Permission denied when using sshpass
<p>I am running HP-UX 11.31, trying to use sshpass to connect to a vendor's system and retrieve a file using sftp. When I run sftp manually, I am able to connect by entering a password. Thus, the command <code>sftp $USERID@$SERVER</code> works fine. The vendor's system prompts for a password with <code>$USERID@$SERVER's password:</code>, then I enter the password by hand and get the sftp prompt.</p>

<p>When I use sshpass I receive a <code>Permission denied (publickey, password)</code> error. My command is <code>sshpass -e sftp $USERID@$SERVER &lt;&lt; EOF</code> followed by the commands to change directories, retrieve the desired file, and exit. I have tried adding the <code>BatchMode=no</code> and <code>StrictHostKeyChecking=no</code> parameters to the sftp command, but the result is the same.</p>

<p>What am I doing wrong? How can I make this work?</p>

<p>Please do not tell me to perform a key exchange or lecture me about the security issues involved here. I already know. I have no authority to change the situation.</p>

<p><strong>EDIT:</strong> Here is the output of sftp -vvv, as requested:</p>

<pre><code>OpenSSH_5.5p1+sftpfilecontrol-v1.3-hpn13v7, OpenSSL 0.9.8n 24 Mar 2010
HP-UX Secure Shell-A.05.50.014, HP-UX Secure Shell version
debug1: Reading configuration data /opt/ssh/etc/ssh_config
debug3: RNG is ready, skipping seeding
debug2: ssh_connect: needpriv 0
debug1: Connecting to archive.companykitchen.com [199.91.127.120] port 22.
debug1: Connection established.
debug1: identity file /home/pbewig/.ssh/id_rsa type -1
debug1: identity file /home/pbewig/.ssh/id_rsa-cert type -1
debug3: Not a RSA1 key file /home/pbewig/.ssh/id_dsa.
debug2: key_type_from_name: unknown key type '-----BEGIN'
debug3: key_read: missing keytype
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug2: key_type_from_name: unknown key type '-----END'
debug3: key_read: missing keytype
debug1: identity file /home/pbewig/.ssh/id_dsa type 2
debug1: identity file /home/pbewig/.ssh/id_dsa-cert type -1
debug1: Remote protocol version 2.0, remote software version OpenSSH_6.6.1p1 Ubuntu-2ubuntu2
debug1: match: OpenSSH_6.6.1p1 Ubuntu-2ubuntu2 pat OpenSSH*
debug1: Remote is NON-HPN aware
debug1: Enabling compatibility mode for protocol 2.0
debug1: Local version string SSH-2.0-OpenSSH_5.5p1+sftpfilecontrol-v1.3-hpn13v7
debug2: fd 5 setting O_NONBLOCK
debug3: RNG is ready, skipping seeding
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEXINIT sent
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEXINIT received
debug1: AUTH STATE IS 0
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha256,diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha1,diffie-hellman-group14-sha1,diffie-hellman-group1-sha1
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: ssh-rsa-cert-v00@openssh.com,ssh-dss-cert-v00@openssh.com,ssh-rsa,ssh-dss
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr,arcfour256,arcfour128,aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,arcfour,rijndael-cbc@lysator.liu.se
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr,arcfour256,arcfour128,aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,arcfour,rijndael-cbc@lysator.liu.se
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,umac-64@openssh.com,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,umac-64@openssh.com,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib@openssh.com,zlib
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib@openssh.com,zlib
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit:
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit:
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: first_kex_follows 0
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: reserved 0
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: curve25519-sha256@libssh.org,ecdh-sha2-nistp256,ecdh-sha2-nistp384,ecdh-sha2-nistp521,diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha256,diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha1,diffie-hellman-group14-sha1,diffie-hellman-group1-sha1
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: ssh-rsa,ssh-dss,ecdsa-sha2-nistp256,ssh-ed25519
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr,arcfour256,arcfour128,aes128-gcm@openssh.com,aes256-gcm@openssh.com,chacha20-poly1305@openssh.com,aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,arcfour,rijndael-cbc@lysator.liu.se
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr,arcfour256,arcfour128,aes128-gcm@openssh.com,aes256-gcm@openssh.com,chacha20-poly1305@openssh.com,aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,arcfour,rijndael-cbc@lysator.liu.se
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-etm@openssh.com,umac-64-etm@openssh.com,umac-128-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-256-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-512-etm@openssh.com,hmac-ripemd160-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-96-etm@openssh.com,hmac-md5-96-etm@openssh.com,hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,umac-64@openssh.com,umac-128@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-256,hmac-sha2-512,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-etm@openssh.com,umac-64-etm@openssh.com,umac-128-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-256-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-512-etm@openssh.com,hmac-ripemd160-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-96-etm@openssh.com,hmac-md5-96-etm@openssh.com,hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,umac-64@openssh.com,umac-128@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-256,hmac-sha2-512,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib@openssh.com
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib@openssh.com
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit:
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit:
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: first_kex_follows 0
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: reserved 0
debug2: mac_setup: found hmac-md5
debug1: REQUESTED ENC.NAME is 'aes128-ctr'
debug1: kex: server-&gt;client aes128-ctr hmac-md5 none
debug2: mac_setup: found hmac-md5
debug1: REQUESTED ENC.NAME is 'aes128-ctr'
debug1: kex: client-&gt;server aes128-ctr hmac-md5 none
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_REQUEST(1024&lt;1024&lt;8192) sent
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_GROUP
debug2: dh_gen_key: priv key bits set: 135/256
debug2: bits set: 513/1024
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_INIT sent
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_REPLY
debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: host archive.companykitchen.com filename /home/pbewig/.ssh/known_hosts
debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: host archive.companykitchen.com filename /home/pbewig/.ssh/known_hosts
debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: match line 26
debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: host 199.91.127.120 filename /home/pbewig/.ssh/known_hosts
debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: host 199.91.127.120 filename /home/pbewig/.ssh/known_hosts
debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: match line 27
debug1: Host 'archive.companykitchen.com' is known and matches the RSA host key.
debug1: Found key in /home/pbewig/.ssh/known_hosts:26
debug2: bits set: 502/1024
debug1: ssh_rsa_verify: signature correct
debug2: kex_derive_keys
debug2: set_newkeys: mode 1
debug1: SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS sent
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS
debug2: set_newkeys: mode 0
debug1: SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS received
debug1: Roaming not allowed by server
debug1: SSH2_MSG_SERVICE_REQUEST sent
debug2: service_accept: ssh-userauth
debug1: SSH2_MSG_SERVICE_ACCEPT received
debug2: key: /home/pbewig/.ssh/id_rsa (0)
debug2: key: /home/pbewig/.ssh/id_dsa (40052840)
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,password
debug3: start over, passed a different list publickey,password
debug3: preferred publickey
debug3: authmethod_lookup publickey
debug3: remaining preferred:
debug3: authmethod_is_enabled publickey
debug1: Next authentication method: publickey
debug1: Trying private key: /home/pbewig/.ssh/id_rsa
debug3: no such identity: /home/pbewig/.ssh/id_rsa
debug1: Offering public key: /home/pbewig/.ssh/id_dsa
debug3: send_pubkey_test
debug2: we sent a publickey packet, wait for reply
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,password
debug2: we did not send a packet, disable method
debug1: No more authentication methods to try.
Permission denied (publickey,password).
Connection closed
</code></pre>

<p>It seems to be trying to send a public key and ignoring the password from sshpass.</p>