[SSHD-753] SSHD cannot read its keyfile through a symlink

• Type: Bug
• Status: Resolved
• Priority: Minor
• Resolution: Fixed
• Affects Version/s: 1.5.0
• Fix Version/s: 1.6.0
• Assignee: Lyor Goldstein
• Reporter: Anthony Wood
• Created: 23/Jun/17 19:09
• Updated: 25/Jun/17 06:43
• Resolved: 25/Jun/17 06:43

Description

In AbstractGeneratorHostKeyProvider.loadFromFile() the configured keyPath is checked using LinkOption.NOFOLLOW_LINKS. If the path is a symlink, the key will be ignored. Perversely, this class then generates and writes out a new key (if overwriteAllowed) writing through the symlink and clobbering the original; on every startup it will ignore its own previous key and do it again.

Note this is not about following or listing symlinks for, e.g., SFTP clients (SSHD-733).

Since the key path is purely server-side configuration, SSHD should not interfere with deployment details such as whether its private key is behind a symlink.