ssm-connect 1.2.1

Interactive CLI to connect to AWS EC2 and RDS via SSM or SSH-over-SSM, with credential persistence and multi-session support.

ssm-connect

Interactive CLI to connect to AWS EC2 instances and RDS databases via:

• SSM Session Manager (interactive shell)
• SSH over SSM (with your SSH key)
• RDS Port Forwarding (via EC2 bastion host)
• File Transfer (SCP) (Securely upload/download files)

Multiple sessions in parallel (each opens in a new terminal). Keyword search across Name, Instance ID, and all tag values. Simple, cross-platform, and secure-by-default.

Features

• Target Selection: Choose to connect to EC2 instances or RDS databases
• EC2 Connections:
  • SSM Session Manager (interactive shell)
  • SSH over SSM (with private key authentication)
• RDS Connections:
  • Port forwarding to RDS databases via EC2 bastion host
  • Auto-selects available local port
• File Transfer:
  • Upload/Download files to/from EC2 instances using SCP
  • Uses existing SSH key configuration
• Smart Search: Filter instances by keywords (matches Name, InstanceId, and all tag values)
• Multi-Session: Opens each connection in a new terminal window (Linux, macOS, Windows) allowing for multiple simultaneous sessions.
• AWS Session: Automatically inherits AWS credentials
• Security: All code undergoes automated CodeQL static analysis on every PR and merge

Install

Latest release from PyPI: pip install --upgrade ssm-connect

Run the tool: ssm-connect

Requirements

• User should already be logged in to AWS
• AWS CLI v2
• SSM Session Manager plugin (installation guide)
• OpenSSH client (ssh command) - for SSH over SSM
• Python 3.8+
• Appropriate IAM role

Terminal Apps

The tool automatically detects and uses available terminal emulators:

• Windows: Windows Terminal (wt), PowerShell, or cmd
• macOS: Terminal.app
• Linux: gnome-terminal, konsole, xterm, or x-terminal-emulator

Usage

Start the CLI: ssm-connect

Connection Flow

1. Choose Target Type:

   • [1] EC2 - Connect directly to an EC2 instance
   • [2] RDS - Forward port to an RDS database via bastion

2. For EC2 Connections:

   • Choose connection type:
     • [1] SSM - Interactive shell via Session Manager
     • [2] SSH over SSM - SSH session with your private key
   • Filter and select target EC2 instance
   • For SSH: Provide private key path and username

3. For RDS Connections:

   • Step 1: Select EC2 bastion instance (must have SSM access)
   • Step 2: Select target RDS database
   • Connect to localhost:[auto-selected-port] with your database client

4. For File Transfer (SCP):

   • Select remote instance
   • Choose direction (Upload / Download)
   • Specify local and remote file paths
   • Tool handles the secure copy tunneling

Troubleshooting

Command not found

Ensure aws, session-manager-plugin, and ssh are installed and on PATH.

SSO expired

Refresh your AWS SSO session: aws sso login --profile your-profile

SSH key errors

Ensure the key exists and has proper permissions

No terminal found (Linux)

Install a terminal emulator

RDS connection refused

Ensure:

• The bastion EC2 instance has network connectivity to the RDS
• The bastion is running
• You have the appropriate role

Uninstall

pip uninstall ssm-connect

Security

Static Code Analysis

All pull requests and merges undergo automated CodeQL security analysis to detect:

• Security vulnerabilities
• Code quality issues
• Potential bugs
• Unsafe coding patterns

Reporting Security Issues

If you discover a security vulnerability, please report it privately via GitHub's Security Advisory feature rather than opening a public issue.

Contributing

Issues and pull requests are welcome. Please keep changes focused and include brief notes if behavior changes.

License

Apache License 2.0. See LICENSE for details.