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ldap-cli

ldap-cli is a cross-platform compatible LDAP-based command-line interface allowing ETL operations on Directory objects using LDAP Data Interchange Format (LDIF).

The CLI application is written in Go and uses the Cobra framework. It is mainly intended for administrators and developers who want to query and edit directory objects. It is highly adopted to work with Microsoft Active Directory, although openldap implementations are being used for testing.

Developed as Computer Science Project for IU (www.iu-fernstudium.de).

Installation

Download executable binary from the release section, e.g.:

$ latest=$(curl -fsSI https://github.com/sarumaj/ldap-cli/releases/latest | grep -i location | sed 's/\r$//' | awk -F/ '{print $NF}') && \
  curl -fsSL "https://github.com/sarumaj/ldap-cli/releases/download/${latest}/ldap-cli_${latest}_linux-amd64" -o /usr/local/bin/ldap-cli
$ chmod +x /usr/local/bin/ldap-cli

Alternatively, build from source code (requires go 1.21.x runtime):

$ git clone https://github.com/sarumaj/ldap-cli
$ cd ldap-cli
$ go build \
    -trimpath \
    -ldflags="-s -w -X 'main.Version=$(git describe --tags $(git rev-list --tags --max-count=1))' -X 'main.BuildDate=$(date -u "+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S UTC")' -extldflags=-static" \
    -tags="osusergo netgo static_build" \
    -o /usr/local/bin/ldap-cli \
    "cmd/ldap-cli/main.go"
$ chmod +x /usr/local/bin/ldap-cli

Features

• LDAP/LDAPS authentication
  • SIMPLE BIND
  • NTLM (not tested)
  • UNAUTHENTICATED
  • MD5 (not tested)
  • GSSAPI SASL (not supported)
  • Preserve credentials in a keyring
• Search directory objects
  • Track progress of search operations
  • Search users with options (user-id, enabled, expired, memberOf)
  • Search groups with options (group-id)
  • Search by providing custom LDAP filter
    • Parse and validate filter syntax
    • Register lexical aliases
• Edit directory objects
  • Edit group members
    • Support arbitrary membership attribute
    • LDIF edit mode
  • Edit user's password
    • Support arbitrary password attribute
    • Option to pass old password (not supported)
    • LDIF edit mode
  • Edit custom objects
    • LDIF edit mode
• Interactive mode operandi
  • Ask for inputs
  • Utilize ANSI code sequences if available
• Support multiple output formats (CSV, LDIF, YAML)
• Custom filter syntax

TODO

• Implement LDAP Password Modify Extended Operation
• Test interactive UI
• Support AD object creation
• Support AD object disposal

Usage

Command line interface

Run ldap-cli --help to retrieve help on usage.

$ ldap-cli --help

> ldap-cli is cross-platform compatible client application based on the lightweight directory access control (LDAP)
>
> Usage:
>   ldap-cli [flags]
>   ldap-cli [command]
>
> Examples:
> ldap-cli --user "DOMAIN\\user" --password "password" --url "ldaps://example.com:636" <command>
>
> Available Commands:
>   completion  Generate the autocompletion script for the specified shell
>   edit        Edit a directory object
>   get         Get a directory object
>   help        Help about any command
>   version     Display version information
>
> Flags:
>       --auth-type string   Set authentication schema (supported: ["MD5", "NTLM", "SIMPLE", "UNAUTHENTICATED"]) (default "UNAUTHENTICATED")
>   -v, --debug              Set log level to debug (-v for verbose, -vv for trace)
>       --disable-tls        Disable TLS (not recommended)
>       --domain string      Set domain (required for NTLM authentication schema)
>   -h, --help               help for ldap-cli
>       --max-retries uint   Specify number of retries (default 3)
>       --password string    Set password (will be ignored if authentication schema is set to UNAUTHENTICATED)
>       --size-limit int     Specify query size limit (-1: unlimited) (default 2000)
>       --timeout duration   Specify query timeout (default 10m0s)
>       --url string         Provide address of the directory server (default "ldap://localhost:389")
>       --user string        Set username (will be ignored if authentication schema is set to UNAUTHENTICATED)
>
> Use "ldap-cli [command] --help" for more information about a command.

Custom filter syntax

E.g. following filter expression:

$AND($USER; $MEMBER_OF(CN=LocalUsers,DC=example,DC=com; true); $NOT($MEMBER_OF(CN=Employers,DC=example,DC=com; true)))

corresponds with the following LDAP filter expression:

(&
  (|
    (ObjectClass=user)
    (ObjectClass=posixAccount)
  )
  (MemberOf:1.2.840.113556.1.4.1941:=CN=LocalUsers,DC=example,DC=com)
  (!
    (MemberOf:1.2.840.113556.1.4.1941:=CN=Employers,DC=example,DC=com)
  )
)

Following expressions are supported:

Filter expression	Corresponding LDAP filter expression
$ATTR(<attribute>; <value>; <?operator>; <?rule>)	(<attribute>:<?rule>:<?operator><value>)
$CONTAINS(<attribute>; <value>; <?rule>)	(<attribute>:<?rule>:=*<value>*)
$ENDS_WITH(<attribute>; <value>; <?rule>)	(<attribute>:<?rule>:=*<value>)
$BAND	1.2.840.113556.1.4.803
$BOR	1.2.840.113556.1.4.804
$DATA	1.2.840.113556.1.4.2253
$RECURSIVE	1.2.840.113556.1.4.1941
$AND((filter1); ...; (filterN))	(&(filter1)...(filterN))
$NOT((filter))	(!(filter))
$OR((filter1); ...; (filterN))	(|(filter1)...(filterN))
$DC	(&(ObjectClass=computer)(UserAccountControl:1.2.840.113556.1.4.803:=8192))
$DISABLED	(UserAccountControl:1.2.840.113556.1.4.803:=2)
$ENABLED	(!(UserAccountControl:1.2.840.113556.1.4.803:=2))
$EQ(<attribute>; <value>; <?rule>)	(<attribute>:<?rule>:=<value>)
$EXISTS(<attribute>)	(<attribute>=*)
$EXPIRED	(&(AccountExpires=>0)(AccountExpires=<9223372036854775807)(AccountExpires=<92233720368547758)(AccountExpires=*))
$GROUP	(|(ObjectClass=group)(ObjectClass=posixGroup))
$GT(<attribute>; <value>; <?rule>)	(<attribute>:<?rule>:=><value>)
$GTE(<attribute>; <value>; <?rule>)	(<attribute>:<?rule>:>=<value>)
$ID(<id>)	(|(CN=<id>)(DisplayName=<id>)(|(DistinguishedName=<id>)(DN=<id>))(Name=<id>)(SAMAccountName=<id>)(UserPrincipalName=<id>)(ObjectGuid=<id>))
$LIKE(<attribute>; <value>; <?rule>)	(<attribute>:<?rule>:~=<value>)
$LT(<attribute>; <value>; <?rule>)	(<attribute>:<?rule>:=<<value>)
$LTE(<attribute>; <value>; <?rule>)	(<attribute>:<?rule>:<=<value>)
$MEMBER_OF(<dn>; <?recurse>)	(MemberOf=<dn>)
$NOT_EXISTS(<attribute>)	(!(<attribute>=*))
$NOT_EXPIRED	(!(&(AccountExpires=>0)(AccountExpires=<9223372036854775807)(AccountExpires=<92233720368547758)(AccountExpires=*)))
$STARTS_WITH(<attribute>; <value>; <?rule>)	(<attribute>:<?rule>:=<value>*)
$USER	(|(ObjectClass=user)(ObjectClass=posixAccount))

Parameters beginning with a question mark are optional.

Use cases

Object retrieval

Find any object:

$ ldap-cli \
  --auth-type "SIMPLE" \
  --user "secretuser" \
  --password "secretpassword" \
  --url "ldaps://example.com:636" \
  --size-limit "-1" \
  get \
    --format "ldif" \
    --path "DC=sales,DC=example,DC=com" \
    --select "dn" \
  custom \
    --filter '$AND($USER; $ID(12345))'

> distinguishedName: CN=Mustermann Max (12345),OU=Users,DC=example,DC=com

Reuse credentials from keyring and find a group object:

$ ldap-cli \
  --url "ldaps://example.com:636" \
  --size-limit "-1" \
  get \
    --format "ldif" \
    --path "DC=customers,DC=example,DC=com" \
    --select "members" \
  group \
    --group-id "business_sector_01"

> member: CN=Mustermann Uwe (12346),OU=Users,DC=example,DC=com
> member: CN=Musterfrau Ulrike (12347),OU=Users,DC=example,DC=com

Object alternation

Reuse credentials from keyring and add group member:

$ ldap-cli \
  --url "ldaps://example.com:636" \
  --size-limit "-1" \
  edit \
    --path "DC=customers,DC=example,DC=com" \
  group \
    --group-id "business_sector_01" \
    --add-member "CN=Mustermann Max (12345),OU=Users,DC=example,DC=com"

> Successfully applied modifications

Interactive UI Demonstration

Testing

An openldap server can be used to run tests against:

$ git clone https://github.com/sarumaj/ldap-cli
$ cd ldap-cli/oat
$ docker compose up
$ cd ..
$ TEST_OAT="true" go test -v ./...

Software Architecture

%%{init: { "flowchart": { "htmlLabels": true } } }%%
graph TB
    CLI_Tool["<b>LDAP CLI Tool</b>"] -->|Program entry point executor| Main["<b>main Package</b>"]
    Main -->|CLI command & flag definitions| App
    App -->|Authentication schemes| Auth
    App -->|Search & modify request operations| Client
    Client -->|Bind requests| Auth
    Client -->|Directory object properties| Attributes
    App -->|Directory object properties| Attributes
    App -->|Parser, schema validation & custom filter syntax| Filter
    App -->|Use| UtilLib
    Commands -->|Use| UtilApp
    EditCustom ~~~ EditGroup
    EditGroup ~~~ EditUser
    GetCustom ~~~ GetGroup
    GetGroup ~~~ GetUser
    subgraph Lib["<b>lib Package</b>"]
        Auth["<b>auth Package</b>"]
        Client["<b>client Package</b>"]
        subgraph Definitions["<b>definitions Package</b>"]
            Attributes["
                <b>attributes Package</b>

                common attribute definitions & parsers,
                group type definitions,
                user account type definitions,
                user control definitions,
                extensible match rules
            "]
            Filter["
                <b>filter Package</b>

                filter implementations,
                filter parsing,
                custom filter syntax
            "]
        end
        UtilLib["
            <b>util Package</b>

            error definitions,
            GUID generation,
            hex code conversion,
            keyring interfaces,
            DNS resolving,
            custom CSV reader,
            test utilities,
            text case alignment,
            time-base-oriented parsing,
            validating user input
        "]
    end
    subgraph App["<b>app Package</b>"]
      subgraph Internal["<b>internal Package</b>"]
          subgraph Commands["<b>commands Package</b>"]
              subgraph EditCmd["<b>edit command</b>"]
                  direction TB
                  EditCustom["
                      <b>custom sub-command</b>

                      modify any object
                  "]
                  EditGroup["
                      <b>group sub-command</b>

                      modify group object
                  "]
                  EditUser["
                      <b>user sub-command</b>

                      modify user object
                  "]
              end
              subgraph GetCmd["get command"]
                  direction TB
                  GetCustom["
                      <b>custom sub-command</b>

                      query any object
                  "]
                  GetGroup["
                      <b>group sub-command</b>

                      query group objects
                  "]
                  GetUser["
                      <b>user sub-command</b>

                      query user objects
                  "]
              end
              VersionCmd["
                  <b>version command</b>

                  verify app version,
                  update to the latest
              "]
          end
          UtilApp["
              <b>util Package</b>

              console utils,
              input/output format definitions,
              command help annotations,
              logging middleware,
              user interactive interfaces
          "]
      end
    end

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