---
title: "HOST-SSH-006 SSH Allows Many Authentication Attempts"
canonical: https://openvapt.com/checks/HOST-SSH-006.html
html: https://openvapt.com/checks/HOST-SSH-006.html
site: OpenVAPT, https://openvapt.com/
license: OpenVAPT Source-Available Licence 1.3, https://openvapt.com/legal/licence-text.html
modified: 2026-10-14
version: 0.1.0-alpha.6
---

# HOST-SSH-006 SSH Allows Many Authentication Attempts

Checks whether MaxAuthTries is above 4.

- Domain: Server
- Severity: Low
- Control category: Identity and Authentication
- Fix effort: low
- CVSS v3.1 vector: `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N`
- CIS Controls v8: 4.1
- NIST CSF 2.0: PR.PS-01
- CWE: CWE-307
- NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: AC-7
- Benchmark topic: SSH server configuration: MaxAuthTries (topic only, no benchmark text)

## Why It Matters

Each connection may try this many passwords or keys. A low limit slows guessing and makes attacks show up in the logs sooner.

## How It Detects

Reads MaxAuthTries (OpenSSH default 6); a value above 4 fails.

## How to Fix

Set  MaxAuthTries 4  (or lower) in /etc/ssh/sshd_config and reload sshd. Consider fail2ban or sshguard for rate limiting.

## How to Verify

```
sshd -T | grep -i maxauthtries  should print 4 or lower.
```

## Learn the Theory

- [P2 SSH Security](https://openvapt.com/academy/p2.md)
- [P15 Access Control: Accounts, Sudo and Logins](https://openvapt.com/academy/p15.md)

## References

- [OpenBSD, sshd_config(5) manual page](https://man.openbsd.org/sshd_config)

## Source Code

https://github.com/OpenVAPT/openvapt/blob/574f7f3333c44b75a3c649e2d93a76d507f75adf/internal/checks/host/ssh_misc.go

Run it: `openvapt scan --only HOST-SSH-006`. Read it offline: `openvapt explain HOST-SSH-006`.

---

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