SSHDUMP(1) SSHDUMP(1)
NAME
sshdump - Provide interfaces to capture from a remote host through SSH
using a remote capture binary.
SYNOPSIS
sshdump [ --help ] [ --version ] [ --extcap-interfaces ]
[ --extcap-dlts ] [ --extcap-interface=<interface> ] [ --extcap-config ]
[ --extcap-capture-filter=<capture filter> ] [ --capture ]
[ --fifo=<path to file or pipe> ] [ --remote-host=<IP address> ]
[ --remote-port=<TCP port> ] [ --remote-username=<username> ]
[ --remote-password=<password> ] [ --sshkey=<private key path> ]
[ --sshkey-passphrase=<private key passphrase> ]
[ --proxycommand=<SSH proxy command> ]
[ --remote-interface=<interface> ]
[ --remote-capture-command-select=<capture command selection> ]
[ --remote-capture-command=<capture command> ]
[ --remote-priv=<privilege elevation command selection> ]
[ --remote-priv-user=<privileged user name> ] [ --remote-noprom ]
[ --remote-filter=<remote capture filter> ] [ --remote-count=<number> ]
sshdump --extcap-interfaces
sshdump --extcap-interface=<interface> --extcap-dlts
sshdump --extcap-interface=<interface> --extcap-config
sshdump --extcap-interface=<interface> --fifo=<path to file or pipe>
--capture --remote-host=myremotehost --remote-port=22
--remote-username=user --remote-interface=eth2
--remote-capture-command='tcpdump -U -i eth0 -w-'
DESCRIPTION
Sshdump is an extcap tool that allows one to run a remote capture tool
over a SSH connection. The requirement is that the capture executable
must have the capabilities to capture from the wanted interface.
The feature is functionally equivalent to run commands like
$ ssh remoteuser@remotehost -p 22222 'tcpdump -U -i IFACE -w -' > FILE &
$ wireshark FILE
$ ssh remoteuser@remotehost '/sbin/dumpcap -i IFACE -P -w - -f "not port 22"' > FILE &
$ wireshark FILE
$ ssh somehost dumpcap -P -w - -f udp | tshark -i -
Typically sshdump is not invoked directly. Instead it can be configured
through the Wireshark graphical user interface or its command line. The
following will start Wireshark and start capturing from host remotehost:
$ wireshark '-oextcap.sshdump.remotehost:"remotehost"' -i sshdump -k
To explicitly control the remote capture command:
$ wireshark '-oextcap.sshdump.remotehost:"remotehost"' \
'-oextcap.sshdump.remotecapturecommand:"tcpdump -i eth0 -Uw- not port 22"' \
-i sshdump -k
Supported interfaces:
1. ssh
OPTIONS
--help
Print program arguments.
--version
Print program version.
--extcap-interfaces
List available interfaces.
--extcap-interface=<interface>
Use specified interfaces.
--extcap-dlts
List DLTs of specified interface.
--extcap-config
List configuration options of specified interface.
--extcap-capture-filter=<capture filter>
The capture filter. It corresponds to the value provided via the
tshark -f option, and the Capture Filter field next to the
interfaces list in the Wireshark interface.
--capture
Start capturing from specified interface and write raw packet data
to the location specified by --fifo.
--fifo=<path to file or pipe>
Save captured packet to file or send it through pipe.
--remote-host=<remote host>
The address of the remote host for capture.
--remote-port=<remote port>
The SSH port of the remote host.
--remote-username=<username>
The username for SSH authentication.
--remote-password=<password>
The password to use (if not ssh-agent and pubkey are used). WARNING:
the passwords are stored in plaintext and visible to all users on
this system. It is recommended to use keyfiles with a SSH agent.
--sshkey=<SSH private key path>
The path to a private key for authentication. NOTE: Only OPENSSH
key/value pair format is supported.
--sshkey-passphrase=<SSH private key passphrase>
The passphrase for the private key for authentication.
--proxycommand=<proxy command>
The command to use as proxy for the SSH connection.
--remote-interface=<remote interface>
The remote network interface to capture from.
--remote-capture-command-select=<capture command-selection>
The selection of the build-in support for remote capture commands.
Either dumpcap for a remote capture command using dumpcap, tcpdump
for a remote capture command using tcpdump, or other, where the
remote capture command is to be given with the
--remote-capture-command option.
Note that selecting dumpcap allows for specifying multiple capture
interfaces as a whitespace separated list, while tcpdump does not.
--remote-capture-command=<capture command>
A custom remote capture command that produces the remote stream that
is shown in Wireshark. The command must be able to produce a PCAP
stream written to STDOUT. See below for more examples.
If using tcpdump, use the -w- option to ensure that packets are
written to standard output (stdout). Include the -U option to write
packets as soon as they are received.
When specified, this command will be used as is, options such as the
capture filter (--extcap-capture-filter) will not be appended.
--remote-priv=<privilege elevation command selection>
The command to use to achieve privilege elevation to capture on the
remote host. Either none, sudo or doas.
--remote-priv-user=<privileged user name>
If a command is used to achieve privilege elevation to capture on
the remote host this may require a user name. If needed use this
option to give that user name.
--remote-filter=<capture filter>
The remote capture filter. It corresponds to the value provided via
the tshark -f option, and the Capture Filter field next to the
interfaces list in the Wireshark interface.
--remote-count=<number>
The number of packets to capture.
EXAMPLES
To see program arguments:
sshdump --help
To see program version:
sshdump --version
To see interfaces:
sshdump --extcap-interfaces
Only one interface (sshdump) is supported.
Example output
interface {value=sshdump}{display=SSH remote capture}
To see interface DLTs:
sshdump --extcap-interface=sshdump --extcap-dlts
Example output
dlt {number=147}{name=sshdump}{display=Remote capture dependent DLT}
To see interface configuration options:
sshdump --extcap-interface=sshdump --extcap-config
Example output
arg {number=0}{call=--remote-host}{display=Remote SSH server address}{type=string}
{tooltip=The remote SSH host. It can be both an IP address or a hostname}{required=true}{group=Server}
arg {number=1}{call=--remote-port}{display=Remote SSH server port}{type=unsigned}{default=22}
{tooltip=The remote SSH host port (1-65535)}{range=1,65535}{group=Server}
arg {number=2}{call=--remote-username}{display=Remote SSH server username}{type=string}
{tooltip=The remote SSH username. If not provided, the current user will be used}{group=Authentication}
arg {number=3}{call=--remote-password}{display=Remote SSH server password}{type=password}
{tooltip=The SSH password, used when other methods (SSH agent or key files) are unavailable.}{group=Authentication}
arg {number=4}{call=--sshkey}{display=Path to SSH private key}{type=fileselect}
{tooltip=The path on the local filesystem of the private SSH key (OpenSSH format)}{mustexist=true}{group=Authentication}
arg {number=5}{call=--sshkey-passphrase}{display=SSH key passphrase}{type=password}
{tooltip=Passphrase to unlock the SSH private key}{group=Authentication}
arg {number=6}{call=--proxycommand}{display=ProxyCommand}{type=string}
{tooltip=The command to use as proxy for the SSH connection}{group=Authentication}
arg {number=7}{call=--remote-interface}{display=Remote interface}{type=string}
{tooltip=The remote network interface used for capture}{group=Capture}
arg {number=8}{call=--remote-capture-command-select}{display=Remote capture command selection}{type=radio}
{tooltip=The remote capture command to build a command line for}{group=Capture}
value {arg=8}{value=dumpcap}{display=dumpcap}
value {arg=8}{value=tcpdump}{display=tcpdump}{default=true}
value {arg=8}{value=other}{display=Other:}
arg {number=9}{call=--remote-capture-command}{display=Remote capture command}{type=string}
{tooltip=The remote command used to capture}{group=Capture}
arg {number=10}{call=--remote-priv}{display=Gain capture privilege on the remote machine}{type=radio}
{tooltip=Optionally prepend the capture command with sudo or doas on the remote machine}{group=Capture}
value {arg=10}{value=none}{display=none}{default=true}
value {arg=10}{value=sudo}{display=sudo}
value {arg=10}{value=doas -n}{display=doas}
arg {number=11}{call=--remote-priv-user}{display=Privileged user name for sudo or doas}{type=string}
{tooltip=User name of privileged user to execute the capture command on the remote machine}{group=Capture}
arg {number=12}{call=--remote-noprom}{display=No promiscuous mode}{type=boolflag}
{tooltip=Don't use promiscuous mode on the remote machine}{group=Capture}
arg {number=13}{call=--remote-filter}{display=Remote capture filter}{type=string}
{tooltip=The remote capture filter}{default=not ((host myhost) and port 22)}{group=Capture}
arg {number=14}{call=--remote-count}{display=Packets to capture}{type=unsigned}{default=0}
{tooltip=The number of remote packets to capture. (Default: inf)}{group=Capture}
arg {number=15}{call=--log-level}{display=Set the log level}{type=selector}
{tooltip=Set the log level}{required=false}{group=Debug}
value {arg=14}{value=message}{display=Message}{default=true}
value {arg=14}{value=info}{display=Info}
value {arg=14}{value=debug}{display=Debug}
value {arg=14}{value=noisy}{display=Noisy}
arg {number=16}{call=--log-file}{display=Use a file for logging}{type=fileselect}
{tooltip=Set a file where log messages are written}{required=false}{group=Debug}
To capture:
sshdump --extcap-interface=sshdump --fifo=/tmp/ssh.pcap --capture --remote-host 192.168.1.10
--remote-username user --remote-filter "not port 22"
To use different capture binaries:
sshdump --extcap-interface=sshdump --fifo=/tmp/ssh.pcap --capture --remote-host 192.168.1.10
--remote-username user --remote-priv sudo --remote-capture-command-select tcpdump
--remote-interface eth0 --remote-noprom
sshdump --extcap-interface=sshdump --fifo=/tmp/ssh.pcap --capture --remote-host 192.168.1.10
--remote-capture-command='dumpcap -i eth0 -P -w -'
sshdump --extcap-interface=sshdump --fifo=/tmp/ssh.pcap --capture --remote-host 192.168.1.10
--remote-capture-command='sudo tcpdump -i eth0 -U -w -'
Note
To stop capturing CTRL+C/kill/terminate the application.
The sshdump binary can be renamed to support multiple instances. For
instance if we want sshdump to show up twice in wireshark (for instance
to handle multiple profiles), we can copy sshdump to sshdump-host1 and
sshdump-host2. Each binary will show up an interface name same as the
executable name. Those executables not being "sshdump" will show up as
"custom version" in the interface description.
SEE ALSO
wireshark(1), tshark(1), dumpcap(1), extcap(4), tcpdump(1)
NOTES
Sshdump is part of the Wireshark distribution. The latest version of
Wireshark can be found at https://www.wireshark.org.
HTML versions of the Wireshark project man pages are available at
https://www.wireshark.org/docs/man-pages.
AUTHORS
Original Author
Dario Lombardo <lomato[AT]gmail.com>
2025-06-10 SSHDUMP(1)
Generated by dwww version 1.16 on Tue Dec 16 05:45:54 CET 2025.