question

[voltaic]

On Tue, 25 Sep 2001, Michael H. Warfield wrote:

> > i have it installed via rpm and when i go to launch sshd it gives me this
> > error:
> 
> > Could not load host key: /etc/ssh/ssh_host_key
> > Could not load host key: /etc/ssh/ssh_host_rsa_key
> > Could not load host key: /etc/ssh/ssh_host_dsa_key
> > Disabling protocol version 1. Could not load host key
> > Disabling protocol version 2. Could not load host key
> > sshd: no hostkeys available -- exiting.
> 
> 	???  I don't think setting passphrases on the host keys is going
> to work.  Try it without.  I'll bet that's it.
> 
> 	I'll bet it's the passphrases.  I don't know anyone who has
> tried host keys with passphrases and I don't know anything you might
> gain, even if you were always going to start sshd manually and enter
> all three passphrases at startup.  Anyone who could read the key files
> would have broken root on your system and can access kernel memory and/or
> trojan the binary and later steal the unencrypted key and/or passphrase.
> Even then, it would only be good for spoofing your system for a MITM
> attack which would STILL require effort to play games with a box
> he had already busted and rooted to the core.  Not worth the effort
> for the value that key has.
> 
> 	Mike
> -- 
>  Michael H. Warfield    |  (770) 985-6132   |  mhw at WittsEnd.com
>   (The Mad Wizard)      |  (678) 463-0932   |  http://www.wittsend.com/mhw/
>   NIC whois:  MHW9      |  An optimist believes we live in the best of all
>  PGP Key: 0xDF1DD471    |  possible worlds.  A pessimist is sure of it!

hey great call michael, that fixed it.  thanks much!