wget-sslrc: Enhanced Secure File Downloads with SSL/TLS

Overview

wget-sslrc is designed to maintain the robust download capabilities of `wget` while enhancing the security of SSL/TLS connections or simplifying complex certificate options. This is especially useful in environments with strict security requirements.

Key Features

Enforce SSL/TLS protocol versions (e.g., TLSv1.2 and above)
Simplify the use of specific CA certificate bundles
Strengthen or flexibly handle certificate validation
Compatible with all `wget` functionalities

Key Options

Since wget-sslrc internally calls `wget`, most `wget` options can be used directly. Additionally, wget-sslrc itself may offer extra security-related options or modify default behaviors. Below are commonly used SSL/TLS related options from `wget`.

SSL/TLS Related

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Description:

`wget-sslrc` Executes the command.

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Usage Examples

wget-sslrc is used similarly to `wget`, but with potentially enhanced security configurations applied internally.

Basic Secure Download

wget-sslrc https://example.com/secure_file.zip

Downloads a file using the default security options configured.

Using a Specific CA Certificate

wget-sslrc --ca-certificate=/etc/ssl/my_custom_ca.pem https://internal.example.com/data.tar.gz

Validates the server's identity using a specified CA certificate file.

Enforcing TLSv1.2 Protocol

wget-sslrc --secure-protocol=TLSv1.2 https://legacy-server.com/update.bin

Forces the use of only the TLSv1.2 protocol during the download.

Ignoring Certificate Check (Caution)

wget-sslrc --no-check-certificate https://test.untrusted.com/file.txt

Downloads a file by bypassing certificate validation. This poses a security risk and should not be used with untrusted sources.

Installation

wget-sslrc is not a command included by default in standard Linux distributions. It is typically implemented as a shell script that wraps the `wget` command. Below is a method to create a simple `wget-sslrc` script.

Prerequisites

The `wget` command must be installed on your system.

Create Script and Grant Execute Permissions

echo '#!/bin/bash\nexec wget --secure-protocol=TLSv1_2 "$@"' > wget-sslrc
chmod +x wget-sslrc

Save the following content into a file named `wget-sslrc` and grant it execute permissions. This example defaults to TLSv1.2 and utilizes the system's default CA certificate paths.

Add to PATH

sudo mv wget-sslrc /usr/local/bin/

Move the script to a directory in your PATH, such as `/usr/local/bin`, to make it executable from anywhere.

Tips & Precautions

Useful tips and points to consider when using wget-sslrc.

Security Protocol Versions

To comply with the latest security standards, it is recommended to enforce TLSv1.2 or TLSv1.3 using the `--secure-protocol` option.

TLSv1.2: `wget-sslrc --secure-protocol=TLSv1.2 ...`
TLSv1.3: `wget-sslrc --secure-protocol=TLSv1.3 ...` (Requires wget version 1.20 or later)

Certificate Management

For private networks or when using self-signed certificates, you must explicitly specify the trusted CA certificate file using the `--ca-certificate` option.

Check system default CA paths: `/etc/ssl/certs/` or `/etc/pki/tls/certs/`
Update certificate bundles: `sudo update-ca-certificates` (Debian/Ubuntu) or `sudo update-pki-ca-trust` (RHEL/CentOS)

Debugging

If you encounter connection issues, you can use the `-d` (debug) option with `wget` to view detailed SSL/TLS handshake information. For example: `wget-sslrc -d https://example.com`.