SSH protocol on OpenVMS

[Thomas A. Williams]

We've got a problem with a PC client not handling an expired password correctly. The PC client vendor has said the following:

" think that Extra! is not supporting the input_userrauth_passwd_changereq OpenVMS SSH Server command, because OpenVMS SSH Server is not based on OpenSSH standards, but it is based on SSH2 Software from a company called SSH Communications Security. "

Question: Is what they say true - SSH on OpenVMS is NOT based on OpenSSH?

And is the "input_userrauth_passwd_changereq" signal non-standard?

Thanks in advance.

[Steven Schweda]

> [...] SSH on OpenVMS is NOT based on OpenSSH?

True enough. For example, the key file
formats differ. (Search this forum for
"ssh-keygen".)

But that doesn't imply that it's defective.

I know nothing specific about what happens
with an expired password.

[Richard Whalen]

The SSH_MSG_USERAUTH_PASSWD_CHANGEREQ is defined in RFC 4252. The language describing it uses a lot of "SHOULD" and "MAY", so it should be considered an optional part of the protocol, not a mandatory part of the protocol.

OpenSSH does not define the standard. The RFCs do.

[Thomas A. Williams]

The PC client vendor has acknowledged the problem and will be issuing a patch. Thanks for the help.