Controlling Access to a Virtual Terminal Line

Last Updated: July 20, 2011

You can control who can access the virtual terminal lines (vtys) to a router by applying an access list to inbound vtys. You can also control the destinations that the vtys from a router can reach by applying an access list to outbound vtys.

Finding Feature Information

Your software release may not support all the features documented in this module. For the latest feature information and caveats, see the release notes for your platform and software release. To find information about the features documented in this module, and to see a list of the releases in which each feature is supported, see the Feature Information Table at the end of this document.

Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco software image support. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to www.cisco.com/go/cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.

Restrictions for Controlling Access to a Virtual Terminal Line

When you apply an access list to a vty (by using the access-class command), the access list must be a numbered access list, not a named access list.

Information About Controlling Access to a Virtual Terminal Line

Benefits of Controlling Access to a Virtual Terminal Line

By applying an access list to an inbound vty, you can control who can access the lines to a router. By applying an access list to an outbound vty, you can control the destinations that the lines from a router can reach.

How to Control Access to a Virtual Terminal Line

Controlling Inbound Access to a vty

Perform this task when you want to control access to a vty coming into the router by using an access list. Access lists are very flexible; this task illustrates one access-list deny command and one access-list permitcommand. You will decide how many of each command you should use and their order to achieve the restrictions you want.

SUMMARY STEPS

1.    enable

2.    configure terminal

3.    access-list access-list-number deny {source [source-wildcard] | any} [log]

4.    access-list access-list-number permit {source [source-wildcard] | any}[log]

5.    line vty line-number [ending-line-number]

6.    access-class access-list-number in [vrf-also]

7.    exit

8.    Repeat Steps 5 and 6 for each line to set identical restrictions on all the vtys because a user can connect to any of them.

9.    end

10.    show line [line-number | summary]


DETAILED STEPS
  Command or Action Purpose
Step 1
enable


Example:

Router> enable

 

Enables privileged EXEC mode.

  • Enter your password if prompted.
 
Step 2
configure terminal


Example:

Router# configure terminal

 

Enters global configuration mode.

 
Step 3
access-list access-list-number deny {source [source-wildcard] | any} [log]


Example:

Router(config)# access-list 1 deny 172.16.7.34

 

(Optional) Denies the specified source based on a source address and wildcard mask.

  • If the source-wildcard is omitted, a wildcard mask of 0.0.0.0 is assumed, meaning match on all bits of the source address.
  • Optionally use the keyword any as a substitute for the source source-wildcardto specify the source and source wildcard of 0.0.0.0 255.255.255.255.
  • In this example, host 172.16.7.34 is denied passing the access list.
 
Step 4
access-list access-list-number permit {source [source-wildcard] | any}[log]


Example:

Router(config)# access-list 1 permit 172.16.0.0 0.0.255.255

 

Permits the specified source based on a source address and wildcard mask.

  • If the source-wildcard is omitted, a wildcard mask of 0.0.0.0 is assumed, meaning match on all bits of the source address.
  • Optionally use the keyword any as a substitute for the source source-wildcardto specify the source and source wildcard of 0.0.0.0 255.255.255.255.
  • In this example, hosts on network 172.16.0.0 (other than the host denied in the prior step) pass the access list, meaning they can access the vtys identified in the line command.
 
Step 5
line vty line-number [ending-line-number]


Example:

Router(config)# line vty 5 10

 

Identifies a specific line for configuration and enters line configuration mode.

  • Entering the line command with the optional line type vty designates the line number as a relative line number.
  • You also can use the line command without specifying a line type. In this case, the line number is treated as an absolute line number.
 
Step 6
access-class access-list-number in [vrf-also]


Example:

Router(config-line)# access-class 1 in vrf-also

 

Restricts incoming connections between a particular vty (into a Cisco device) and the networking devices associated with addresses in the access list.

  • If you do not specify the vrf-also keyword, incoming Telnet connections from interfaces that are part of a VPN routing and forwarding (VRF) instance are rejected.
 
Step 7
exit


Example:

Router(config-line)# exit

 

Returns the user to the next highest configuration mode.

 
Step 8
Repeat Steps 5 and 6 for each line to set identical restrictions on all the vtys because a user can connect to any of them. 

If you indicated the full range of vty lines in Step 5 with the line command, you do not need to repeat Steps 5 and 6.

 
Step 9
end


Example:

Router(config-line)# end

 

Returns the user to privileged EXEC mode.

 
Step 10
show line [line-number | summary]


Example:

Router# show line 5

 

Displays parameters of a terminal line.

 

Controlling Outbound Access to a vty

Perform this task when you want to control access from a vty to a destination. Access lists are very flexible; this task illustrates one access-list deny command and one access-list permitcommand. You will decide how many of each command you should use and their order to achieve the restrictions you want.

When a standard access list is applied to a line with the access-class outcommand, the address specified in the access list is not a source address (as it is in an access list applied to an interface), but a destination address.

SUMMARY STEPS

1.    enable

2.    configure terminal

3.    access-list access-list-number deny {destination [destination-wildcard] | any} [log]

4.    access-list access-list-number permit {source [source-wildcard] | any} [log]

5.    line vty line-number [ending-line-number]

6.    access-class access-list-number out

7.    exit

8.    Repeat Steps 5 and 6 for each line to set identical restrictions on all the vtys because a user can connect to any of them.

9.    end

10.    show line [line-number | summary]


DETAILED STEPS
  Command or Action Purpose
Step 1
enable


Example:

Router> enable

 

Enables privileged EXEC mode.

  • Enter your password if prompted.
 
Step 2
configure terminal


Example:

Router# configure terminal

 

Enters global configuration mode.

 
Step 3
access-list access-list-number deny {destination [destination-wildcard] | any} [log]


Example:

Router(config)# access-list 2 deny 172.16.7.34

 

Denies line access to the specified destination based on a destination address and wildcard mask.

  • If the destination-wildcard is omitted, a wildcard mask of 0.0.0.0 is assumed, meaning match on all bits of the source address.
  • Optionally use the keyword any as a substitute for the destination destination-wildcardto specify the source and source wildcard of 0.0.0.0 255.255.255.255.
  • In this example, host 172.16.7.34 is denied passing the access list, meaning the line cannot connect to it.
 
Step 4
access-list access-list-number permit {source [source-wildcard] | any} [log]


Example:

Router(config)# access-list 2 permit 172.16.0.0 0.0.255.255

 

Permits the specified source based on a source address and wildcard mask.

  • If the source-wildcard is omitted, a wildcard mask of 0.0.0.0 is assumed, meaning match on all bits of the source address.
  • Optionally use the keyword any as a substitute for the source source-wildcardto specify the source and source wildcard of 0.0.0.0 255.255.255.255.
  • In this example, hosts on network 172.16.0.0 (other than the host denied in the prior step) pass the access list, meaning they can be connected to by the vtys identified in the line command.
 
Step 5
line vty line-number [ending-line-number]


Example:

Router(config)# line vty 5 10

 

Identifies a specific line for configuration and enter line configuration mode.

  • Entering the line command with the optional line type vty designates the line number as a relative line number.
  • You also can use the line command without specifying a line type. In this case, the line number is treated as an absolute line number.
 
Step 6
access-class access-list-number out


Example:

Router(config-line)# access-class 2 out

 

Restricts connections between a particular vty (into a Cisco device) out to the networking devices associated with addresses in the access list.

 
Step 7
exit


Example:

Router(config-line)# exit

 

Returns the user to the next highest configuration mode.

 
Step 8
Repeat Steps 5 and 6 for each line to set identical restrictions on all the vtys because a user can connect to any of them. 

If you indicated the full range of vtys in Step 5 with the line command, you do not need to repeat Steps 5 and 6.

 
Step 9
end


Example:

Router(config-line)# end

 

Returns the user to privileged EXEC mode.

 
Step 10
show line [line-number | summary]


Example:

Router# show line 5

 

Displays parameters of a terminal line.

 

Configuration Examples for Controlling Access to a Virtual Terminal Line

Example Controlling Inbound Access on vtys

The following example defines an access list that permits only hosts on network 172.19.5.0 to connect to the virtual terminal lines 1 through 5 on the router. Because the vty keyword is omitted from the line command, the line numbers 1 through 5 are absolute line numbers.

access-list 12 permit 172.19.5.0 0.0.0.255
line 1 5
 access-class 12 in

Example Controlling Outbound Access on vtys

The following example defines an access list that denies connections to networks other than network 171.20.0.0 on terminal lines 1 through 5. Because the vty keyword is omitted from the line command, the line numbers 1 through 5 are absolute line numbers.

access-list 10 permit 172.20.0.0 0.0.255.255
line 1 5
 access-class 10 out

Where to Go Next

You can further secure a vty by configuring a password with the password line configuration command. See the password (line configuration) command in the Cisco IOS Security Command Reference.

Additional References

Related Documents

Related Topic

Document Title

Cisco IOS commands

Cisco IOS Master Commands List, All Releases

Configuring a password on a line

Cisco IOS Security Command Reference

Standards

Standard

Title

None

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MIBs

MIB

MIBs Link

None

To locate and download MIBs for selected platforms, Cisco IOS releases, and feature sets, use Cisco MIB Locator found at the following URL:

http://www.cisco.com/go/mibs

RFCs

RFC

Title

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Technical Assistance

Description

Link

The Cisco Support and Documentation website provides online resources to download documentation, software, and tools. Use these resources to install and configure the software and to troubleshoot and resolve technical issues with Cisco products and technologies. Access to most tools on the Cisco Support and Documentation website requires a Cisco.com user ID and password.

http://www.cisco.com/cisco/web/support/index.html

Feature Information for Controlling Access to a Virtual Terminal Line

The following table provides release information about the feature or features described in this module. This table lists only the software release that introduced support for a given feature in a given software release train. Unless noted otherwise, subsequent releases of that software release train also support that feature.

Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco software image support. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to www.cisco.com/go/cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.

Table 1 Feature Information for Controlling Access to a Virtual Terminal Line

Feature Name

Releases

Feature Configuration Information

Controlling Access to a Virtual Terminal Line

12.0(32)S4

You can control who can access the virtual terminal lines (vtys) to a router by applying an access list to inbound vtys. You can also control the destinations that the vtys from a router can reach by applying an access list to outbound vtys.

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