Whatsupp SSH?

This is a Nodejs application integrated with Twilio's API for WhatsApp, which could be installed and configured on any remote server(dead simple to setup!, trust me 🙌) or computer(with UNIX based OS), results in gaining access to it remotely and execute shell commands over WhatsApp.

📌 Click on DEV logo below to view detailed post

How to Setup?

The setup process is really simple, you just have to follow these four steps...

🟢 STEP-1. Signup for a Twilio Account and join the Twilio Whatsapp sandbox.

• Signup for an account here

• Now, login and join the sandbox by doing as directed on screen and complete all 3 steps. Don't share your sandbox code with anyone (The red block covers my sandbox code)

• One final thing needs to be added into twilio. We will see that later...

🟢 STEP-2 Configure port on the server/ computer.

• If you are setting up in the local computer, then you are free to skip to STEP-3.

• If setting up in a remote server, then you need to configure the instance/ droplet to open port 3003 for incoming requests.

📌 port 3003 is where Twilio would be forwarding the requests to...

If using AWS EC2 then you need to add a new rule inside Security Groups -> Inbound rules of a particular instance.

• Then add a new rule like so...

📌 If using other than EC2, then refer to official docs.

🟢 STEP-3 Let's move towards our computer/ server.

📌 All the actions from now are performed inside the terminal.

• cd into the directory where you want to clone the app.

• Now, clone this repo.

$ sudo git clone https://github.com/manojnaidu619/Whatsupp-SSH.git

• cd into the project folder and run sudo npm install

$ cd Whatsupp-SSH/ 

$ sudo npm install

• As we are logging the requests into a log file, we need to give appropriate permissions to the app directory and the folders inside it. (The path to project must be absolute)

$ sudo chmod -R a+rw ~/home/Whatsupp-SSH

• Now adding env variables, which our app relies on. Make sure the key is same as mentioned below.

📌 Here, I am considering Ubuntu as the OS.

$ sudo nano /etc/bash.bashrc

scroll down to the bottom of the file and add these lines by replacing the values.

export SSH_PSWD=YOUR_DESIRED_PASSWORD
export TWILIO_URL=http://PUBLIC_IP_OF_SERVER:3003/Whatsupp-SSH
export TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN=YOUR_TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN

then source the bash.bashrc file by typing.

$ source /etc/bash.bashrc

• Now, copy the same TWILIO_URL that was added to bash.bashrc file.

📌 Remember that we had one last thing to add to Twilio sandbox configuration... It's time to do that.

head to twilio console -> programmable SMS -> Whatsapp -> Sandbox

After adding that, scroll down and hit Save.

🟢 STEP-4. Head to your server/computer and run these final commands.

• install pm2.

$ sudo npm install pm2 --global

• Now, run pm2 startup to initialize startup scripts. So, whenever the server reboots/ crashes, our node app would also be picked up automatically.

$ pm2 startup

Now copy-paste the command given by pm2 (the one outlined by red border) and hit enter.

• Now, to save them all run pm2 save.

$ pm2 save

• just one final command left, you have successfully setup the app. Now let's start the pm2 server.

$ pm2 start ABSOLUTE_PATH_TO_WHATSUPP-SSH/src/app.js

Hurray! 🙌 your app is now up and running, get started by sending a simple command to your Twilio sandbox over Whatsapp.

📌 For more info on unique features, security, limitations... check out the complete post by clicking on the DEV logo.

License & copyright

© 2020 Manoj Naidu

Licensed under MIT License