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echo: bbs_internet
to: CACO BYTE
from: RON LAUZON
date: 2020-03-04 18:06:00
subject: Re: Syncterm error -16

-=> Caco Byte wrote to All <=-

 CB> Hello everybody! I'm having a little trouble connecting to some of my
 CB> favourite BBS using SSH in Syncterm 1.1b.
 CB> I doesn't apply to every BBS I try to connect but in many cases I have
 CB> this strange error message afterwards:

 CB> Error -16 activating session
 CB> Couldn't create ECDH ephemeral key data

I haven't seen that when I use SyncTerm, but I only use Telnet.

The error has to do with trying to set up the SSH connection.

"ECDH" is "Elliptic-curve Diffie-Hellman" and it's a method for 2 systems to
exchange a key without transmitting the key in the clear.  So that's why you
only see it with ssh.  Telnet isn't encrypted.  Ssh is.

 CB> It only happens when trying SSH, it doesn't happnes in TELNET. Also, I
 CB> see it's independet of the system runing the BBS itself.
 CB> When I try the SSH command in a regular linux terminal I have no issues
 CB> whatsoever so, it's safe to assume my username and password are not the
 CB> problem but rather a syncterm handling the keys.

My guess is that SyncTerm is using an old library.

One thing that bit me with this at work had to do with TLS.  The older TLS
versions are being deprecated.

When the systems connect, they negotiate what version of TLS they will use. 
Some systems don't negotiate correctly and try to use a deprecated version of
TLS.  Policies on the computer may prevent that deprecated version of TLS from
being used (either on the client or the host).


... A .45 beats a royal flush EVERY TIME
--- MultiMail/Linux v0.52
* Origin: Diamond Mine Online BBS bbs.dmine.net:24 (1:275/89)

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