[GH-ISSUE #5078] SSH access to peer not working using client's openssh tool #10440

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opened 2026-08-05 01:25:55 -04:00 by saavagebueno · 2 comments
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Originally created by @cmonty14 on GitHub (Jan 9, 2026).
Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/netbirdio/netbird/issues/5078

Describe the problem

I recently installed Netbird on Windows 11 desktop and registered this new peer successfully.
Now I want to SSH into another Linux peer that was registered in the past.
However, using client's openssh tool fails to connect, means neither public key nor password authorization is working.
But I can use Netbird's browser client to SSH into the Linux peer w/o problems.

To Reproduce

Run ssh user@<netbird-peer>on Windows 11.

Expected behavior

I expected that using client's openssh tool will work to SSH into a peer.

Are you using NetBird Cloud?

Yes

NetBird version

0.61.2 on Windows 11
0.62.0 on Linux peer

Debug output

I cannot provide any output from netbird CLI because the tool is not working on Windows 11 for unknown reason. Maybe I need to reboot after installation?

Have you tried these troubleshooting steps?

  • Reviewed client troubleshooting (if applicable)
  • Checked for newer NetBird versions
  • Searched for similar issues on GitHub (including closed ones)
  • Restarted the NetBird client
  • Disabled other VPN software
  • Checked firewall settings
Originally created by @cmonty14 on GitHub (Jan 9, 2026). Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/netbirdio/netbird/issues/5078 **Describe the problem** I recently installed Netbird on Windows 11 desktop and registered this new peer successfully. Now I want to SSH into another Linux peer that was registered in the past. However, using client's openssh tool fails to connect, means neither public key nor password authorization is working. But I can use Netbird's browser client to SSH into the Linux peer w/o problems. **To Reproduce** Run `ssh user@<netbird-peer>`on Windows 11. **Expected behavior** I expected that using client's openssh tool will work to SSH into a peer. **Are you using NetBird Cloud?** Yes **NetBird version** `0.61.2` on Windows 11 `0.62.0` on Linux peer **Debug output** I cannot provide any output from netbird CLI because the tool is not working on Windows 11 for unknown reason. Maybe I need to reboot after installation? **Have you tried these troubleshooting steps?** - [x] Reviewed [client troubleshooting](https://docs.netbird.io/how-to/troubleshooting-client) (if applicable) - [x] Checked for newer NetBird versions - [x] Searched for similar issues on GitHub (including closed ones) - [x] Restarted the NetBird client - [ ] Disabled other VPN software - [ ] Checked firewall settings
saavagebueno added the triage-needed label 2026-08-05 01:25:55 -04:00
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Owner

@mlsmaycon commented on GitHub (Jan 9, 2026):

reboot shouldn't be necessary, can you please run:

netbird debug bundle -A -U

then share the output with us?

<!-- gh-comment-id:3730140912 --> @mlsmaycon commented on GitHub (Jan 9, 2026): reboot shouldn't be necessary, can you please run: netbird debug bundle -A -U then share the output with us?
Author
Owner

@cmonty14 commented on GitHub (Jan 13, 2026):

After reboot, netbird CLI works w/o problems.
This means, I can now connect to any Linux peer using netbird ssh user@<netbird-peer> from my Windows 11 desktop.
However, any attempt to SSH into Linux peer using local OpenSSH client fails.

Running ssh -v user@<netbird-peer> indicates to an authorization issue. But the configuration should be fine to allow public key and password authentication:

# sed -e 's/ *#.*//' -e '/^ *$/d' -e 's/ \+/\t/g' /etc/ssh/sshd_config
PermitRootLogin prohibit-password
PubkeyAuthentication    yes
PasswordAuthentication  yes
PermitEmptyPasswords    no
ChallengeResponseAuthentication no
UsePAM  yes
PrintMotd       no
AcceptEnv       LANG    LC_*
Subsystem       sftp    /usr/lib/openssh/sftp-server

And I can exclude a wrong password at the moment.

Do you still need output of netbird debug?

<!-- gh-comment-id:3744187358 --> @cmonty14 commented on GitHub (Jan 13, 2026): After reboot, netbird CLI works w/o problems. This means, I can now connect to any Linux peer using `netbird ssh user@<netbird-peer>` from my Windows 11 desktop. However, any attempt to SSH into Linux peer using local OpenSSH client fails. Running `ssh -v user@<netbird-peer>` indicates to an authorization issue. But the configuration should be fine to allow public key and password authentication: ``` # sed -e 's/ *#.*//' -e '/^ *$/d' -e 's/ \+/\t/g' /etc/ssh/sshd_config PermitRootLogin prohibit-password PubkeyAuthentication yes PasswordAuthentication yes PermitEmptyPasswords no ChallengeResponseAuthentication no UsePAM yes PrintMotd no AcceptEnv LANG LC_* Subsystem sftp /usr/lib/openssh/sftp-server ``` And I can exclude a wrong password at the moment. Do you still need output of _netbird debug_?
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Reference: DYNR/netbird#10440