I am trying to ssh into my windows 11 machine from my mac but continue getting a Permission denied, please try again. After a couple of failed attempts I get username@localhost: Permission denied (password). I am able to ssh from my windows machine to my mac but not vice versa. Please help. I have pasted my sshd_config and the verbose output below.
I have WSL installed on my C drive and have been able to ssh username@localhost with my linux ssh instance. I tried to replicate the sshd_config from my linux ssh instance to my windows ssh instance to no avail.
Updates
- My local Windows account is linked with my Microsoft account.
- I am using my Windows password, not my pin when entering password.
- I am currently trying to ssh into my windows machine from my windows machine. Full command is
PS C:\Users\username> ssh -vvv machineName\username@localhost - Posted updated sshd_config and verbose output below.
LINUX sshd_config
# This is the sshd server system-wide configuration file. See
# sshd_config(5) for more information.
# This sshd was compiled with PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/games
# The strategy used for options in the default sshd_config shipped with
# OpenSSH is to specify options with their default value where
# possible, but leave them commented. Uncommented options override the
# default value.
Include /etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/*.conf
#Port 22
#AddressFamily any
#ListenAddress 0.0.0.0
#ListenAddress ::
#HostKey /etc/ssh/ssh_host_rsa_key
#HostKey /etc/ssh/ssh_host_ecdsa_key
#HostKey /etc/ssh/ssh_host_ed25519_key
# Ciphers and keying
#RekeyLimit default none
# Logging
#SyslogFacility AUTH
#LogLevel INFO
# Authentication:
#LoginGraceTime 2m
PermitRootLogin yes
#StrictModes yes
#MaxAuthTries 6
#MaxSessions 10
PubkeyAuthentication no
# Expect .ssh/authorized_keys2 to be disregarded by default in future.
#AuthorizedKeysFile .ssh/authorized_keys .ssh/authorized_keys2
#AuthorizedPrincipalsFile none
#AuthorizedKeysCommand none
#AuthorizedKeysCommandUser nobody
# For this to work you will also need host keys in /etc/ssh/ssh_known_hosts
#HostbasedAuthentication no
# Change to yes if you don't trust ~/.ssh/known_hosts for
# HostbasedAuthentication
#IgnoreUserKnownHosts no
# Don't read the user's ~/.rhosts and ~/.shosts files
#IgnoreRhosts yes
# To disable tunneled clear text passwords, change to no here!
PasswordAuthentication yes
#PermitEmptyPasswords no
# Change to yes to enable challenge-response passwords (beware issues with
# some PAM modules and threads)
KbdInteractiveAuthentication no
# Kerberos options
#KerberosAuthentication no
#KerberosOrLocalPasswd yes
#KerberosTicketCleanup yes
#KerberosGetAFSToken no
# GSSAPI options
#GSSAPIAuthentication no
#GSSAPICleanupCredentials yes
#GSSAPIStrictAcceptorCheck yes
#GSSAPIKeyExchange no
# Set this to 'yes' to enable PAM authentication, account processing,
# and session processing. If this is enabled, PAM authentication will
# be allowed through the KbdInteractiveAuthentication and
# PasswordAuthentication. Depending on your PAM configuration,
# PAM authentication via KbdInteractiveAuthentication may bypass
# the setting of "PermitRootLogin without-password".
# If you just want the PAM account and session checks to run without
# PAM authentication, then enable this but set PasswordAuthentication
# and KbdInteractiveAuthentication to 'no'.
UsePAM yes
#AllowAgentForwarding yes
#AllowTcpForwarding yes
#GatewayPorts no
X11Forwarding yes
#X11DisplayOffset 10
#X11UseLocalhost yes
#PermitTTY yes
PrintMotd no
#PrintLastLog yes
#TCPKeepAlive yes
#PermitUserEnvironment no
#Compression delayed
#ClientAliveInterval 0
#ClientAliveCountMax 3
#UseDNS no
#PidFile /run/sshd.pid
#MaxStartups 10:30:100
#PermitTunnel no
#ChrootDirectory none
#VersionAddendum none
# no default banner path
#Banner none
# Allow client to pass locale environment variables
AcceptEnv LANG LC_*
# override default of no subsystems
Subsystem sftp /usr/lib/openssh/sftp-server
# Example of overriding settings on a per-user basis
#Match User anoncvs
# X11Forwarding no
# AllowTcpForwarding no
# PermitTTY no
# ForceCommand cvs server
WINDOWS sshd_config
# This is the sshd server system-wide configuration file. See
# sshd_config(5) for more information.
# The strategy used for options in the default sshd_config shipped with
# OpenSSH is to specify options with their default value where
# possible, but leave them commented. Uncommented options override the
# default value.
#Port 22
#AddressFamily any
#ListenAddress 0.0.0.0
#ListenAddress ::
#HostKey __PROGRAMDATA__/ssh/ssh_host_rsa_key
#HostKey __PROGRAMDATA__/ssh/ssh_host_dsa_key
#HostKey __PROGRAMDATA__/ssh/ssh_host_ecdsa_key
#HostKey __PROGRAMDATA__/ssh/ssh_host_ed25519_key
# Ciphers and keying
#RekeyLimit default none
# Logging
#SyslogFacility AUTH
#LogLevel INFO
# Authentication:
#LoginGraceTime 2m
PermitRootLogin yes
#StrictModes yes
#MaxAuthTries 6
#MaxSessions 10
PubkeyAuthentication no
# The default is to check both .ssh/authorized_keys and .ssh/authorized_keys2
# but this is overridden so installations will only check .ssh/authorized_keys
#AuthorizedKeysFile .ssh/administrators_authorized_keys
#AuthorizedPrincipalsFile none
# For this to work you will also need host keys in %programData%/ssh/ssh_known_hosts
#HostbasedAuthentication no
# Change to yes if you don't trust ~/.ssh/known_hosts for
# HostbasedAuthentication
#IgnoreUserKnownHosts no
# Don't read the user's ~/.rhosts and ~/.shosts files
#IgnoreRhosts yes
# To disable tunneled clear text passwords, change to no here!
PasswordAuthentication yes
#PermitEmptyPasswords no
# GSSAPI options
#GSSAPIAuthentication no
#AllowAgentForwarding yes
#AllowTcpForwarding yes
#GatewayPorts no
#PermitTTY yes
#PrintMotd no
#PrintLastLog yes
#TCPKeepAlive yes
#UseLogin no
#PermitUserEnvironment no
#ClientAliveInterval 0
#ClientAliveCountMax 3
#UseDNS no
#PidFile /var/run/sshd.pid
#MaxStartups 10:30:100
#PermitTunnel no
#ChrootDirectory none
#VersionAddendum none
# no default banner path
#Banner none
# override default of no subsystems
Subsystem sftp sftp-server.exe
# Example of overriding settings on a per-user basis
#Match User anoncvs
# AllowTcpForwarding no
# PermitTTY no
# ForceCommand cvs server
#Match Group administrators
# AuthorizedKeysFile __PROGRAMDATA__/ssh/administrators_authorized_keys
Verbose Output
PS C:\Users\username> ssh -vvv machineName\username@localhost
OpenSSH_for_Windows_8.6p1, LibreSSL 3.4.3
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/config error:2
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/ProgramData/ssh/ssh_config error:2
debug3: expanded UserKnownHostsFile '~/.ssh/known_hosts' -> 'C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/known_hosts'
debug3: expanded UserKnownHostsFile '~/.ssh/known_hosts2' -> 'C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/known_hosts2'
debug1: Authenticator provider $SSH_SK_PROVIDER did not resolve; disabling
debug2: resolving "localhost" port 22
debug3: ssh_connect_direct: entering
debug1: Connecting to localhost [::1] port 22.
debug1: Connection established.
debug1: identity file C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_rsa type 0
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_rsa-cert error:2
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_rsa-cert.pub error:2
debug3: failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_rsa-cert error:2
debug1: identity file C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_rsa-cert type -1
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_dsa error:2
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_dsa.pub error:2
debug3: failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_dsa error:2
debug1: identity file C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_dsa type -1
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_dsa-cert error:2
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_dsa-cert.pub error:2
debug3: failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_dsa-cert error:2
debug1: identity file C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_dsa-cert type -1
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_ecdsa error:2
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_ecdsa.pub error:2
debug3: failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_ecdsa error:2
debug1: identity file C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_ecdsa type -1
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_ecdsa-cert error:2
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_ecdsa-cert.pub error:2
debug3: failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_ecdsa-cert error:2
debug1: identity file C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_ecdsa-cert type -1
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_ecdsa_sk error:2
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_ecdsa_sk.pub error:2
debug3: failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_ecdsa_sk error:2
debug1: identity file C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_ecdsa_sk type -1
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_ecdsa_sk-cert error:2
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_ecdsa_sk-cert.pub error:2
debug3: failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_ecdsa_sk-cert error:2
debug1: identity file C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_ecdsa_sk-cert type -1
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_ed25519 error:2
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub error:2
debug3: failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_ed25519 error:2
debug1: identity file C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_ed25519 type -1
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_ed25519-cert error:2
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_ed25519-cert.pub error:2
debug3: failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_ed25519-cert error:2
debug1: identity file C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_ed25519-cert type -1
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_ed25519_sk error:2
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_ed25519_sk.pub error:2
debug3: failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_ed25519_sk error:2
debug1: identity file C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_ed25519_sk type -1
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_ed25519_sk-cert error:2
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_ed25519_sk-cert.pub error:2
debug3: failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_ed25519_sk-cert error:2
debug1: identity file C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_ed25519_sk-cert type -1
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_xmss error:2
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_xmss.pub error:2
debug3: failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_xmss error:2
debug1: identity file C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_xmss type -1
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_xmss-cert error:2
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_xmss-cert.pub error:2
debug3: failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/id_xmss-cert error:2
debug1: identity file C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_xmss-cert type -1
debug1: Local version string SSH-2.0-OpenSSH_for_Windows_8.6
debug1: Remote protocol version 2.0, remote software version OpenSSH_8.9p1 Ubuntu-3ubuntu0.1
debug1: compat_banner: match: OpenSSH_8.9p1 Ubuntu-3ubuntu0.1 pat OpenSSH* compat 0x04000000
debug2: fd 3 setting O_NONBLOCK
debug1: Authenticating to localhost:22 as 'machineName\\username'
debug3: record_hostkey: found key type ED25519 in file C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/known_hosts:4
debug3: load_hostkeys_file: loaded 1 keys from localhost
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/known_hosts2 error:2
debug1: load_hostkeys: fopen C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/known_hosts2: No such file or directory
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/ProgramData/ssh/ssh_known_hosts error:2
debug1: load_hostkeys: fopen __PROGRAMDATA__\\ssh/ssh_known_hosts: No such file or directory
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/ProgramData/ssh/ssh_known_hosts2 error:2
debug1: load_hostkeys: fopen __PROGRAMDATA__\\ssh/ssh_known_hosts2: No such file or directory
debug3: order_hostkeyalgs: have matching best-preference key type [email protected], using HostkeyAlgorithms verbatim
debug3: send packet: type 20
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEXINIT sent
debug3: receive packet: type 20
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEXINIT received
debug2: local client KEXINIT proposal
debug2: KEX algorithms: curve25519-sha256,[email protected],ecdh-sha2-nistp256,ecdh-sha2-nistp384,ecdh-sha2-nistp521,diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha256,diffie-hellman-group16-sha512,diffie-hellman-group18-sha512,diffie-hellman-group14-sha256,ext-info-c
debug2: host key algorithms: [email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],ssh-ed25519,ecdsa-sha2-nistp256,ecdsa-sha2-nistp384,ecdsa-sha2-nistp521,[email protected],[email protected],rsa-sha2-512,rsa-sha2-256,ssh-rsa
debug2: ciphers ctos: [email protected],aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr,[email protected],[email protected]
debug2: ciphers stoc: [email protected],aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr,[email protected],[email protected]
debug2: MACs ctos: [email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],hmac-sha2-256,hmac-sha2-512,hmac-sha1
debug2: MACs stoc: [email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],hmac-sha2-256,hmac-sha2-512,hmac-sha1
debug2: compression ctos: none,[email protected],zlib
debug2: compression stoc: none,[email protected],zlib
debug2: languages ctos:
debug2: languages stoc:
debug2: first_kex_follows 0
debug2: reserved 0
debug2: peer server KEXINIT proposal
debug2: KEX algorithms: curve25519-sha256,[email protected],ecdh-sha2-nistp256,ecdh-sha2-nistp384,ecdh-sha2-nistp521,[email protected],diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha256,diffie-hellman-group16-sha512,diffie-hellman-group18-sha512,diffie-hellman-group14-sha256
debug2: host key algorithms: rsa-sha2-512,rsa-sha2-256,ecdsa-sha2-nistp256,ssh-ed25519
debug2: ciphers ctos: [email protected],aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr,[email protected],[email protected]
debug2: ciphers stoc: [email protected],aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr,[email protected],[email protected]
debug2: MACs ctos: [email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],hmac-sha2-256,hmac-sha2-512,hmac-sha1
debug2: MACs stoc: [email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],[email protected],hmac-sha2-256,hmac-sha2-512,hmac-sha1
debug2: compression ctos: none,[email protected]
debug2: compression stoc: none,[email protected]
debug2: languages ctos:
debug2: languages stoc:
debug2: first_kex_follows 0
debug2: reserved 0
debug1: kex: algorithm: curve25519-sha256
debug1: kex: host key algorithm: ssh-ed25519
debug1: kex: server->client cipher: [email protected] MAC: <implicit> compression: none
debug1: kex: client->server cipher: [email protected] MAC: <implicit> compression: none
debug3: send packet: type 30
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_KEX_ECDH_REPLY
debug3: receive packet: type 31
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEX_ECDH_REPLY received
debug1: Server host key: ssh-ed25519 SHA256:uycZf1R9rAKihgAByNC0pbkxH8zxsTzA/KnEwsgQldk
debug3: record_hostkey: found key type ED25519 in file C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/known_hosts:4
debug3: load_hostkeys_file: loaded 1 keys from localhost
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/Users/username/.ssh/known_hosts2 error:2
debug1: load_hostkeys: fopen C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/known_hosts2: No such file or directory
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/ProgramData/ssh/ssh_known_hosts error:2
debug1: load_hostkeys: fopen __PROGRAMDATA__\\ssh/ssh_known_hosts: No such file or directory
debug3: Failed to open file:C:/ProgramData/ssh/ssh_known_hosts2 error:2
debug1: load_hostkeys: fopen __PROGRAMDATA__\\ssh/ssh_known_hosts2: No such file or directory
debug1: Host 'localhost' is known and matches the ED25519 host key.
debug1: Found key in C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/known_hosts:4
debug3: send packet: type 21
debug2: set_newkeys: mode 1
debug1: rekey out after 134217728 blocks
debug1: SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS sent
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS
debug3: receive packet: type 21
debug1: SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS received
debug2: set_newkeys: mode 0
debug1: rekey in after 134217728 blocks
debug1: Will attempt key: C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_rsa RSA SHA256:JhaRB7T+Coj9p1VEOrGaENf+dc19YndDXL86u8lHcZ0 agent
debug1: Will attempt key: C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_dsa
debug1: Will attempt key: C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_ecdsa
debug1: Will attempt key: C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_ecdsa_sk
debug1: Will attempt key: C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_ed25519
debug1: Will attempt key: C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_ed25519_sk
debug1: Will attempt key: C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_xmss
debug2: pubkey_prepare: done
debug3: send packet: type 5
debug3: receive packet: type 7
debug1: SSH2_MSG_EXT_INFO received
debug1: kex_input_ext_info: server-sig-algs=<ssh-ed25519,[email protected],ssh-rsa,rsa-sha2-256,rsa-sha2-512,ssh-dss,ecdsa-sha2-nistp256,ecdsa-sha2-nistp384,ecdsa-sha2-nistp521,[email protected],[email protected]>
debug1: kex_input_ext_info: [email protected] (unrecognised)
debug3: receive packet: type 6
debug2: service_accept: ssh-userauth
debug1: SSH2_MSG_SERVICE_ACCEPT received
debug3: send packet: type 50
debug3: receive packet: type 51
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,password
debug3: start over, passed a different list publickey,password
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: C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_rsa RSA SHA256:JhaRB7T+Coj9p1VEOrGaENf+dc19YndDXL86u8lHcZ0 agent
debug3: send packet: type 50
debug2: we sent a publickey packet, wait for reply
debug3: receive packet: type 51
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,password
debug1: Trying private key: C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_dsa
debug3: no such identity: C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_dsa: No such file or directory
debug1: Trying private key: C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_ecdsa
debug3: no such identity: C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_ecdsa: No such file or directory
debug1: Trying private key: C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_ecdsa_sk
debug3: no such identity: C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_ecdsa_sk: No such file or directory
debug1: Trying private key: C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_ed25519
debug3: no such identity: C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_ed25519: No such file or directory
debug1: Trying private key: C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_ed25519_sk
debug3: no such identity: C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_ed25519_sk: No such file or directory
debug1: Trying private key: C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_xmss
debug3: no such identity: C:\\Users\\username/.ssh/id_xmss: No such file or directory
debug2: we did not send a packet, disable method
debug3: authmethod_lookup password
debug3: remaining preferred: ,password
debug3: authmethod_is_enabled password
debug1: Next authentication method: password
machineName\username@localhost's password:
debug3: send packet: type 50
debug2: we sent a password packet, wait for reply
debug3: receive packet: type 51
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,password
Permission denied, please try again.
machineName\username@localhost's password:
debug3: send packet: type 50
debug2: we sent a password packet, wait for reply
debug3: receive packet: type 51
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,password
Permission denied, please try again.
machineName\username@localhost's password:
debug3: send packet: type 50
debug2: we sent a password packet, wait for reply
debug3: receive packet: type 51
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,password
debug2: we did not send a packet, disable method
debug1: No more authentication methods to try.
machineName\\username@localhost: Permission denied (publickey,password).
PS C:\Users\username>
As you can see I enabled password authentication and disabled publicKey authentication for right now. I always run my terminal as administrator. I would hopefully like to switch to public key authentication once I get this password authentication problem resolved.
ssh localhostI am prompted to enter the password for the expected username@localhost.