---
title: "Validate remote server's SSH credentials"
method: GET
path: "/remote_basic_credential_check"
tags: ["Transfers", "Transfer Configuration"]
---

# Validate remote server's SSH credentials

`GET /remote_basic_credential_check`

This function checks the SSH credentials on the remote server.

### Authentication
There are several methods that you can use to authenticate a transfer session with the remote server.

#### PermitRootLogin=Yes
The simplest authentication method is to use the `root` user and password. To do this, the `sshd_config` file on the remote server **must** contain the following value: `PermitRootLogin=Yes`

The following table displays the correct parameters and values for this authentication method:

| Parameter | Value |
|-|-|
| `user` | `root` |
| `password` | `root`'s password. |

You can also use the SSH Public Key to authenticate the `root` user. If the SSH Public Key is encrypted, include the SSH Key's passphrase.

The following table displays the correct parameters and values for this authentication method:

| Parameter | Value if the SSH Key is not encrypted | Value if the SSH Key is encrypted |
|-|-|-|
| `user` | `root` | `root` |
| `sshkey_name` | `root`'s SSH key name. | `root`'s SSH key name. |
| `sshkey_passphrase` | (none) | `root`'s SSH key passphrase. |

#### PermitRootLogin=No
Many server administrators do not permit direct root logins on their servers.
* If the remote server contains `PermitRootLogin=No` in the `sshd_config `file, then you **must** use another user and their password on the remote server, and then escalate to `root`.
* If the system administrator used WHM's [*Manage Wheel Group Users*](https://go.cpanel.net/whmdocsManageWheelGroupUsers) interface (*WHM >> Home >> Security Center >> Manage Wheel Group Users*) to grant the user `su` access, then you will need to specify `su` and the `root` password.
* If the user has `sudo` access, you do **not** need the `root` password.

The following table displays the correct parameters and values for this authentication method:

| Parameter | Value if the user has sudo access | Value if the user has su access |
|-|-|-|
| `user` | The user's username. | The user's username. |
| `password` | The user's password. | The user's password. |
| `root_escalation_method` | `sudo` | `su` |
| `root_password` | (none) | `root`'s password. |

You can also use an SSH Public Key instead of a password to authenticate that user. If the SSH Public Key is encrypted, include the SSH Key's passphrase.

The following table displays the correct parameters and values for this authentication method:

| Parameter | sudo | su |
|-|-|-|
| `user` | The user's username. | The user's username. |
| `sshkey_name` | The user's SSH key name. | The user's SSH key name. |
| `sshkey_passphrase` (If encrypted) | The user's SSH key passphrase. | The user's SSH key passphrase. |
| `root_escalation_method` | `sudo` | `su` |
| `root_password` | (none) | `root`'s password. |

## Query parameters

- `host` union, required
  - string, ipv4 — A valid IP address.
  - string, domain — A valid domain.
- `user` string, username, required
- `password` string
- `port` integer
- `root_escalation_method` 'su' | 'sudo'
- `root_password` string
- `sshkey_name` string
- `sshkey_passphrase` string

## Response `200`

HTTP Request was successful.

- object
  - `data` object
    - `output` string — The function call's raw HTML output.
    - `response` string — The function call's response.
  - `metadata` object
    - `command` string — The method name called.
    - `reason` string — The reason the API function failed when the `metadata.result` field is `0`. This field may display a success message when a function succeeds.
    - `result` 0 | 1 — * `1` - Success. * `0` - Failed. Check the `reason` field for more details.
    - `version` integer — The version of the API function.

---

[API](https://skmtc.net/cpanel/apis/whm-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.net/cpanel/apis/whm-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc-service-staging.skmtc.workers.dev/v1/apis/cpanel/whm-api/revisions/3da41671c02c/schema)