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SFTP chroot permission issue

Why SFTP chroot jail permissions prevent access and how to configure directories properly.

Diagnose this automatically

Test whether the server allows directory listing with valid credentials.

terminal
npx ftpmonitor check --protocol sftp --host sftp.example.com --port 22 --username user --password pass --path /upload
Shareable output
terminal
npx ftpmonitor check --protocol sftp --host sftp.example.com --port 22 --username user --password pass --path /upload --format slack --copy

Prefer the browser? Run the same check on the homepage.

SFTP chroot environments restrict users to a specific directory.

Incorrect permissions often prevent login or directory access.

Common causes

  • Directory ownership incorrect
  • Root directory writable by user
  • Incorrect chroot configuration

Fix checklist

  1. Ensure root directory owned by root.
  2. Set correct permissions for subdirectories.
  3. Restart SSH service after changes.
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