TACACS+ Python client

A TACACS+ client that supports authentication, authorization and accounting.

Unlike RADIUS, which was designed for similar purposes, the TACACS+ protocol offers basic packet encryption but, as with most crypto designed back then, it's not secure and definitely should not be used over untrusted networks.

This package has been successfully used with the free tac_plus TACACS+ server on a variety of operating systems.

Basic Installation and Usage

$ pip install tacacs_plus

$ tacacs_client -u myuser -H localhost authenticate
$ tacacs_client -u myuser -H localhost authenticate -t pap
$ tacacs_client -u myuser -H localhost -v authenticate -t chap
status: PASS

$ tacacs_client -u myuser -H localhost authorize -c service=shell cmd=show cmdarg=version
$ tacacs_client -u myuser -H localhost -v authorize -t pap -c service=shell cmd=show cmdarg=version
status: PASS

$ tacacs_client -u myuser -H localhost -v authorize -t pap -c service=junos-exec
status: REPL
av-pairs:
    allow-commands=^acommandregex$
    deny-commands=^anothercommandregex$

$ tacacs_client -u myuser -H localhost account -f start -c service=shell cmd=show cmdarg=version
$ tacacs_client -u myuser -H localhost account -f stop -c service=shell cmd=show cmdarg=version

$ tacacs_client -h
usage: tacacs_client [-h] -u USERNAME -H HOST [-p PORT] [-l PRIV_LVL]
                     [-t {ascii,pap,chap}] [-r REM_ADDR] [-P VIRTUAL_PORT]
                     [--timeout TIMEOUT] [-d] [-v] [-k KEY]
                     {authenticate,authorize,account} ...

        Tacacs+ client with full AAA support:

            * Authentication supports both ascii, pap and chap.
            * Authorization supports AV pairs and single commands.
            * Accounting support AV pairs and single commands.

        NOTE: shared encryption key can be set via environment variable TACACS_PLUS_KEY or via argument.
        NOTE: user password can be setup via environment variable TACACS_PLUS_PWD or via argument.


positional arguments:
  {authenticate,authorize,account}
                        action to perform over the tacacs+ server
    authenticate        authenticate against a tacacs+ server
    authorize           authorize a command against a tacacs+ server
    account             account commands with accounting flags against a tacacs+ server

optional arguments:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -u USERNAME, --username USERNAME
                        user name
  -H HOST, --host HOST  tacacs+ server address
  -p PORT, --port PORT  tacacs+ server port (default 49)
  -l PRIV_LVL, --priv-lvl PRIV_LVL
                        user privilege level
  -t {ascii,pap,chap}, --authen-type {ascii,pap,chap}
                        authentication type
  -r REM_ADDR, --rem-addr REM_ADDR
                        remote address (logged by tacacs server)
  -P VIRTUAL_PORT, --virtual-port VIRTUAL_PORT
                        console port used in connection (logged by tacacs server)
  --timeout TIMEOUT
  -d, --debug           enable debugging output
  -v, --verbose         print responses
  -6, --v6              use IPv6 addresses
  -k KEY, --key KEY     tacacs+ shared encryption key

$ tacacs_client authenticate -h
usage: tacacs_client authenticate [-h] [-p PASSWORD]

optional arguments:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -p PASSWORD, --password PASSWORD
                        user password

$ tacacs_client authorize -h
usage: tacacs_client authorize [-h] -c CMDS [CMDS ...]

optional arguments:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -c CMDS [CMDS ...], --cmds CMDS [CMDS ...]
                        list of cmds to authorize

$ tacacs_client account -h
usage: tacacs_client account [-h] -c CMDS [CMDS ...] -f {start,stop,update}

optional arguments:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -c CMDS [CMDS ...], --cmds CMDS [CMDS ...]
                        list of cmds to authorize
  -f {start,stop,update}, --flag {start,stop,update}
                        accounting flag

Programmatic Usage

#!/usr/bin/env python
from __future__ import print_function

from tacacs_plus.client import TACACSClient
from tacacs_plus.flags import TAC_PLUS_ACCT_FLAG_START, TAC_PLUS_ACCT_FLAG_WATCHDOG, TAC_PLUS_ACCT_FLAG_STOP
import socket

#For IPv6 add the family socket.AF_INET6 as family params
#cli = TACACSClient('host', 49, 'secret', timeout=10, family=socket.AF_INET6)
cli = TACACSClient('host', 49, 'secret', timeout=10)

# authenticate user and pass
authen = cli.authenticate('username', 'password')
print("PASS!" if authen.valid else "FAIL!")

# authorize user and command
author = cli.authorize('username', arguments=[b"service=shell", b"cmd=show", b"cmdargs=version"])
print("PASS!" if author.valid else "FAIL!")

# start accounting session for command
acct = cli.account('username', TAC_PLUS_ACCT_FLAG_START, arguments=[b"service=shell", b"cmd=show", b"cmdargs=version"])
print("PASS!" if acct.valid else "FAIL!")

# continue accounting session for another command
acct = cli.account('username', TAC_PLUS_ACCT_FLAG_WATCHDOG, arguments=[b"service=shell", b"cmd=debug", b"cmdargs=aaa"])
print("PASS!" if acct.valid else "FAIL!")

# close accounting session
acct = cli.account('username', TAC_PLUS_ACCT_FLAG_STOP, arguments=[b"service=shell", b"cmd=exit"])
print("PASS!" if acct.valid else "FAIL!")