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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallA deploy that stops with REMOTE HOST IDENTIFICATION HAS CHANGED is SSH refusing to trust the server identity it just encountered. The cause could be a routine rebuild or key rotation, but it could also be an impersonation attempt. Verify the new host-key fingerprint through a trusted channel before changing known_hosts; do not bypass the check just to get the deploy running.
What SSH is warning you about
An SSH host key identifies the server to the client. It is different from your private key, which proves your identity to the server. The client checks the host key presented by the destination against its own known-hosts database. OpenBSD’s sshd(8) manual describes this as checking the host key against the client’s database to verify it has not changed.
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A mismatch means SSH cannot confirm that the endpoint is the same one previously trusted. A server may have been rebuilt or replaced, its host keys may have been rotated, or the name may now point to a different destination. An attacker intercepting or redirecting the connection is another possibility. The warning alone does not distinguish a legitimate change from an attack.
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- Read the complete error. Record the hostname, port, and any IP address shown. Check the deployment’s actual SSH command and configuration so you know which endpoint it is meant to reach. A hostname alias, non-default port, or load-balanced destination can affect which known-hosts entry is relevant.
- Ask the infrastructure owner about changes. Find out whether the server was rebuilt, replaced, or had host keys rotated. Request the expected host-key fingerprint through an authenticated channel independent of the connection that raised the warning.
- Compare the trusted fingerprint with the endpoint’s key. Do not trust a key just because it appeared after rerunning the failed command or because
ssh-keyscanreturned it. The OpenBSD ssh-keyscan(1) manual warns that a party able to intercept network traffic may substitute a key in scan output.
Match the fingerprint to the same hostname and port used by the deployment. If the infrastructure owner cannot confirm the change or provide an independently verifiable fingerprint, stop and investigate rather than accepting the new key.
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Update only the verified known-hosts entry
Once the replacement fingerprint is verified, locate and remove the stale entry, or update the managed trust configuration used by the deployment. OpenSSH’s ssh-keygen(1) manual documents these search and removal operations:
ssh-keygen -F hostname
ssh-keygen -R hostnameUse the same host and port form as the SSH client. For a non-default port, OpenSSH commonly represents the target in known-hosts as [hostname]:port; check the actual error and configuration rather than assuming the plain hostname is the matching entry. The -R option removes matching entries, including hashed host names.
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Reconnect only after the new fingerprint has been verified and the appropriate trust entry updated. If the team manages known_hosts centrally, make the change there rather than editing an unrelated local copy.
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Make CI trust explicit
A CI runner uses the SSH configuration and host database available to the process running the deploy. A developer laptop’s known_hosts file does not automatically establish trust for a separate runner. Before changing the pipeline, identify the runner account, its HOME, SSH configuration, destination alias, and whether its filesystem persists between jobs.
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- Provision the independently verified host key in the trust store that the deploy process actually reads, or use a trusted host-certificate process.
- Account for aliases, ports, and runner-user differences so the entry matches the connection being made.
- Keep strict host-key checking enabled. A verified rotation calls for updating the trusted identity, not suppressing the mismatch globally.
Exact provisioning steps depend on the CI platform and deployment configuration. Whatever the platform, a scan from the same potentially untrusted network is not independent verification.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the checking options change
The OpenBSD ssh_config(5) manual describes the behavior of StrictHostKeyChecking options. These settings govern how SSH handles keys; none makes an unverified first key trustworthy.
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| Setting | New host key | Changed host key | Human confirmation |
|---|---|---|---|
ask (default in the current OpenBSD manual) |
Added only after confirmation | Refused | Yes, when accepting a new key |
accept-new |
Added automatically | Refused | No for a new key |
no or off |
Accepted subject to restrictions | Allowed subject to restrictions | Not for the change itself |
accept-new may be useful where automatic first-time enrollment is an intentional policy, but it does not accept changed keys. Using no or off weakens protection against a destination presenting a different identity. In automation, distribute the expected identity through an authenticated configuration or trusted host-certificate process instead of disabling the check.
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