https://nalar.dev/tags/host-keys/ Recent content in Host Keys on Nalar Hugo en-us Sat, 19 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://nalar.dev/ssh-host-key-continuity-is-a-client-trust-boundary/ Sat, 19 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://nalar.dev/ssh-host-key-continuity-is-a-client-trust-boundary/ <h1 id="ssh-host-key-continuity-is-a-client-trust-boundary">SSH Host Key Continuity Is a Client Trust Boundary</h1> <p>An SSH connection can negotiate strong encryption and still authenticate the wrong server. Encryption protects the transport after key exchange establishes its cryptographic context; it does not independently tell a client that the server key belongs to the intended host. That identity decision rests on host-key verification.</p> <p>For many interactive clients, the visible artifact is a <code>known_hosts</code> entry. The deeper security property is continuity: a client needs a trustworthy basis for accepting a host key now and for deciding whether a different key later represents legitimate rotation or an unexpected endpoint.</p>