Identifier / Programs / Linux and Unix
ssh-keyscan
Get the public SSH keys of remote hosts. tldr-pages
GTFOBins file-read 1 documented command
How ssh-keyscan is abused
file-read
-fEach abuse is GTFOBins's category and the options and words it uses; the full write-up is on GTFOBins's page for ssh-keyscan.
1 documented command
file-read unprivileged, with sudo, as SUID
The file content is actually parsed so only a part of each line is returned as a part of an error message.
ssh-keyscan -f /path/to/input-fileThe command the identifier reads trips no Sigma process-creation rule. This command is, with GTFOBins’ notes, from GTFOBins, at commit acd524623f9c of 2026-05-27, under the GPL-3.0, with no warranty. Changed: Markdown is shown formatted. The source is in lolbas-gtfobins-commands.json.gz, and the full entry is on GTFOBins’s page for ssh-keyscan. The identifier reads the line that runs ssh-keyscan.
Everyday use
Retrieve all public SSH keys of a remote host
ssh-keyscan hostnameIdentifyRetrieve all public SSH keys of a remote host listening on a specific port
ssh-keyscan -p port hostnameIdentifyRetrieve certain types of public SSH keys of a remote host
ssh-keyscan -t rsa,dsa,ecdsa,ed25519 hostnameIdentifyNone of the 3 examples the identifier reads matches GTFOBins abuse or trips a Sigma process-creation rule.