SSH Module: Extract Private Key Fails When Creating Connection

Features
1

Hey everyone,

I’m trying to establish an SFTP/SSH connection from a Make scenario to my DigitalOcean Droplet using the standard SSH module, and I’m consistently running into an issue that’s preventing me from connecting. I’ve already opened a support ticket, but I wanted to reach out to the community in case anyone has experienced something similar or has insights.

The Problem

No matter what I try, Make’s SSH widget fails to process my private SSH key.

  1. When I upload the private key file: I get the error: "Failed to extract Private key from the file. Invalid password?"
  2. When I paste the private key text directly into the box: I get the error: "Bad Request: Validation failed for 1 parameter(s)."

In both cases, my DigitalOcean Droplet’s auth.log shows no incoming connection attempts from Make’s IP addresses, which tells me the problem is happening entirely on Make’s side before any connection is even initiated.

What I’ve already tried

I’ve gone through extensive troubleshooting, confirming my SSH setup is robust and that the issue isn’t on my Droplet’s end:

  • Key Generation: I generated 2 RSA key pair. One using ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -N "". This key has no passphrase, so “Invalid password?” shouldn’t be the issue.
  • Local Testing: This new SSH key works perfectly when I use it to connect to my Droplet from my local command line (ssh -i ...). I can log in successfully with or without a passphrase.
  • Droplet Configuration:
    • The public part of this new key (make_test_key2.pub) is correctly added to my Droplet’s ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file.
    • My Droplet accepts other SSH keys (my existing key) without issue.
  • Make’s Widget Behavior: I’ve ensured the passphrase field in Make is left blank when using this new key.

Essentially, the key works everywhere except within the Make SSH widget. This suggests Make’s internal SSH client might have a compatibility issue with standard OpenSSH private key formats, or there’s a bug in their key parsing/validation logic.

Seeking Community Help

Has anyone else encountered these specific error messages or similar difficulties when trying to connect to a DigitalOcean Droplet (or any other server) via SSH from Make?

  • Are there specific nuances with Make’s SSH widget (e.g., a preference for older key formats, different OpenSSH versions, or specific encryption types it expects)?
  • Are there any known workarounds or alternative methods for configuring SSH credentials that might bypass these validation/extraction issues?

Any insights or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

3

Convert your SSH key to legacy PEM format

Make.com’s SSH module does not support the newer OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY format. You need to convert your private key to the older PEM format.

Run the following command in your terminal:

ssh-keygen -p -m PEM -f path/to/your/key

This keeps your key the same but rewrites it in a compatible format.

If your key has no passphrase, just press Enter when prompted. Once converted, re-upload or paste the key into Make’s SSH module. It should now be accepted and connect successfully.

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4

Thanks. I think the “fix” is for the documentation to be updated. I am happy to use PEM if I know it is required. Here is the command I used:

ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -m PEM -N “” -f make_test_key3

Thanks again. I was losing my mind :slight_smile:

1 Like