SSH aborts with Too many authentication failures

ansiblesshssh-keysvagrant

I'm attempting to run this simple provisioning script but I'm encountering errors when running vagrant up and then vagrant provision commands.

I read that I needed to create a /etc/ansible/hosts file which I've done, populating it with:

[vagrant]
192.168.222.111

My SSH config (some details removed):

Host default
HostName 127.0.0.1
User vagrant
Port 2222
UserKnownHostsFile /dev/null
StrictHostKeyChecking no
PasswordAuthentication no
IdentityFile /Users/ashleyconnor/.vagrant.d/insecure_private_key
IdentitiesOnly yes
LogLevel FATAL

Host            server
HostName        XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX
User            ash
PreferredAuthentications publickey
IdentityFile    ~/.ssh/ash_ovh

Host            deployer
HostName        XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX
User            deployer
PreferredAuthentications publickey
IdentityFile    ~/.ssh/deployer_ovh

Host            bitbucket.org
PreferredAuthentications publickey
IdentityFile    ~/.ssh/bitbucket

Host            github.com
PreferredAuthentications publickey
IdentityFile    ~/.ssh/github

Host            staging
HostName        192.168.56.10
User            deployer
PreferredAuthentications publickey
IdentityFile    ~/.ssh/id_rsa

The SSH output I'm receiving seems to churn through all my keys:

<192.168.222.111> ESTABLISH CONNECTION FOR USER: vagrant
<192.168.222.111> REMOTE_MODULE setup
<192.168.222.111> EXEC ['ssh', '-C', '-tt', '-vvv', '-o', 'ControlMaster=auto', '-o', 'ControlPersist=60s', '-o', 'ControlPath=/Users/ashleyconnor/.ansible/cp/ansible-ssh-%h-%p-%r', '-o', 'IdentityFile=/Users/ashleyconnor/.vagrant.d/insecure_private_key', '-o', 'KbdInteractiveAuthentication=no', '-o', 'PreferredAuthentications=gssapi-with-mic,gssapi-keyex,hostbased,publickey', '-o', 'PasswordAuthentication=no', '-o', 'User=vagrant', '-o', 'ConnectTimeout=10', '192.168.222.111', "/bin/sh -c 'mkdir -p $HOME/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1394317116.44-226619545527061 && chmod a+rx $HOME/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1394317116.44-226619545527061 && echo $HOME/.ansible/tmp/ansible-tmp-1394317116.44-226619545527061'"]
fatal: [192.168.222.111] => SSH encountered an unknown error. The output was:
OpenSSH_6.2p2, OSSLShim 0.9.8r 8 Dec 2011
debug1: Reading configuration data /Users/ashleyconnor/.ssh/config
debug1: Reading configuration data /etc/ssh_config
debug1: /etc/ssh_config line 20: Applying options for *
debug1: /etc/ssh_config line 53: Applying options for *
debug1: auto-mux: Trying existing master
debug1: Control socket "/Users/ashleyconnor/.ansible/cp/ansible-ssh-192.168.222.111-22-vagrant" does not exist
debug2: ssh_connect: needpriv 0
debug1: Connecting to 192.168.222.111 [192.168.222.111] port 22.
debug2: fd 3 setting O_NONBLOCK
debug1: fd 3 clearing O_NONBLOCK
debug1: Connection established.
debug3: timeout: 10000 ms remain after connect
debug3: Incorrect RSA1 identifier
debug3: Could not load "/Users/ashleyconnor/.vagrant.d/insecure_private_key" as a RSA1 public key
debug1: identity file /Users/ashleyconnor/.vagrant.d/insecure_private_key type -1
debug1: identity file /Users/ashleyconnor/.vagrant.d/insecure_private_key-cert type -1
debug1: Enabling compatibility mode for protocol 2.0
debug1: Local version string SSH-2.0-OpenSSH_6.2
debug1: Remote protocol version 2.0, remote software version OpenSSH_5.9p1 Debian-5ubuntu1
debug1: match: OpenSSH_5.9p1 Debian-5ubuntu1 pat OpenSSH_5*
debug2: fd 3 setting O_NONBLOCK
debug3: load_hostkeys: loading entries for host "192.168.222.111" from file "/Users/ashleyconnor/.ssh/known_hosts"
debug3: load_hostkeys: found key type RSA in file /Users/ashleyconnor/.ssh/known_hosts:20
debug3: load_hostkeys: loaded 1 keys
debug3: order_hostkeyalgs: prefer hostkeyalgs: ssh-rsa-cert-v01@openssh.com,ssh-rsa-cert-v00@openssh.com,ssh-rsa
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-cert-v01@openssh.com,ssh-rsa-cert-v00@openssh.com,ssh-rsa,ssh-dss-cert-v01@openssh.com,ssh-dss-cert-v00@openssh.com,ssh-dss
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr,arcfour256,arcfour128,aes128-gcm@openssh.com,aes256-gcm@openssh.com,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-gcm@openssh.com,aes256-gcm@openssh.com,aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,arcfour,rijndael-cbc@lysator.liu.se
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-etm@openssh.com,umac-64-etm@openssh.com,umac-128-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-256-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-512-etm@openssh.com,hmac-ripemd160-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-96-etm@openssh.com,hmac-md5-96-etm@openssh.com,hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,umac-64@openssh.com,umac-128@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-256,hmac-sha2-512,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-etm@openssh.com,umac-64-etm@openssh.com,umac-128-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-256-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-512-etm@openssh.com,hmac-ripemd160-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-96-etm@openssh.com,hmac-md5-96-etm@openssh.com,hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,umac-64@openssh.com,umac-128@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-256,hmac-sha2-512,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: zlib@openssh.com,zlib,none
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: zlib@openssh.com,zlib,none
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,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-sha2-256,hmac-sha2-256-96,hmac-sha2-512,hmac-sha2-512-96,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-sha2-256,hmac-sha2-256-96,hmac-sha2-512,hmac-sha2-512-96,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 zlib@openssh.com
debug2: mac_setup: found hmac-md5
debug1: kex: client->server aes128-ctr hmac-md5 zlib@openssh.com
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: 119/256
debug2: bits set: 527/1024
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_INIT sent
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_REPLY
debug1: Server host key: RSA 50:db:75:ba:11:2f:43:c9:ab:14:40:6d:7f:a1:ee:e3
debug3: load_hostkeys: loading entries for host "192.168.222.111" from file "/Users/ashleyconnor/.ssh/known_hosts"
debug3: load_hostkeys: found key type RSA in file /Users/ashleyconnor/.ssh/known_hosts:20
debug3: load_hostkeys: loaded 1 keys
debug1: Host '192.168.222.111' is known and matches the RSA host key.
debug1: Found key in /Users/ashleyconnor/.ssh/known_hosts:20
debug2: bits set: 511/1024
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/ashleyconnor/.ssh/id_rsa (0x7fc212600540),
debug2: key: /Users/ashleyconnor/.ssh/bitbucket (0x7fc212600730),
debug2: key: /Users/ashleyconnor/.ssh/deployer (0x7fc212600a00),
debug2: key: /Users/ashleyconnor/.ssh/github (0x7fc212600c80),
debug2: key: /Users/ashleyconnor/.ssh/ash_ovh (0x7fc212601010),
debug2: key: /Users/ashleyconnor/.ssh/deployer_ovh (0x7fc2126011e0),
debug2: key: /Users/ashleyconnor/.vagrant.d/insecure_private_key (0x0), explicit
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,password
debug3: start over, passed a different list publickey,password
debug3: preferred gssapi-with-mic,gssapi-keyex,hostbased,publickey
debug3: authmethod_lookup publickey
debug3: remaining preferred: ,gssapi-keyex,hostbased,publickey
debug3: authmethod_is_enabled publickey
debug1: Next authentication method: publickey
debug1: Offering RSA public key: /Users/ashleyconnor/.ssh/id_rsa
debug3: send_pubkey_test
debug2: we sent a publickey packet, wait for reply
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,password
debug1: Offering RSA public key: /Users/ashleyconnor/.ssh/bitbucket
debug3: send_pubkey_test
debug2: we sent a publickey packet, wait for reply
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,password
debug1: Offering RSA public key: /Users/ashleyconnor/.ssh/deployer
debug3: send_pubkey_test
debug2: we sent a publickey packet, wait for reply
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,password
debug1: Offering RSA public key: /Users/ashleyconnor/.ssh/github
debug3: send_pubkey_test
debug2: we sent a publickey packet, wait for reply
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,password
debug1: Offering RSA public key: /Users/ashleyconnor/.ssh/ash_ovh
debug3: send_pubkey_test
debug2: we sent a publickey packet, wait for reply
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,password
debug1: Offering RSA public key: /Users/ashleyconnor/.ssh/deployer_ovh
debug3: send_pubkey_test
debug2: we sent a publickey packet, wait for reply
Received disconnect from 192.168.222.111: 2: Too many authentication failures for vagrant

The vagrant ssh command works fine.

Best Answer

According to an older* ssh-config(5) man page, ssh will always try all keys known by the agent in addition to any Identity Files:

 IdentitiesOnly

         Specifies that ssh(1) should only use the authentication identity files
         configured in the ssh_config files, even if ssh-agent(1) offers more
         identities.  The argument to this keyword must be “yes” or “no”.  This
         option is intended for situations where ssh-agent offers many different
         identities.  The default is “no”.


 IdentityFile
         Specifies a file from which the user's DSA, ECDSA or RSA authentication
         identity is read.  The default is ~/.ssh/identity for protocol version 1,
         and ~/.ssh/id_dsa, ~/.ssh/id_ecdsa and ~/.ssh/id_rsa for protocol
         version 2.  Additionally, any identities represented by the  
         authentication agent will be used for authentication.  ssh(1) will try
         to load certificate information from the filename obtained by
         appending -cert.pub to the path of a specified IdentityFile.

To prevent this, one must specify IdentitiesOnly=yes in addition to the explicitly provided private key.

For example, running the ssh command below:

$ ssh -i /home/henk/.vagrant.d/insecure_private_key \
  vagrant@192.168.222.111 echo ok

produces:

Received disconnect from 192.168.222.111: 2: Too many authentication 
failures for vagrant

However, running the same ssh command and, in addition, specifying IdentitiesOnly=yes:

$ ssh -o IdentitiesOnly=yes \
  -i /home/henk/.vagrant.d/insecure_private_key vagrant@192.168.222.111 echo ok

produces:

ok

* Note: The OpenBSD project hosts up to date docs for IdentitiesOnly and IdentityFile. These include extra text for new features that do not change the essence of this answer.

Best Answer

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