[BUG] SSH passphrase prompts no longer appear when running SSH commands via Bash tool
Resolved 💬 4 comments Opened Jan 9, 2026 by promptgoblin Closed Feb 25, 2026
Preflight Checklist
- [x] I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
- [x] This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs)
- [x] I am using the latest version of Claude Code
What's Wrong?
Description:
After a recent Claude Code update, SSH commands that require a passphrase no longer prompt the user for input. Previously, when Claude Code executed an SSH command with a passphrase-protected key, the passphrase prompt would appear and the user could enter it interactively.
Environment:
- OS: Linux Mint (Ubuntu 22.04 base), kernel 5.15.0-164-generic
- Terminals tested: Native Linux terminal, Tabby
- Claude Code version: 2.1.3 (Claude Code) --- worked in the previous version I was using. 1.something, but I can't remember specifically.
What Should Happen?
Expected behavior:
User is prompted for the SSH key passphrase, can enter it, and the connection succeeds. *Worked in previous claude code versions.
Error Messages/Logs
Actual behavior:
No prompt appears. SSH fails with:
ssh_askpass: exec(/usr/bin/ssh-askpass): No such file or directory
Permission denied (publickey).
Steps to Reproduce
Steps to reproduce:
- Have an SSH key with a passphrase (e.g., ~/.ssh/id_ed25519)
- Ensure the key is NOT loaded in ssh-agent
- Ask Claude to run an SSH command using that key
- Example command: ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 user@server 'hostname'
Claude Model
Opus
Is this a regression?
Yes, this worked in a previous version
Last Working Version
1.?
Claude Code Version
2.1.3
Platform
Anthropic API
Operating System
Ubuntu/Debian Linux
Terminal/Shell
Other
Additional Information
_No response_
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