PowerShell / PowerShell/Win32-OpenSSH

Adding key with confirmation option to ssh-agent gives "agent refused operation"

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Area-ssh-agent Issue-Enhancement
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Description

Prerequisites
  • Write a descriptive title.
  • Make sure you are able to repro it on the latest version
  • Search the existing issues.
Steps to reproduce

Try adding a key with the -c (confirmation) option, it will fail with "agent refused operation"

PS C:\Users\myuser> ssh-add -c $env:USERPROFILE/.ssh/mykey
Enter passphrase for C:\Users\myuser/.ssh/mykey (will confirm each use):
Could not add identity "C:\Users\myuser/.ssh/mykey": agent refused operation
Expected behavior
ssh agent should not refuse this operation (-> it should support it)
Actual behavior
buggy or likely not supported at all, even though the option is there on ssh-add?
Error details

No response

Environment data
not relevant
Version

OpenSSH_for_Windows_9.5p1, LibreSSL 3.8.2

Visuals

No response

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by reproducing the issue with ssh-add -c and trace how ssh-agent handles the confirmation option on Windows. Compare the agent's behavior with the option exposed by ssh-add; done means a key can be added with confirmation enabled and its use is confirmed rather than refused.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
c
Domain
authentication, operating-systems, security
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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