are mapped to Fedora user accounts and groups.
3

Define Access Policies

Set policies for who can SSH to which Fedora systems, with what privileges, and under what conditions.

Map IdP groups to Fedora access: 'platform-engineers' get build server access, 'qa-team' gets test lab access, 'contractors' get time-limited access that expires automatically.
4

SSH with Corporate Identity

Developers and operators SSH to Fedora systems using corporate credentials. No SSH keys to distribute or rotate.

Run 'onepam ssh build01.corp.com'. OnePAM redirects to the IdP, authenticates with MFA, issues a short-lived certificate, and establishes the SSH session.
5

Audit and Comply

Every SSH session is logged with full IdP context. Optional session recording captures every keystroke.

Centralized audit trail across all Fedora systems. Export to your SIEM. Replay sessions for incident response and code review.
Key Benefits

Benefits of SSH SSO on Fedora

What changes when you deploy identity-based SSH access.

Survive Version Upgrades

OnePAM agent persists across Fedora version upgrades. No reconfiguration after dnf system-upgrade. SSH SSO just works on the new release.

Zero reconfiguration on upgrade

Secure Developer Workstations

Replace static SSH keys on Fedora developer workstations with identity-verified, MFA-protected, time-limited certificates.

MFA-protected developer SSH

Protect CI/CD Infrastructure

Fedora-based build servers authenticate SSH via corporate identity. No static keys in build pipelines. Instant revocation when developers leave.

Zero static keys in CI/CD

Shield from SSH Zero-Days

Gateway mode prevents attackers from reaching Fedora's sshd directly. Bleeding-edge OpenSSH regressions become unexploitable.

100% of unauthenticated SSH attacks blocked

Instant Deprovisioning

Disable a user in your IdP and SSH access to every Fedora system stops immediately. No manual key cleanup across dev machines.

Real-time access revocation

Compliance-Ready Logging

Identity-verified audit trails satisfy SOC 2, ISO 27001, and internal security policies for SSH access to development infrastructure.

Audit-ready from day one
SSO Features

SSH SSO Capabilities

Every feature needed for enterprise-grade SSH authentication.

SAML 2.0 & OIDC authentication for SSH on Fedora
Short-lived certificates (1-24 hour TTL)
Compatible with Fedora 33 and later
Persists across dnf system-upgrade version upgrades
IdP group-to-Linux-group mapping
Automatic user provisioning on first SSH login
Just-in-time sudo elevation with MFA step-up
SSH session recording with keystroke replay
IP and geo-restriction for SSH access
Device trust verification before granting access
Security

Zero-Day Protection Features

Enterprise-grade security controls for SSH access.

Gateway shields sshd from network-based exploits
Zero-day protection for bleeding-edge OpenSSH versions
SSH protocol inspection at the gateway
Command filtering and blocklists
Real-time session monitoring and termination
Automatic certificate expiration (no key rotation needed)
Encrypted session recordings with tamper detection
Integration with SIEM (Splunk, Datadog, Elastic)
Real-World Scenarios

Fedora SSH SSO Use Cases

Common scenarios where organizations deploy OnePAM SSH SSO.

1
Red Hat development team managing SSH access to 100+ Fedora workstations and build servers with corporate SSO and MFA enforcement
2
Open-source project using Fedora CI/CD infrastructure with identity-verified SSH access for contributors and maintainers
3
Software company replacing SSH keys on Fedora-based QA labs with short-lived certificates and automatic expiration for contractors
4
DevOps team securing Fedora-based staging environments with session recording and identity-based access control
5
University research lab managing SSH access to Fedora workstations across multiple departments with centralized IdP integration
6
Platform engineering team enforcing MFA-protected SSH to Fedora build servers in a zero-trust environment
Frequently Asked Questions

SSO for SSH on Fedora FAQ

Common questions about SSH SSO and zero-day protection.

Which Fedora versions does OnePAM support?

OnePAM's local agent supports Fedora 33 and later. The agent persists across Fedora version upgrades performed via dnf system-upgrade. The gateway SSH proxy works with any Fedora version because it requires no agent installation on the target system.

Does OnePAM survive Fedora version upgrades?

Yes. The OnePAM agent is installed as a systemd service and persists across dnf system-upgrade operations. No reconfiguration is needed after upgrading from one Fedora release to the next.

Can OnePAM protect Fedora developer workstations?

Yes. OnePAM can secure SSH access to Fedora desktops and workstations used by developers. This protects access to local development servers, Docker daemons, and build environments running on Fedora.

Does OnePAM work with FreeIPA on Fedora?

Yes. OnePAM can coexist with FreeIPA/IdM. You can use OnePAM for SAML/OIDC-based SSH authentication while keeping FreeIPA for Kerberos-based system services. Both can operate simultaneously.

How does OnePAM handle Fedora's short support window?

Fedora releases have ~13 months of support. OnePAM's gateway mode protects systems running unsupported Fedora releases by shielding sshd from direct access. This is useful for test environments that cannot be upgraded immediately.

Can I use OnePAM for SSH to Fedora CoreOS / IoT?

OnePAM's gateway SSH proxy can protect SSH connections to any Fedora variant, including CoreOS and IoT editions, without requiring agent installation. The gateway authenticates users at the proxy level.
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Add SSO to SSH on Fedora

Deploy identity-based SSH access on Fedora in minutes.

Quick Start Guide All SSH SSO Guides