Software⏱️ 2 min read📅 2026-05-31

How to Fix: AWS ssh access 'Permission denied (publickey)' issue

Learn how to fix: AWS ssh access 'Permission denied (publickey)' issue.

Quick Answer: Try checking your system settings or restarting.

📋 Table of Contents

  1. 🛑 Root Causes of the Error
  2. 🔧 Proven Troubleshooting Steps
  3. 🎯 Final Words

To resolve the 'AWS ssh access Permission denied (publickey)' issue, follow these steps:

🛑 Root Causes of the Error

  • The most common cause is that the public key is not properly configured or uploaded to the AWS EC2 instance.

🔧 Proven Troubleshooting Steps

Method 1: Verify Public Key Configuration

  1. Step 1: Check the public key configuration on your EC2 instance by running the command `cat /home/ec2-user/.ssh/authorized_keys` and verify that it matches the public key you uploaded to AWS.

Method 2: Update SSH Agent

  1. Step 1: Update your SSH agent by running the command `ssh-agent -s` and then add the private key to the agent using the `SSH_ADD_IDENTITY` command.

🎯 Final Words

Make sure to test your SSH connection after completing these steps. If you're still experiencing issues, try resetting the EC2 instance's security group or reinstalling the public key.

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