Ubuntu – Exit code 126 from SFTP

I've been notified that SFTP access is no longer working on an Amazon EC2 server running Ubuntu. I had done some work creating SFTP access for other users on this server. The limited user access is still working. However, root SFTP access from the "ubuntu" user for which we have a .pem key file, is no longer working.

I am getting exit status 126 from the the debug output.
FireFTP reports:

Connected (version 2.0, client OpenSSH_5.9p1NaNDebian-5ubuntu1.3)
Authentication (publickey) successful!
Secsh channel 1 opened.
Error message= uncaught exception: EOFError: "undefined"
URL=
Line Number= 0

I managed to allow SFTP access by adding the following to /etc/ssh/sshd_config:

Match user ubuntu
    ForceCommand internal-sftp

However this disables SSH access!!

I also made sure that "PermitRootLogin yes" is set in sshd_config.

I tried also making the ubuntu home folder owned by root:root but it seemed to make no difference..

I'm not sure what I may have inadvertantly changed to cause this error.

Thanks in advance

auth.log entries:

> Jun 24 10:21:26 ip-**** sshd[24096]: Accepted publickey for
> ubuntu from **** port 63696 ssh2 Jun 24 10:21:26
> ip-**** sshd[24096]: pam_unix(sshd:session): session opened
> for user ubuntu by (uid=0) Jun 24 10:21:26 ip-****
> sshd[24182]: subsystem request for sftp by user ubuntu Jun 24 10:21:27
> ip-**** sshd[24182]: Received disconnect from ****:
> 11: disconnected by user Jun 24 10:21:27 ip-172-31-30-50 sshd[24096]:
> pam_unix(sshd:session): session closed for user ubuntu

SFTP debug output below:

OpenSSH_6.2p2, OSSLShim 0.9.8r 8 Dec 2011
debug1: Reading configuration data /Users/<user>/.ssh/config
debug1: Reading configuration data /etc/ssh_config
debug1: /etc/ssh_config line 20: Applying options for *
debug1: /etc/ssh_config line 102: Applying options for *
debug2: ssh_connect: needpriv 0
debug1: Connecting to ****** port 22.
debug1: Connection established.
debug1: identity file ****.pem type -1
debug1: identity file ****.pem-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-5ubuntu1.3
debug1: match: OpenSSH_5.9p1 Debian-5ubuntu1.3 pat OpenSSH_5*
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-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: 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: 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 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: 128/256
debug2: bits set: 513/1024
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_INIT sent
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_REPLY
debug1: Server host key: RSA ****
debug1: Host '****' is known and matches the RSA host key.
debug1: Found key in /Users/adamelemental/.ssh/known_hosts:36
debug2: bits set: 505/1024
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/adamelemental/work/e247-admin/aws/e247-main-eu.pem (0x0), explicit
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,password
debug1: Next authentication method: publickey
debug1: Trying private key: ****.pem
debug1: read PEM private key done: type RSA
debug2: we sent a publickey packet, wait for reply
debug1: Authentication succeeded (publickey).
Authenticated to **** ([****]:22).
debug2: fd 4 setting O_NONBLOCK
debug1: channel 0: new [client-session]
debug2: channel 0: send open
debug1: Requesting no-more-sessions@openssh.com
debug1: Entering interactive session.
debug2: callback start
debug2: fd 3 setting TCP_NODELAY
debug2: client_session2_setup: id 0
debug1: Sending environment.
debug1: Sending env LANG = en_GB.UTF-8
debug2: channel 0: request env confirm 0
debug1: Sending subsystem: sftp
debug2: channel 0: request subsystem confirm 1
debug2: callback done
debug2: channel 0: open confirm rwindow 0 rmax 32768
debug2: channel 0: rcvd adjust 2097152
debug2: channel_input_status_confirm: type 99 id 0
debug2: subsystem request accepted on channel 0
debug1: client_input_channel_req: channel 0 rtype exit-status reply 0
debug1: client_input_channel_req: channel 0 rtype eow@openssh.com reply 0
debug2: channel 0: rcvd eow
debug2: channel 0: close_read
debug2: channel 0: input open -> closed
debug2: channel 0: rcvd eof
debug2: channel 0: output open -> drain
debug2: channel 0: obuf empty
debug2: channel 0: close_write
debug2: channel 0: output drain -> closed
debug2: channel 0: rcvd close
debug2: channel 0: almost dead
debug2: channel 0: gc: notify user
debug2: channel 0: gc: user detached
debug2: channel 0: send close
debug2: channel 0: is dead
debug2: channel 0: garbage collecting
debug1: channel 0: free: client-session, nchannels 1
debug1: fd 0 clearing O_NONBLOCK
Transferred: sent 2768, received 2160 bytes, in 0.4 seconds
Bytes per second: sent 7600.3, received 5930.8
debug1: Exit status 126
Connection closed

Best Answer

Exit code 126 is the bash error code for a command that was found but couldn't be executed. See here and here. For example:

$ /dev/null
-bash: /dev/null: Permission denied
$ echo $?
126

When you're not forcing internal-sftp, OpenSSH server uses a program called sftp-server to handle remote SFTP sessions. My guess is that the sftp-server program on this system has been marked non-executable, or maybe the SSHD configuration is incorrect.

The sshd_config file should have a subsystem line for SFTP similar to the following (Note I don't know exactly where the file is on Ubuntu):

Subsystem sftp /path/to/sftp-server

Find this line, verify that it references a valid copy of the sftp-server program, and verify that the program itself is executable:

-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 63552 Apr 11  2013 /path/to/sftp-server
   ^  ^  ^

Best Answer

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