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We recently had an issues where I had rebooted our EC2 instance (Ubuntu x86_64, version 9.10 server) and due to an EC2 issue the instance needed to be stopped and was down for a few days.

Now I have been able to bring the instance back online I cannot connect to SSH using the keypair which previously worked. Unfortunately SSH is the only way to get into this server, and while I have another system running in its place there are a number of things I would like to try and retrieve from the machine.

Running SSH in verbose mode yields the following:

[Broc-MBP.local]: Broc:~/.ssh  
→ ssh -i ~/.ssh/EC2Keypair.pem -l ubuntu ec2-xxx.compute-1.amazonaws.com -vvv 
OpenSSH_5.2p1, OpenSSL 0.9.8l 5 Nov 2009
debug1: Reading configuration data /Users/Broc/.ssh/config
debug1: Reading configuration data /etc/ssh_config
debug2: ssh_connect: needpriv 0
debug1: Connecting to ec2-xxx.compute-1.amazonaws.com [184.73.109.130] port 22.
debug1: Connection established.
debug3: Not a RSA1 key file /Users/Broc/.ssh/EC2Keypair.pem.
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
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/Broc/.ssh/EC2Keypair.pem type -1
debug3: Not a RSA1 key file /Users/Broc/.ssh/id_rsa.
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
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/Broc/.ssh/id_rsa type 1
debug1: Remote protocol version 2.0, remote software version OpenSSH_5.1p1 Debian-6ubuntu2
debug1: match: OpenSSH_5.1p1 Debian-6ubuntu2 pat OpenSSH*
debug1: Enabling compatibility mode for protocol 2.0
debug1: Local version string SSH-2.0-OpenSSH_5.2
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: 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,rijndael-cbc@lysator.liu.se
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,rijndael-cbc@lysator.liu.se
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,umac-64@openssh.com,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,umac-64@openssh.com,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib@openssh.com,zlib
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib@openssh.com,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: 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
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,arcfour128,arcfour256,arcfour,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,rijndael-cbc@lysator.liu.se,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,arcfour128,arcfour256,arcfour,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,rijndael-cbc@lysator.liu.se,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,umac-64@openssh.com,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,umac-64@openssh.com,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib@openssh.com
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib@openssh.com
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: 123/256
debug2: bits set: 500/1024
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_INIT sent
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_REPLY
debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: filename /Users/Broc/.ssh/known_hosts
debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: match line 106
debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: filename /Users/Broc/.ssh/known_hosts
debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: match line 106
debug1: Host 'ec2-xxx.compute-1.amazonaws.com' is known and matches the RSA host key.
debug1: Found key in /Users/Broc/.ssh/known_hosts:106
debug2: bits set: 521/1024
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: SSH2_MSG_SERVICE_REQUEST sent
debug2: service_accept: ssh-userauth
debug1: SSH2_MSG_SERVICE_ACCEPT received
debug2: key: /Users/Broc/.ssh/id_rsa (0x100125f70)
debug2: key: /Users/Broc/.ssh/EC2Keypair.pem (0x0)
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey
debug3: start over, passed a different list publickey
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 public key: /Users/Broc/.ssh/id_rsa
debug3: send_pubkey_test
debug2: we sent a publickey packet, wait for reply
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey
debug1: Trying private key: /Users/Broc/.ssh/EC2Keypair.pem
debug1: read PEM private key done: type RSA
debug3: sign_and_send_pubkey
debug2: we sent a publickey packet, wait for reply
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey
debug2: we did not send a packet, disable method
debug1: No more authentication methods to try.
Permission denied (publickey).

[Broc-MBP.local]: Broc:~/.ssh  
→

So, right now I'm really at a loss and not sure what to do. While I've already got another system taking the place of this one I'd really like to have access back :|

I should also mention that I'm able to SSH into other machines with the same private keys.

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2 Answers 2

Reset to default
1

Check the permissions on /Users, /Users/Broc, /Users/Broc/.ssh and the key files themselves. SSH is very strict with lax file/dir permissions, ~/.ssh must be 0700, and keys 0600.

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1
  • I should mention that I am able to SSH into other machines without a problem, with exactly the same keys etc. And even when I've verified the permissions, still no go :( But thanks for the suggesion
    – Matthew Savage
    May 24, 2010 at 10:08
0

That all looks identical to my -vvv output until the end. Things I'd look at:

  1. Your Amazon security groups - make sure the box you're sshing from has at least port 22 access to the other, or that its group is allowed if the source box is in the cloud too. Note that to ssh to boxes in the SAME security group you have to add that group to itself!

  2. When you stopped and started it, its IP changed of course. (And it happens again if you give it an elastic IP). You're using its latest IP yes?

  3. Try copying your id_rsa file to identity or even removing it briefly; that messes up SSh sometimes for reasons I don't pretend to understand.

  4. Check that "~/.ssh/authorized_keys" exists on the server (if you can) and contains a line the same as "~/.ssh/id_dsa.pub" on the client.

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2
  • Unfortunately I have absolutely no access to the server - not even the keys originally used in the instance setup are working. The only account I can 'login' with is root, however being an ubuntu instance this give me the 'please login with the ubuntu account' as a forced command, then logs me out :|
    – Matthew Savage
    May 26, 2010 at 9:19
  • items 1-3 don't require access to the remote box. But from your description - you can reach it via root ssh - it's definitely not #1 or #2. I'd try connecting with different id_dsa.pubs from the client - I've had it happen a couple times that one of my amazon boxes was actually expecting a different key than the one I thought I was using to get into it.
    – Ernest Mueller
    May 26, 2010 at 18:48

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