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OpensaurusRex
Asked: 2012-02-03 11:29:22 +0800 CST

SSH Public Key Authentication Fails Mac OSX

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I am trying to get a coworkers MacBook Air running on Public Key Authentication and even after generating a new SSH key I haven't been able to get it to run like I have mine. Double checked file permissions, added her to all of the proper groups on the server. Configured the server to accept public keys etc. I have copied her id_dsa.pub exactly to the ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file.

EDIT:

I have ran /usr/bin/ssh-add -K which did not work either.

$ ssh -vvv yielded the following debugging:

macbookname:.ssh user$ ssh -vvv user@domain
OpenSSH_5.6p1, OpenSSL 0.9.8r 8 Feb 2011
debug1: Reading configuration data /etc/ssh_config
debug1: Applying options for *
debug2: ssh_connect: needpriv 0
debug1: Connecting to apistudyabroad.com [67.23.13.95] port 22.
debug1: Connection established.
debug3: Not a RSA1 key file /Users/user/.ssh/id_rsa.
debug2: key_type_from_name: unknown key type '-----BEGIN'
debug3: key_read: missing keytype
debug2: key_type_from_name: unknown key type 'Proc-Type:'
debug3: key_read: missing keytype
debug2: key_type_from_name: unknown key type 'DEK-Info:'
debug3: key_read: missing keytype
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug2: key_type_from_name: unknown key type '-----END'
debug3: key_read: missing keytype
debug1: identity file /Users/user/.ssh/id_rsa type 1
debug1: identity file /Users/user/.ssh/id_rsa-cert type -1
debug3: Not a RSA1 key file /Users/user/.ssh/id_dsa.
debug2: key_type_from_name: unknown key type '-----BEGIN'
debug3: key_read: missing keytype
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug2: key_type_from_name: unknown key type '-----END'
debug3: key_read: missing keytype
debug1: identity file /Users/user/.ssh/id_dsa type 2
debug1: identity file /Users/user/.ssh/id_dsa-cert type -1
debug1: Remote protocol version 2.0, remote software version OpenSSH_5.8p1-hpn13v10
debug1: match: OpenSSH_5.8p1-hpn13v10 pat OpenSSH*
debug1: Enabling compatibility mode for protocol 2.0
debug1: Local version string SSH-2.0-OpenSSH_5.6
debug2: fd 3 setting O_NONBLOCK
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEXINIT sent
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEXINIT received
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha256,diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha1,diffie-hellman-group14-sha1,diffie-hellman-group1-sha1
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: [email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],ssh-rsa,ssh-dss
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr,arcfour256,arcfour128,aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,arcfour,[email protected]
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr,arcfour256,arcfour128,aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,arcfour,[email protected]
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,[email protected],hmac-ripemd160,[email protected],hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,[email protected],hmac-ripemd160,[email protected],hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,[email protected],zlib
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,[email protected],zlib
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: 
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: 
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: first_kex_follows 0 
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: reserved 0 
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: ecdh-sha2-nistp256,ecdh-sha2-nistp384,ecdh-sha2-nistp521,diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha256,diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha1,diffie-hellman-group14-sha1,diffie-hellman-group1-sha1
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: ssh-rsa,ssh-dss,ecdsa-sha2-nistp256
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr,arcfour256,arcfour128,aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,arcfour,[email protected]
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr,arcfour256,arcfour128,aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,arcfour,[email protected]
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,[email protected],hmac-ripemd160,[email protected],hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,[email protected],hmac-ripemd160,[email protected],hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,[email protected]
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,[email protected]
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: 
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: 
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: first_kex_follows 0 
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: reserved 0 
debug2: mac_setup: found hmac-md5
debug1: kex: server->client aes128-ctr hmac-md5 none
debug2: mac_setup: found hmac-md5
debug1: kex: client->server aes128-ctr hmac-md5 none
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_REQUEST(1024<1024<8192) sent
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_GROUP
debug2: dh_gen_key: priv key bits set: 122/256
debug2: bits set: 506/1024
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_INIT sent
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_REPLY
debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: host apistudyabroad.com filename /Users/user/.ssh/known_hosts
debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: host apistudyabroad.com filename /Users/user/.ssh/known_hosts
debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: match line 3
debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: host 67.23.13.95 filename /Users/user/.ssh/known_hosts
debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: host 67.23.13.95 filename /Users/user/.ssh/known_hosts
debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: match line 3
debug1: Host 'apistudyabroad.com' is known and matches the RSA host key.
debug1: Found key in /Users/user/.ssh/known_hosts:3
debug2: bits set: 516/1024
debug1: ssh_rsa_verify: signature correct
debug2: kex_derive_keys
debug2: set_newkeys: mode 1
debug1: SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS sent
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS
debug2: set_newkeys: mode 0
debug1: SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS received
debug1: Roaming not allowed by server
debug1: SSH2_MSG_SERVICE_REQUEST sent
debug2: service_accept: ssh-userauth
debug1: SSH2_MSG_SERVICE_ACCEPT received
debug2: key: /Users/user/.ssh/id_dsa (0x7f951bc24750)
debug2: key: /Users/user/.ssh/id_rsa (0x7f951bc24200)
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,keyboard-interactive,hostbased
debug3: start over, passed a different list publickey,keyboard-interactive,hostbased
debug3: preferred publickey,keyboard-interactive,password
debug3: authmethod_lookup publickey
debug3: remaining preferred: keyboard-interactive,password
debug3: authmethod_is_enabled publickey
debug1: Next authentication method: publickey
debug1: Offering DSA public key: /Users/user/.ssh/id_dsa
debug3: send_pubkey_test
debug2: we sent a publickey packet, wait for reply
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,keyboard-interactive,hostbased
debug1: Offering RSA public key: /Users/user/.ssh/id_rsa
debug3: send_pubkey_test
debug2: we sent a publickey packet, wait for reply
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,keyboard-interactive,hostbased
debug2: we did not send a packet, disable method
debug3: authmethod_lookup keyboard-interactive
debug3: remaining preferred: password
debug3: authmethod_is_enabled keyboard-interactive
debug1: Next authentication method: keyboard-interactive
debug2: userauth_kbdint
debug2: we sent a keyboard-interactive packet, wait for reply
debug2: input_userauth_info_req
debug2: input_userauth_info_req: num_prompts 1
Password:

Am I missing something?

mac-osx ssh public-key

4 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    Here are some questions to rule out simple causes?

    • Are you using the correct user ID when connecting to the Air?
    • Are you sure that the authorized_keys file is mode 600, the .ssh directory is mode 700, and that the home directory is not writable by anyone other than the owner?
    • The server should already have been configured to accept key-based authentication. If you had to change something, what was it?
    • Have you looked in the system log (/var/log/system.log) to see if there are any relevant error messages?

    If nothing on the above list helps out, here's a quick way to diagnose problems:

    • Stop the ssh server. There are various ways to do this, but the easiest is to uncheck the "remote login" checkbox in the "Sharing" control panel.

    • As root, start the ssh server on the command line with the -d flag. This will accept one connection and print out lots of debugging information:

      $ sudo /usr/sbin/sshd -d

    • Review the debugging information for any useful error messages.

    • Don't forget to restart the ssh server.

    If you don't see anything helpful, post the logs here.

    • 2

  2. Run ssh -vvv on the client for extended output and check the server logs. It is a common mistake to not make the key mode 0600 and owned by the user. Ssh will refuse authentication if the private key is readable by others or if authorized_keys is writable by others.

    • 0

  3. Try running the ssh-add -K command.

    screenshot
    image credit

    • 0

  4. You could try using Userify to distribute the keys to ensure permissions are set correctly on the remote host. (Also Userify has a good howto for Mac with usage tips).

    • 0