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VA Technical Reference Model v 26.1

PuTTY

General Information

Technologies must be operated and maintained in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines. More information on the proper use of the TRM can be found on the TRM Proper Use Tab/Section.

Website:	Go to site
Description:	PuTTY is an open source Telnet and Secure Shell (SSH) terminal emulator client for Windows and Unix platforms. It is also capable of serial console and network file transfer and can connect to a serial port.
Technology/Standard Usage Requirements:	Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information System Security Officer (ISSO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.
Section 508 Information:	This technology has not been assessed by the Section 508 Office. The Implementer of this technology has the responsibility to ensure the version deployed is 508-compliant. Section 508 compliance may be reviewed by the Section 508 Office and appropriate remedial action required if necessary. For additional information or assistance regarding Section 508, please contact the Section 508 Office at Section508@va.gov.
Decision:	View Decisions

Decision Source:	TRM Mgmt Group
Decision Process:	One-VA TRM v25.11
Decision Date:	11/28/2025 at 20:54:05 UTC
Aliases:	terminal emulator
Introduced By:
Vendor Name:	PuTTY
Cage Code:	N/A

Vendor Release Information

The Vendor Release table provides the known releases for the TRM Technology, obtained from the vendor (or from the release source).

You must be logged into the RSAA website prior to clicking the Attestation URLs or the URLs won't open.

Major versions and minor versions of that Major released on or after 09/14/2022 are NOT EXEMPT. Major Versions released before 09/14/2022 are EXEMPT as well as minor versions of that Major regardless of release date.

Version	Release Date	Vendor End of Life Date	Vendor Desupport Date
0.58	04/05/2005
0.59	01/24/2007
0.60	04/29/2007
0.61	07/12/2011
0.62	12/10/2011
0.63	08/06/2013
0.67	03/10/2016
0.70	07/08/2017
0.83	02/08/2025

Current Decision Matrix (11/13/2025)

Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information System Security Officer (ISSO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.

The VA Decision Matrix displays the current and future VAIT position regarding different releases of a TRM entry. These decisions are based upon the best information available as of the most current date. The consumer of this information has the responsibility to consult the organizations responsible for the desktop, testing, and/or production environments to ensure that the target version of the technology will be supported.

Legend:

White	Authorized: The technology/standard has been authorized for use.
Yellow	Authorized w/ Constraints: The technology/standard can be used within the specified constraints located below the decision matrix in the footnote[1] and on the General tab.
Gray	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a] : This technology or standard can be used only if a POA&M review is conducted and signed by the Authorizing Official Designated Representative (AODR) as designated by the Authorizing Official (AO) or designee and based upon a recommendation from the POA&M Compliance Enforcement, has been granted to the project team or organization that wishes to use the technology.
Orange	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[b] : VA has decided to divest itself on the use of the technology/standard. As a result, all projects currently utilizing the technology/standard must plan to eliminate their use of the technology/standard. Additional information on when the entry is projected to become unauthorized may be found on the Decision tab for the specific entry.
Black	Unauthorized: The technology/standard is not (currently) permitted to be used under any circumstances.
Blue	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[c] : The period of time this technology is currently being evaluated, reviewed, and tested in controlled environments. Use of this technology is strictly controlled and not available for use within the general population. If a customer would like to use this technology, please work with your local or Regional OI&T office and contact the appropriate evaluation office displayed in the notes below the decision matrix. The Local or Regional OI&T office should submit an inquiry to the TRM if they require further assistance or if the evaluating office is not listed in the notes below.

Release/Version Information:

VA decisions for specific versions may include a ‘.x’ wildcard, which denotes a decision that pertains to a range of multiple versions.

For example, a technology authorized with a decision for 7.x would cover any version of 7.(Anything) - 7.(Anything). However, a 7.4.x decision would cover any version of 7.4.(Anything), but would not cover any version of 7.5.x or 7.6.x on the TRM.

VA decisions for specific versions may include ‘+’ symbols; which denotes that the decision for the version specified also includes versions greater than what is specified but is not to exceed or affect previous decimal places.

For example, a technology authorized with a decision for 12.6.4+ would cover any version that is greater than 12.6.4, but would not exceed the .6 decimal ie: 12.6.401 is ok, 12.6.5 is ok, 12.6.9 is ok, however 12.7.0 or 13.0 is not.

Any major.minor version that is not listed in the VA Decision Matrix is considered Unauthorized, Conditions Required ^[a] .

Release	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4
<Past	CY2026				CY2027				CY2028				Future>
0.58	Unauthorized, Conditions Required (POA&M Required)	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]
0.59	Unauthorized, Conditions Required (POA&M Required)	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]
0.60	Unauthorized, Conditions Required (POA&M Required)	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]
0.61	Unauthorized, Conditions Required (POA&M Required)	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]
0.62	Unauthorized, Conditions Required (POA&M Required)	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]
0.63	Unauthorized, Conditions Required (POA&M Required)	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]
0.67	Unauthorized, Conditions Required (POA&M Required)	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]
0.70	Unauthorized, Conditions Required (POA&M Required)	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]
0.83	Unauthorized, Conditions Required (POA&M Required)	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]	Unauthorized, Conditions Required^[a]
Note:	At the time of writing, version 0.83 is the most current version, released 02/08/2025.

Name	Description
No components have been identified for this entry.


Application Technology Development Tools	Software Change and Configuration Management Tools

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

This technology is available at no cost through open source licensing and supports VA`s open source initiative.

Adoption Risks

As an open source technology, this technology will be without clearly defined support options which may result in suboptimal enterprise level support.
The product does not provide Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) certified encryption, a necessary feature required to protect VA sensitive information.
This technology has the potential to collect, store, or transmit Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), or other sensitive VA data.
The VA has in place a baseline solution for Desktop Emulators, Reflection Desktop.
PuTTY provides Telnet functionality similar to a mainframe terminal. During standard Telnet sessions, the user-name and password are transmitted in clear text (unencrypted) and are vulnerable to being captured by a sniffer (network analyzer). This information can be exploited to gain unauthorized access to systems and sensitive information. The Telnet protocol is not authorized for use in the VA network and is required to be blocked at the firewall. If the firewall has been properly configured, this concern would be mitigated.
PuTTY provides rlogin connectivity, which utilizes a "trusted host" daemon on Linux/Unix systems. This daemon allows users to access a host system without requiring authentication. The rlogin protocol is not authorized for use in the VA network and is required to be blocked at the firewall. If the firewall has been properly configured, this concern would be mitigated.
PuTTY uses encryption modules that have not been verified to comply with Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2, which, according to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Handbook 6500, is the requirement for use within the VA enterprise.
There are known Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) associated with this technology. Please see https://nvd.NIST.gov/vuln/search for more details.
There are Threat & Assessment Analysis Portal (TAAP) bulletins associated with this technology.

Architectural Benefits

This technology is portable as it is supported by multiple TRM-authorized platforms.

- The information contained on this page is accurate as of the Decision Date (11/28/2025 at 20:54:05 UTC).

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VA Technical Reference Model v 26.1

General Information

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Current Decision Matrix (11/13/2025)

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VA Technical Reference Model v 26.1

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (11/13/2025)

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Open Source

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Optional Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Benefits

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VA Categories

View the VA Categorization Framework