The Tool Desk
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What SSH folder access actually means
SSH authenticates a normal Linux account; it does not create a separate permission system for remote sessions. Once logged in, the kernel evaluates the account’s UID, supplementary groups, traditional mode bits, ACL entries, and the permissions on every directory in the path.
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Directory permissions have different meanings from file permissions:
- Read (r) on a directory allows listing its names.
- Execute (x) allows traversal: entering the directory, accessing a known name, and using it as part of a path.
- Write (w) allows creating, deleting, and renaming entries when combined with execute permission. It does not by itself make existing files readable or writable.
Therefore, a user who can read a file still needs execute permission on the file’s directory and on every parent directory above it. A user who must upload needs write and execute on the upload directory, plus traversal through all parents. Granting read permission alone is not enough to list or open a file if a parent directory blocks traversal.
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Choose the access model before changing permissions
| Requirement | Best-fit design | What it changes | Isolation and maintenance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Several trusted accounts need the same folder | Dedicated Unix group | Group ownership and group mode bits | Simple to reuse; membership grants the same rights to every group member |
| One account needs access without changing the existing group | POSIX ACL | A named-user ACL entry and its mask | Precise per-user control; inspect with getfacl |
| Account needs a shell and ordinary filesystem access | Unrestricted SSH path | Normal Linux permissions apply | Most flexible, least isolated |
| Account should transfer files only | internal-sftp with ChrootDirectory |
Session command and filesystem root | More isolation; chroot ownership rules are strict |
| Users must upload but not alter the directory boundary | Root-owned boundary plus writable child | Only the child is writable by the account | Prevents the SFTP account from modifying the jail itself |
Decide whether access is read-only or read/write, whether users should share changes, and whether a shell is needed. Do not give write permission merely to solve a read or traversal error.
Set up a shared folder with a dedicated group
Assume the account is sshuser and the shared path is /srv/shared. Run these commands as an administrator.
- Create a group.
sudo groupadd folderusers - Add the SSH account to it.
sudo usermod -aG folderusers sshuser
Use-aG, not just-G; omitting-acan replace the user’s existing supplementary groups. - Assign the folder’s group.
sudo chown -R owner:folderusers /srv/shared
This keepsowneras the primary owner while makingfolderusersthe group on the tree. Confirm that changing the group is acceptable before applying it recursively. - Choose group read-only or group read/write access.
sudo chmod 2750 /srv/sharedgives the owner read/write/traverse and the group read/traverse access. The leading2sets the setgid bit, so new entries inherit the directory’s group.
Usesudo chmod 2770 /srv/sharedwhen group members must create, change, or remove entries in that directory. - Apply directory and file modes separately. A recursive
chmodthat gives every object the same mode can accidentally make files executable or directories unusable. For a read-only group tree, an example is:sudo find /srv/shared -type d -exec chmod 2750 {} +sudo find /srv/shared -type f -exec chmod 0640 {} +
For a group-writable tree, use directory mode2770and a suitable non-executable file mode such as0660, subject to the application’s needs. - Start a new login session. Supplementary groups are normally read when the session starts. Disconnect and reconnect before testing; an already-open shell may not contain
folderusers.
Check the resulting identity and ownership with:
id sshuser
ls -ld /srv/shared
The id output should include folderusers. If it does not, reconnect again or investigate the account and NSS configuration rather than widening directory permissions.
Grant one account access with ACLs
Use an ACL when changing the directory’s primary group would affect other services or users. The following grants sshuser read and traversal rights on the shared directory, then full directory rights on an upload area:
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sudo setfacl -m u:sshuser:rx /srv/shared
sudo setfacl -m u:sshuser:rwx /srv/shared/incoming
getfacl /srv/shared /srv/shared/incoming
The first entry lets the account traverse and read the directory; the second permits creating and modifying entries in incoming. The account still needs execute permission on every parent directory between its login and the target. Add narrowly scoped ACL entries to those parents when required, rather than giving broad access to unrelated directories.
Always inspect the ACL mask in getfacl. A named-user entry can appear to grant rwx while the mask limits its effective rights. The getfacl output shows both the requested entry and any effective restriction. ACLs also do not bypass a parent directory that denies traversal.
Diagnose path traversal one component at a time
When a path looks correctly permissioned but SSH reports “Permission denied,” inspect every component, not just the final folder:
namei -l /srv/shared/incoming
namei -l displays the owner and mode for /, /srv, /srv/shared, and /srv/shared/incoming. Look for a parent where sshuser has no execute permission through owner, group, or ACL. A private home directory, for example, can block access to a correctly configured descendant.
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Test the exact effective rights as the target account instead of testing as root:
sudo -u sshuser -- test -x /srv/shared
sudo -u sshuser -- test -r /srv/shared/file
sudo -u sshuser -- test -w /srv/shared/incoming
These commands return success silently and a nonzero status on failure. They separate traversal, read, and write problems so you can fix only the missing permission.
Keep SSH key authentication healthy
Folder permissions are irrelevant if sshd refuses the account’s key before the session starts. OpenSSH normally looks for .ssh/authorized_keys relative to the account’s home directory unless AuthorizedKeysFile has been overridden.
- The account’s home directory,
.sshdirectory, andauthorized_keysfile should be owned appropriately by the account or an administrator responsible for the account. - They must not be writable by unrelated users. With
StrictModesenabled, unsafe ownership or modes can causesshdto reject a key even when the target folder has perfect permissions. - The OpenSSH client guidance likewise expects
~/.sshto be accessible to the user and not broadly accessible to others, with strict protection for private key material.
If authentication fails, first determine whether the failure occurs before a shell opens. Use verbose client output such as ssh -vv and inspect the server log for key or StrictModes errors. Only after authentication succeeds should you troubleshoot the target folder.
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Build an SFTP-only account with a chroot
For a transfer-only account, constrain the session in sshd_config with a user-specific match block:
Match User sshuser
ForceCommand internal-sftp
ChrootDirectory /srv/sftp/%u
DisableForwarding yes
PermitTTY no
ForceCommand internal-sftp prevents the user from starting a normal shell. DisableForwarding yes blocks forwarding features for this match, and PermitTTY no prevents allocation of a terminal. The %u token expands to the authenticated username, so this example expects a jail at /srv/sftp/sshuser.
Prepare the jail boundary
The chroot path and every component above it must be root-owned directories that are not writable by any other user or group. This is an OpenSSH requirement, not an optional hardening preference. A typical layout is:
sudo install -d -o root -g root -m 755 /srv/sftp
sudo install -d -o root -g root -m 755 /srv/sftp/sshuser
sudo install -d -o sshuser -g sshuser -m 700 /srv/sftp/sshuser/incoming
The account cannot write to the chroot boundary itself. It can write inside incoming, which is owned by the account in this example. You can use an ACL on that child instead if ownership must remain with another service.
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Understand the two common chroot mistakes
- Writable chroot boundary: If the jail directory or any component above it is group- or world-writable, OpenSSH rejects the connection rather than entering the jail.
- No writable child: If the boundary is correctly root-owned but every child is also read-only, authentication and SFTP startup can succeed while uploads fail. Create and permission a child such as
incoming.
After editing the configuration, validate it before reloading:
sudo sshd -t
A silent result indicates that the syntax check passed. Fix any reported error before reloading or restarting the daemon, and keep an existing administrative session open while changing SSH configuration.
Verify the real client operation
Use this sequence after changing groups, ACLs, or SSH configuration:
- Run
sudo sshd -tto catch configuration errors. - Run
id sshuserin a fresh session to confirm group membership. - Run
namei -l /srv/shared/incoming(or the actual target) to inspect every path component. - Run
getfaclon any path using ACLs and check the mask and effective permissions. - Run the three
sudo -u sshuser -- test ...checks for traversal, read, and write. - Use the actual client operation:
ssh -vv sshuser@hostfor shell access orsftp sshuser@hostfor transfers. Try listing the directory, reading a permitted file, creating a small test file, and deleting it if deletion is part of the intended role.
Testing as root, as the directory owner, or from an old shell can produce a false positive. The meaningful test is the same account, through the same SSH or SFTP path, performing the operation it is meant to perform.
Fix the most common “permission denied” cases
| Symptom | Likely cause | Targeted fix |
|---|---|---|
| Account cannot enter a folder | Missing execute permission on the folder or a parent | Use namei -l; grant only the required parent traversal with group mode bits or an ACL |
| Account can enter but cannot list names | Directory lacks read permission | Add read permission to the relevant group or named-user ACL; retain execute for traversal |
| Account can list but cannot upload | Target directory lacks write permission, or an ACL mask limits it | Grant rwx on the upload directory and verify the mask with getfacl |
| Group change appears ineffective | Session predates the supplementary-group change | Disconnect and start a new SSH session, then rerun id sshuser |
| Key is rejected before the folder is reached | Home, .ssh, or authorized_keys is unsafe under StrictModes |
Correct ownership and modes, then review verbose client output and server logs |
| SFTP login is rejected immediately | Chroot path or an ancestor is not root-owned, or is writable by group/others | Make every boundary component root-owned and non-writable; keep writes in a child directory |
| SFTP login succeeds but upload fails | No writable child exists inside the jail | Create a child such as incoming and grant the account ownership or a suitable ACL |
| Configuration reload fails | Syntax error in sshd_config |
Run sudo sshd -t, correct the reported line, and validate again before reloading |
Operate the permission scheme safely
- Grant the smallest useful permission set: read and execute for viewing, write only where the account must create or change entries, and no shell or forwarding features for a transfer-only role.
- Use a dedicated group when several accounts should receive identical rights. Review membership because adding a user to that group grants access to the entire group-controlled tree.
- Use ACLs for exceptions, and document named-user entries so they are not mistaken for ordinary mode bits during later maintenance.
- Use setgid on shared directories when new entries should inherit the collaboration group. Check applications’ umasks and file-creation behavior so newly created files receive the intended group access.
- Keep chroot boundaries administrative and immutable to the SFTP account; put all writable content below the boundary.
- Preserve an existing administrative SSH session while testing a configuration change, and validate with
sshd -tbefore reloading the daemon.
The resulting design should be explainable in one sentence: identify the account, state whether access is read-only or read/write, name the group or ACL that grants it, and identify the exact writable directory if the account is jailed.
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