Still Get SSH Login Attempts with PW Auth Disabled

Greetings,

I have PasswordAuthentication disabled and PubkeyAuthentication enabled in my sshd_config file.  As expected, I can log in with a key file, but not with a password.

However, I continue to receive LFD alert emails of attempted password logins.  Fortunately, I have the number of attempts before blocking the IP set to 1:

"Mar  8 11:45:52 server sshd[21937]: Invalid user ubuntu from 113.194.225.168 port 35078"

When I attempt to log in with a password externally to my public IP, it fails as expected:
"No supported authentication methods available (server sent: publickey,gssapi-keyex,gssapi-with-mic)"

How are some hackers still able to reach the login prompt?

Thank you,

Michael

Change SSH to an alternate port and live in peace (I don't recommend 2222 as FritzFrog scans for that.)
https://docs.rackspace.com/docs/change-the-ssh-port-in-centos-and-redhat
(Don't forget to update your csf.conf to account for the alternate SSH port.)

I changed the port number for SSH long ago, and only recently disabled password authentication.  But, even with the port number changed, I don't see how they are reaching a login prompt if they find it.

Thank you,

Michael

You can also turn off LFD notifications for SSH attempts. Have you tuned your sshd_config to secure it (disable root login, reduce login grace time, reduce login attempts, etc.)?

I prefer to receive LFD notifications, to know what's going on.  I have "PermitRootLogin" set to "no", and the number of attempts set to "1" before blocking the IP.

However, I would like to know how hackers are still able to attempt a login at all, if I have PasswordAuthentication set to "no" and PubkeyAuthentication set to "yes".

Thank you,

Michael

They are hitting your SSH port, just block that port in CSF.

Any whitelisted IP's will still be able to login.

I removed the SSH port number from the TCP_IN and TCP_OUT ports list in csf.conf, and confirmed I can still connect.  Hopefully, that will stop them.

Thank you,

Michael

TCP_OUT doesn't matter.

Don't forget about UDP_IN, sometimes that will list port 22.

And TCP6_IN, if the server has IPv6 enabled.

Thank you.  I found a few other references.  So far, I haven't received any other alerts.