How to restrict SSH commands per key in authorized

Restricting SSH keys to specific commands limits what automated jobs and external systems can do on a server, even if a key is stolen or misused. Per-key command restrictions in the authorized_keys file provide fine-grained control without needing separate Unix accounts for each integration.

The OpenSSH server reads /home//user/.ssh/authorized_keys (or the system-wide equivalent) and interprets each line as a public key plus optional restrictions. Options such as command=, no-port-forwarding, no-agent-forwarding, no-X11-forwarding, and no-pty are evaluated before the key is accepted and can enforce a single forced command whenever that key authenticates.

Per-key restrictions apply only to new SSH sessions and do not affect existing connections. Forced commands override whatever the SSH client requests, so a restricted key always runs the configured command and never receives an interactive shell. Careful sequencing of options and correct file permissions on /.ssh/authorized_keys and any called scripts is essential to avoid lockouts and unintended command execution.

Steps to restrict SSH commands per key:

Open a terminal on the SSH server as the Unix account whose key must be restricted, or as a user with sudo access to that account’s home directory.
```
$ whoami
backupcmd
```
Back up the existing authorized_keys file for that account.
```
$ cp ~/.ssh/authorized_keys ~/.ssh/authorized_keys.bak-$(date +%F)
```
Accidentally overwriting /.ssh/authorized_keys without a backup can remove all keys for the account and block key-based login until restored.

Inspect the current keys so the correct line can be identified for restriction.

$ nl -ba ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
     1	command="/usr/local/bin/backup-run.sh",no-port-forwarding,no-agent-forwarding,no-X11-forwarding,no-pty ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIPEPnTarmhV1ZKnuPQ3Bi9/k7+Fs0aJaGZFsAbmZ/P3B user@host
     2	ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIMB5gIrE+VlSXny5KlaOW4NT8KbII3Kpc5uIheOiLU/t user@host

nl with -ba prints line numbers even for blank lines, which helps when editing specific entries.

Open the authorized_keys file in a text editor.
```
$ nano ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
```

Prefix the target key line with a forced command and recommended safety options, keeping all options before the key type and on a single line.

# Key restricted to a backup script and no interactive use
command="/usr/local/bin/backup-run.sh",no-port-forwarding,no-agent-forwarding,no-X11-forwarding,no-pty ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIGenericKeyMaterialOne backup@client1
 
# Unrestricted key for interactive admin (unchanged)
ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIGenericKeyMaterialTwo deploy@ci

All authorized_keys options, including command= and no-port-forwarding, must appear before the key type (for example, ssh-ed25519) and be separated by commas with no spaces.

Ensure the forced command path exists on the server and is executable so the restricted key can run it successfully.
```
$ ls -l /usr/local/bin/backup-run.sh
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 125 Jan 11 06:53 /usr/local/bin/backup-run.sh
```
If the forced command binary or script does not exist or is not executable, logins using the restricted key will fail with a generic error and the backup or automation task will not run.

Tighten permissions on the /.ssh directory and authorized_keys file for the account so SSH does not ignore them.

$ chmod 700 ~/.ssh
$ chmod 600 ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
$ ls -ld ~/.ssh ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
drwx------ 2 backupcmd backupcmd 4096 Jan 11 06:53 /home/backupcmd/.ssh
-rw------- 1 backupcmd backupcmd  285 Jan 11 06:53 /home/backupcmd/.ssh/authorized_keys

OpenSSH refuses to use /.ssh/authorized_keys if it is writable by group or others, which can silently disable key-based access.

From a separate system that holds the restricted private key, initiate an SSH connection without specifying a remote command to confirm the forced command runs automatically.
```
$ ssh -i ~/.ssh/backupcmd-key.ed25519 backupcmd@host.example.net
Running scheduled backup via backup-run.sh...
Backup completed successfully.
```
Attempt to run an arbitrary command with the same key and verify that the configured forced command still runs instead of the requested command.
```
$ ssh -i ~/.ssh/backupcmd-key.ed25519 backupcmd@host.example.net "uname -a"
Running scheduled backup via backup-run.sh...
Backup completed successfully.
```
A key with command= set cannot execute arbitrary client-supplied commands; the SSH server always invokes the forced command, which ignores the remote command string.

Use a small wrapper script when multiple safe commands must be allowed for a single key, relying on the SSH_ORIGINAL_COMMAND environment variable to decide what to run.

#!/bin/bash
set -euo pipefail
 
LOG_FILE="/var/log/ssh-allowed-commands.log"
 
case "${SSH_ORIGINAL_COMMAND:-}" in
  "uptime")
    exec /usr/bin/uptime
    ;;
  "whoami")
    exec /usr/bin/whoami
    ;;
  "")
    echo "Interactive shells are not permitted for this key." >&2
    exit 1
    ;;
  *)
    echo "$(date -Is) denied: ${SSH_ORIGINAL_COMMAND} from ${SSH_CLIENT:-unknown}" >> "${LOG_FILE}"
    echo "Requested command is not permitted for this key." >&2
    exit 1
    ;;
esac

To use a wrapper, set the per-key option to command=“/usr/local/bin/ssh-allowed-commands.sh” so the script receives any requested command via SSH_ORIGINAL_COMMAND and can enforce a whitelist.

Restrict wrapper script permissions so only root can modify it, preventing unauthorized users from broadening what the key may execute.
```
$ chown root:root /usr/local/bin/ssh-allowed-commands.sh
$ chmod 700 /usr/local/bin/ssh-allowed-commands.sh
$ ls -l /usr/local/bin/ssh-allowed-commands.sh
-rwx------ 1 root root 420 Jan 11 06:53 /usr/local/bin/ssh-allowed-commands.sh
```
World-writable forced-command scripts allow any local user to change the behavior of restricted keys, defeating the purpose of per-key command locking.
Verify that the restricted key cannot open an interactive shell by requesting one explicitly and confirming that only the forced command or wrapper logic runs.
```
$ ssh -i ~/.ssh/backupcmd-key.ed25519 -tt backupcmd@host.example.net
```

Author: Mohd Shakir Zakaria
Mohd Shakir Zakaria is a cloud architect with deep roots in software development and open-source advocacy. Certified in AWS, Red Hat, VMware, ITIL, and Linux, he specializes in designing and managing robust cloud and on-premises infrastructures.

How to restrict SSH commands per key in authorized_keys

Steps to restrict SSH commands per key: