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If FileZilla connects successfully but an upload returns permission denied, authentication has already succeeded. The SFTP server is rejecting the requested write, usually because the destination directory (or one of its parent directories) is not writable by the account, a Windows ACL denies access, or an OpenSSH chroot is laid out incorrectly. Fix the server-side path and permissions rather than making the account root.
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This guide shows how to identify the real remote directory, repair Linux/POSIX permissions or Windows NTFS ACLs, configure a safe chroot, handle file modes, and verify the result from FileZilla and the server logs.
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What a successful connection does—and does not—prove
FileZilla is the client. It sends an SFTP request to create, replace, rename or delete a remote object; the operating system and the SFTP service decide whether the authenticated account may perform that operation. A successful login proves that the host, port, credentials and (if used) public key were accepted. It does not grant write access to every directory visible through the session.
An upload can fail for any of these distinct reasons:
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- The target directory lacks write permission for the SFTP user or an allowed group.
- A parent directory lacks execute (traverse) permission, so the server cannot reach the target even if the target itself appears writable.
- A Windows NTFS ACL explicitly denies the account or omits the required permission.
- The account is chrooted and the chroot root has been made writable, owned by the wrong identity, or given no writable child directory.
- FileZilla is operating in a different remote directory than you expect, so the permission error concerns another path.
- The key was offered for the wrong server username. In that case the connection normally fails before an upload, often with “server refused our key.”
Determine which case applies before changing permissions. Broadly granting root access can hide a path or ownership mistake while creating a much larger security risk.
Fast triage in FileZilla
1. Verify the protocol, host, port and username
- Open File > Site Manager (or the Site Manager button).
- Set Protocol to SFTP – SSH File Transfer Protocol. Do not use FTP or FTPS settings for an SFTP service.
- Confirm the server address, SSH port (commonly 22, unless the administrator specifies another) and the exact operating-system username. Usernames are not interchangeable: a key installed for
uploadswill not authenticate asalex. - For key authentication, choose Logon Type > Key file and select the private key that corresponds to the public key installed for that same username. A “server refused our key” message generally means the public key is absent, malformed, or assigned to another account; it is not an upload-directory permission error.
2. Read the remote directory shown after login
After authentication, inspect the remote file pane’s current directory and its listing. Do not assume that the local path, the server’s filesystem path, and the SFTP-visible path are the same. A chroot can make / in FileZilla represent a restricted directory such as /srv/sftp/alex on the host.
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Try creating a small test file in the displayed directory only if the administrator has approved that test. If it succeeds, the original failure was probably caused by a different destination selected in the queue. If it fails, record the complete remote path and the exact response from the message log.
3. Correct the starting directory when necessary
An administrator can set an internal-SFTP starting directory with a directive such as:
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ForceCommand internal-sftp -d /uploadsThe -d option selects the directory presented at login; it does not change the chroot boundary. The directory must exist inside the account’s visible filesystem and still have permissions that allow the user to write. If the administrator sets -d /uploads but creates the directory outside the chroot, login may succeed while the requested path is unavailable or unusable.
4. Capture the detailed failure
Record whether the operation is an upload, overwrite, rename, directory creation or permission change. “Permission denied” on an overwrite can indicate that the existing file is owned by another account or is protected by an ACL, while a new-file failure usually points to directory permissions. FileZilla Pro Enterprise Server can expose more detailed errors through its behavior settings when permission-change failures are being hidden; on a normal OpenSSH server, use the service logs described below.
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Linux authorization combines ownership, POSIX mode bits, optional ACLs and the permissions on every directory component in the path. A directory needs w (write) to create, remove or rename entries and x (execute) to traverse it. Every parent directory needs x, even when the final directory has the correct write bit.
Inspect the complete path
An administrator should inspect each component, not just the final folder:
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namei -l /srv/sftp/alex/uploads
ls -ld /srv /srv/sftp /srv/sftp/alex /srv/sftp/alex/uploads
getfacl /srv/sftp/alex/uploadsnamei -l reveals ownership and mode bits for every path component. getfacl shows extended ACL entries that may override what a simple ls -l reading suggests. Also check an existing destination file before an overwrite:
ls -l /srv/sftp/alex/uploads/report.zip
getfacl /srv/sftp/alex/uploads/report.zipIf the account can list a directory but cannot upload, listing permission is not proof of write permission. A directory can be readable and traversable while denying creation.
Use a dedicated upload directory and group
Have the administrator choose a service account and group that match the deployment. One least-privilege pattern is:
sudo groupadd sftp-upload
sudo usermod -aG sftp-upload alex
sudo install -d -o root -g sftp-upload -m 2770 /srv/data/uploads
sudo chown root:sftp-upload /srv/data/uploadsThe commands are an example, not a universal path. The administrator must adapt the account, group and directory to the existing layout, then reconnect the user so the new supplementary group is applied. Mode 2770 gives the owner and group read/write/traverse access, denies access to others, and sets the set-group-ID bit so new entries inherit the directory’s group. If other processes need to read but not write, use a narrower group and mode instead of granting access to everyone.
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Do not change an account to UID 0 or enable root SSH merely to bypass a failed upload. Give the account (or a purpose-built group) access to the one directory it needs, and retain normal administrative access separately.
Lay out an OpenSSH chroot correctly
OpenSSH imposes special ownership rules on a chroot. The chroot directory and all path components leading to it must be controlled by the system as required by OpenSSH; they must not be writable by the restricted user. Put a writable child directory inside that boundary.
A typical conceptual layout is:
/srv/sftp/alex/ root-owned, not writable by alex
/srv/sftp/alex/uploads/ writable by alex or sftp-uploadAn administrator might create it as follows, after substituting the real account and group:
sudo install -d -o root -g root -m 755 /srv/sftp/alex
sudo install -d -o alex -g sftp-upload -m 2770 /srv/sftp/alex/uploadsThe corresponding restricted match block can look like:
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Match User alex
ChrootDirectory /srv/sftp/%u
ForceCommand internal-sftp -d /uploads
X11Forwarding no
AllowTcpForwarding noValidate the actual configuration before restarting the service:
sudo sshd -tThen restart or reload the SSH service using the distribution’s service manager and test with FileZilla. If the chroot root itself is owned by the SFTP user or is writable by that user, OpenSSH may reject the session or create an unsafe layout. If the root is correctly protected but no writable child exists, the user may log in and browse while every upload fails.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsWindows OpenSSH: use NTFS ACLs, not Linux mode bits
On Windows, OpenSSH still provides the SFTP protocol, but access is governed primarily by NTFS ACLs. A directory that looks correct in FileZilla can fail because an explicit deny, inherited entry or missing modify permission applies to the account.
Build a protected chroot and writable child
Keep the chroot directory local to the Windows machine. SYSTEM and Administrators should retain owner-level control of the chroot root; the SFTP user should not have write permission there. Create a child such as C:SFTPalexuploads and grant the intended account or group modify access only on that child.
The exact account syntax varies for local and domain users. An administrator can inspect the current ACLs with:
icacls C:SFTPalex
icacls C:SFTPalexuploadsAfter reviewing inherited entries, a deliberately scoped grant might resemble:
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icacls C:SFTPalexuploads /grant Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
