PuTTY 0.77 introduced some new proxy capabilities (2022-05-07) that simplify setting up a “jump” host.

Major improvements to network proxy support:

  • Support for interactively prompting the user if the proxy server requires authentication.
  • Built-in support for proxying via another SSH server, so that PuTTY will SSH to the proxy and then automatically forward a port through it to the destination host. (Similar to running plink -nc as a subprocess, but more convenient to set up, and allows you to answer interactive prompts presented by the proxy.)
  • Support for HTTP Digest authentication, when talking to HTTP proxies.

Note, in particular, this removes the need for plink and its command-line options, as described in SSH key authentication with PuTTY, Part 2, Tunneling with Plink.

PuTTY-with-SSH-proxy.png

See The Proxy Panel online help.

Update: in PuTTY 0.78, Proxy type is now a drop-down list instead of radio-buttons: 0.78 Proxy Panel