A safer way to automate password-based SSH workflows on Windows and Linux. Maintained and improved by Kynoci 2.
A utility for automating password-based SSH login workflows on Windows and Linux.
sshpass is a utility originally introduced in 2006 to automate password-based SSH login workflows, especially for scripting and system automation.
The original project was hosted on SourceForge. A Windows port was later developed at xhcoding/sshpass-win32.
Today, Kynoci maintains its own independently managed fork, providing a simple way to automate password-based SSH tasks on both Windows and Linux. Kynoci relies on sshpass as a core component of its vsCRT extension for Visual Studio Code.
While SSH key authentication remains the recommended approach, Kynoci aims to make password-based workflows safer and more practical.
Preventing real passwords from appearing in terminal command history, reducing exposure to casual observation.
Implementing password masking mechanisms during execution so credentials are never displayed in plain text.
Ensuring exported connection lists hide or obfuscate stored passwords to prevent accidental credential leaks.
Security Note: OpenSSH and security best practices discourage password-based authentication, as passwords may be exposed via command history, process lists, scripts, logs, or environment variables. SSH key authentication remains the recommended approach for production environments.
Kynoci maintains independent forks for both Windows and Linux platforms.
Download the sshpass installer for Windows or browse the source on GitHub.