Thread: ssh_exchange_identification: Connection closed by remote host

If this has been posted before, I apologize.
Prior to last Thursday, I have been able to ssh into my server at home every day. Last week, I had a number of ssh login failures due to fat fingering the keyboard.

Now, I get the error "ssh_exchange_identification: Connection closed by remote host". I am locked out. The /var/log/auth.log file shows the IP address of the subsequent login attempts and they are all failures.

I have tried from another Ubuntu laptop and a Windows laptop using WinSCP. All attempts are locked. It appears to be IP address related because I tried to ssh using another username and I get the same message.
I'm guessing that the IP address is blocked. I cannot get to another location.

How do I get back in?

Maybe you still have to allow the ip addresses in /etc/hosts.allow

Code:

sshd: xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

You can use single ip addresses or network addresses with subnet masks.

With the help of a friend, I found the solution.
1) clear out the hosts.deny file
2) restart the denyhosts daemon

Problem solved

I have the same problem, but the posted solution doesn't help me.

Since I moved and got a new IP address, I get this error. I have always been able to log in before. I do not have access to the remote computer.

On my own computer I don't find the ssh logs. I have no idea what to do.

I've the same problem since today. My workaround: ssh to another box with another IP and then, from there, ssh to my server.

So it seems that my current IP is blocked somewhere. Unfortunatly, I cannot find where (both /etc/hosts.* files are empty)

I have had the same problem due to a ssh misconfiguration. The way to repair the problem that was recommened in the forum, was to go to /var/lib/denyhosts and clear any instances of your ip address in the files in that directory. Be sure to stop the denyhost daemon before making any changes, as you will just be added to the hosts.deny list again.

Jim

Well, I don't have any denyhost file. The only file I have is /etc/hosts.deny and it's empty.

Also, package denyhosts is not installed on that server...

same goes for me..

Same for me.
I usually get this message (ssh_exchange...), but sometimes not.
When I try to login repeatedly (6-10 times), sooner or later it asks for a password and I can log in.
The host.deny is empty, I have no /var/lib/denyhosts file, and there is much free memory.

If you don't have denyhosts installed then the solution I mentioned will not work.

Jim