diff --git a/doc/errors.but b/doc/errors.but index cea3201c..e3db184e 100644 --- a/doc/errors.but +++ b/doc/errors.but @@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ the one PuTTY has cached for this server}, means that PuTTY has connected to the SSH server before, knows what its host key \e{should} be, but has found a different one. +(If the message instead talks about a \q{certified host key}, see +instead \k{errors-cert-mismatch}.) + This may mean that a malicious attacker has replaced your server with a different one, or has redirected your network connection to their own machine. On the other hand, it may simply mean that the @@ -60,7 +63,8 @@ If you've configured PuTTY to trust at least one \k{config-ssh-kex-cert}), then it will ask the SSH server to send it any available certified host keys. If the server sends back a certified key signed by a \e{different} certification authority, PuTTY -will present this variant of the host key prompt. +will present this variant of the host key prompt, preceded by +\q{WARNING - POTENTIAL SECURITY BREACH!} One reason why this can happen is a deliberate attack. Just like an ordinary man-in-the-middle attack which substitutes a wrong host key,