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LFCS · Question #16

What is a purpose of an SSH host key?

The correct answer is B. It provides the server's identity information to connecting SSH clients. An SSH host key serves to identify the SSH server to the connecting client, preventing man-in-the-middle attacks by allowing the client to verify that it is connecting to the intended server.

Submitted by carlos_mx· Apr 18, 2026Networking

Question

What is a purpose of an SSH host key?

Options

  • AIt must be sent by any SSH client in addition to a user key in order to identify the client's host.
  • BIt provides the server's identity information to connecting SSH clients.
  • CIt is the root key by which all user SSH keys must be signed.
  • DIt authenticates any user that logs into a remote machine from the key's host.
  • EIt is used by system services like cron, syslog or a backup job to automatically connect to remote

How the community answered

(29 responses)
  • B
    90% (26)
  • C
    3% (1)
  • E
    7% (2)

Why each option

An SSH host key serves to identify the SSH server to the connecting client, preventing man-in-the-middle attacks by allowing the client to verify that it is connecting to the intended server.

AIt must be sent by any SSH client in addition to a user key in order to identify the client's host.

SSH host keys are used by the server to identify itself to the client, not by the client to identify its host to the server; client identification typically uses user keys or passwords.

BIt provides the server's identity information to connecting SSH clients.Correct

When an SSH client connects to a server, the server sends its public host key to the client. The client uses this key to verify the server's identity, often by comparing it against a known host key stored locally, ensuring that the client is connecting to the legitimate server and not an impostor.

CIt is the root key by which all user SSH keys must be signed.

SSH host keys are used for server authentication, not for signing user SSH keys; user keys are independent of host keys.

DIt authenticates any user that logs into a remote machine from the key's host.

SSH host keys authenticate the server to the client, not users; user authentication is handled by user keys (public/private key pairs) or passwords.

EIt is used by system services like cron, syslog or a backup job to automatically connect to remote

While SSH can be used for automated connections by services, host keys themselves are for server identity verification to the client, not specifically for automatic service connections, which primarily rely on user keys for authentication.

Concept tested: SSH host key purpose

Source: https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man5/ssh_config.5.html

Topics

#SSH#Host Key#Server Authentication#Network Security

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