Connect to cPanel MySQL Remotely via SSH Tunnel

Connect to cPanel MySQL Remotely via SSH Tunnel

This guide explains how to securely connect to a MySQL database hosted on a cPanel server from your local computer using an SSH tunnel.

Using an SSH tunnel means you do not need to expose MySQL port 3306 publicly.

Requirements

Before starting, make sure you have:

• SSH access enabled for the cPanel account
• cPanel username
• Server hostname or IP address
• MySQL database name
• MySQL database username
• MySQL database password

1. Generate an SSH Key

On your local Mac or Linux computer, open Terminal and run:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519

Press Enter to use the default key location:

~/.ssh/id_ed25519

This creates:

Private key: ~/.ssh/id_ed25519
Public key:  ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Never share or upload your private key.

2. Copy Your Public Key

Run:

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Copy the complete output. It should start with:

ssh-ed25519

3. Import the Public Key into cPanel

Log in to cPanel and navigate to:

Security → SSH Access → Manage SSH Keys → Import Key

Enter the following:

• Name: id_ed25519
• Public Key: Paste the public key copied in the previous step
• Private Key: Leave blank
• Passphrase: Leave blank

Click Import.

4. Authorize the SSH Key

Go back to:

SSH Access → Manage SSH Keys

Find the imported key under Public Keys.

Click:

Manage → Authorize

The key must be authorized before it can be used to log in through SSH.

5. Test SSH Access

From your local computer, run:

ssh CPANEL_USERNAME@SERVER_HOSTNAME

For example:

ssh myuser@server.example.com

If you can successfully log in, your SSH key has been configured correctly.

6. Create the MySQL SSH Tunnel

On your local computer, run:

ssh -fNL localhost:3307:localhost:3306 CPANEL_USERNAME@SERVER_HOSTNAME

For example:

ssh -N -L 3307:localhost:3306 myuser@server.example.com

Keep this Terminal window open while you are using the database.

The tunnel maps:

Your Computer:3307
        ↓
    SSH Tunnel
        ↓
cPanel Server:3306
        ↓
      MySQL

7. Configure Your MySQL Client

Configure your application or database client with:

Setting	Value
Host	localhost
Port	3307
Database	cpaneluser_database
Username	cpaneluser_dbuser
Password	Your MySQL database password

Use localhost rather than the cPanel server hostname for the database connection.

8. Test the MySQL Connection

From another Terminal window, run:

mysql -h localhost -P 3307 -u cpaneluser_dbuser -p

Enter your MySQL database password when prompted.

If the connection succeeds, your application can use the same host and port.

Prisma Example

For Prisma, your connection string would look like:

DATABASE_URL="mysql://cpaneluser_dbuser:PASSWORD@localhost:3307/cpaneluser_database"

Replace the username, password, and database name with your actual credentials.

Important Notes

• Keep the SSH tunnel running while your application is connected to MySQL.
• Do not expose MySQL port 3306 publicly just for remote development.
• You normally do not need to whitelist your local IP under Remote MySQL in cPanel when connecting through the SSH tunnel.
• The SSH credentials and MySQL database credentials are separate.
• If local port 3307 is already being used, choose another unused port such as 3308.

Connection Flow

Local Application
       ↓
localhost:3307
       ↓
   SSH Tunnel
       ↓
  cPanel Server
       ↓
localhost:3306
       ↓
     MySQL