Host-key authentication can be used to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks, in which another server poses as the appliance or the Central Management System platform and intercepts the traffic between them. When the appliance and the Central Management System appliance connect the first time using a client-initiated connection, a key exchange takes place. The Central Management System appliance sends a copy of its host key to the appliance, where it is compared to the keys in the appliance's host-keys database.
If strict host-key checking is enabled, the connection can be established only if the key that is sent matches an entry in the local host-keys database for the remote user. If global host-key checking is enabled, the connection can be established only if the key that is sent matches an entry in the global host-keys database.
You can enforce strict host-key checking, global host-key checking, or both.
Important
Host keys are stored in the configuration database, so they are included in the backup file.
Note
The same scenario pertains to the primary and secondary Central Management System platforms in a Central Management System High-Availability (HA) deployment. In this case, the two Central Management System platforms exchange keys, and the connection is established if the keys match. For details, see the Central Management System High Availability Guide.
In compliance mode, both strict and global host-key checking is enforced. For details, see the FIPS 140-2 and Common Criteria Addendum.
For details, see the following topics:
Admin access to configure authentication and create keys.
Monitor, Operator, or Admin access to obtain Central Management System appliance host keys.
The private key remains on the Malware Analysis appliance and cannot be computed from the public key.