Implementation of basic API authentication

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/).
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+### Added
+
+- Basic API authentication to protect exposure of API port to the internet [#1228](https://github.com/ethereum-mining/ethminer/pull/1228).
 
 ## 0.15.0rc1
 

ethminer/main.cpp

@@ -211,6 +211,11 @@ class MinerCLI
 			->group(APIGroup)
 			->check(CLI::Range(-65535, 65535));
 
+		app.add_option("--api-password", m_api_password,
+			"Set the password to protect interaction with Api server. If not set any connection is granted access."
+		    "Be advised passwords are sent unencrypted over plain tcp !!")
+			->group(APIGroup);
+
 		app.add_option("--http-port", m_http_port,
 			"Set the web api port, the miner should listen to. Use 0 to disable. Data shown depends on hwmon setting", true)
 			->group(APIGroup)
@@ -710,7 +715,7 @@ class MinerCLI
 
 #if API_CORE
 
-		ApiServer api(m_io_service, abs(m_api_port), (m_api_port < 0) ? true : false, f);
+		ApiServer api(m_io_service, abs(m_api_port), (m_api_port < 0) ? true : false, m_api_password, f);
 		api.start();
 
         http_server.run(m_http_port, &f, m_show_hwmonitors, m_show_power);
@@ -817,6 +822,7 @@ class MinerCLI
 
 #if API_CORE
 	int m_api_port = 0;
+	string m_api_password;
 	unsigned m_http_port = 0;
 #endif