SSH: Agent Admitted Failure To Sign Using The Key Error And Solution

by

The error message “Agent admitted failure to sign using the key” occurs when you try to use an SSH key that has been added to your SSH agent, but the agent cannot use the key to sign the connection. This can happen for several reasons, including:

  1. The key is passphrase protected: If the key has a passphrase, you will need to enter it each time you use the key. If you have added the key to your SSH agent with a passphrase, you will need to enter the passphrase each time you use the key.
  2. The key is invalid or damaged: If the key file has become damaged or corrupt, you may need to generate a new key and replace the old key.
  3. The key is not loaded in the SSH agent: If the key has not been added to the SSH agent, you will need to add it using the ssh-add command.

Here’s how you can solve this error:

  1. Check if the key is passphrase protected: If the key has a passphrase, you will need to enter it each time you use the key. To avoid having to enter the passphrase each time, you can use an ssh-agent to manage your keys.
  2. Check if the key is valid: If the key file is damaged or corrupt, you may need to generate a new key and replace the old key.
  3. Add the key to the SSH agent: If the key is not already loaded in the SSH agent, you can add it using the ssh-add command. For example:
    ssh-add ~/.ssh/mykey

If you continue to have trouble using your SSH key, you may need to check the logs or configuration files on both the client and server systems to find the cause of the issue.

Leave a Comment