Software⏱️ 3 min read📅 2026-06-11

How to Fix: SSH jumphost error: channel 0: open failed: administratively prohibited: open failed

SSH jumphost error: channel 0: open failed: administratively prohibited: open failed. Ubuntu 17.04 server with PermitTunnel active.

Quick Answer: Check if the user account on the target host has a valid SSH key or password, and ensure that the PermitTunnel option is not causing issues.

📋 Table of Contents

  1. 💡 Why You Are Getting This Error
  2. ✅ Best Solutions to Fix It
  3. ✨ Wrapping Up

The 'SSH jumphost error: channel 0: open failed: administratively prohibited: open failed' issue occurs when attempting to use SSH with a jumphost, where the connection is closed by the remote host due to administrative restrictions. This affects users who need to access multiple servers using a single SSH connection.

This frustrating error can be caused by various factors, including the server's configuration and the client's SSH settings. In this guide, we will walk you through the possible causes of this error and provide two primary methods for resolving it.

💡 Why You Are Getting This Error

  • The primary cause of this error is that the 'PermitTunnel' option is set to 'no' on the server, which prevents SSH tunneling. This means that even if you have a valid username and password, the server will not allow you to open a new SSH connection through a jumphost.
  • Another possible cause is that the client's SSH version is outdated or incompatible with the server's configuration. However, since the server is running Ubuntu 17.04, which is an older distribution, this is less likely to be the case.

✅ Best Solutions to Fix It

Enable PermitTunnel on the Server

  1. Step 1: Log in to the server using a valid username and password.
  2. Step 2: Open the '/etc/ssh/sshd_config' file using a text editor (e.g., nano or vim).
  3. Step 3: Comment out the line that starts with 'PermitTunnel no' by adding a '#' symbol at the beginning of the line. This will enable PermitTunnel for all users on the server.
  4. Step 4: Save and close the file. Restart the SSH service to apply the changes: `sudo systemctl restart ssh`.

Update Client's SSH Version

  1. Step 1: Open a terminal on your client machine and update your SSH client to the latest version using your package manager (e.g., `apt-get update && apt-get install openssh-client`).
  2. Step 2: Verify that the SSH client has been updated successfully by running `ssh -v user@X.X.X.X`.

✨ Wrapping Up

To resolve the 'SSH jumphost error: channel 0: open failed: administratively prohibited: open failed' issue, you can either enable PermitTunnel on the server or update your client's SSH version to a compatible version. By following these steps, you should be able to establish a successful SSH connection using a jumphost.

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