My Assessment shows SSH permission errors

If you see a message like "Failed to connect to the agent" in the activity log, it means that vPenTest is having trouble accessing your VM. This issue often arises when the /etc/ssh/sshd_config file on the remote VM has been modified. Specifically, if the root user is not granted access, vPenTest cannot use this account to perform the pentest.

Troubleshooting steps

  1. Restore /etc/ssh/sshd_config to Default: We recommend restoring the contents of the /etc/ssh/sshd_config file to its original settings. This action often resolves the issue by ensuring that the necessary permissions and configurations are in place.

  2. Avoid Critical Modifications: If your organization requires changes to the SSH configuration for security reasons, avoid altering critical settings such as:

    • Root permissions

    • References to the authorized_keys file

    • Settings related to the number of sessions allowed by the SSH server

    • The SSH listening port

The installation command configures the agent including SSH to work with vPenTest. Altering the settings or configurations of SSH will generally cause issues with connectivity leading to a failed pentest or error messages.

Additional recommendations

While the above settings are crucial, other SSH configurations might also impact connectivity. If possible, implement other security controls rather than modifying the SSH configuration file. This approach helps maintain compatibility with vPenTest while still adhering to your organization's security policies.