WinSCP - SFTP error times out "reading remote directory"

I

IT_Architect

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With WinSCP, I can log in fine, but when I try to list root, the last thing it says is, "reading remote directory". After about 15 seconds it pops up a timeout error, and starts a countdown to reconnect.
 
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Did you specify SFTP in settings? What if you try FileZilla? It would help to understand on what side the issue might be.
 
zEitEr said:
Did you specify SFTP in settings?
Click to expand...
Yes
zEitEr said:
What if you try FileZilla? It would help to understand on what side the issue might be.
Click to expand...
I don't use FileZilla because it includes the MySearchDial malware. I don't use FTP, because it broadcasts login credentials. The puzzling part is WinSCP works well on the other 4 servers, and has always worked fine on this one before. SSH still works perfectly. I could look for a clean SFTP client to install, but I have low expectations since WinSCP works fine on the other 4, and used to work fine here.

Thanks!

Edit: I have two Windows servers also in the DC. I could ftp to the host on one of those because I have a tunnel between the servers.
 
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How do you know that about MySearchDial? I use FileZilla and nothing wrong with it have I ever seen.

Ok, stay with WinSCP, but please you can always try to disable firewall on the server and check if anything changes with it or not.
 
I've tried turning the firewall off. But remember, if the same user goes to any directory other than / it works fine. The moment he clicks on the / directory, he's instantly toast.

I downloaded the files for FileZilla, without the installer, so it couldn't install the malware. I unzipped it and set up a shortcut. I went into it to define it a new site. With no sites created and nothing typed into the credential area, it automatically tried to start an FTP session with a different server, using its address and old credentials. FileZilla must have been installed on this workstation before, but it didn't show the server as set up anywhere. This thing is a terrible security risk for me. I'll try something else.
 
I guess you know, that you should specify sftp:// in FileZilla.

The moment he clicks on the / directory, he's instantly toast.
Click to expand...

I don't have it in WinSCP when I connect to one of my servers with SFTP.

winscp.png

Is your server configured to allow going out of /home? Or do I miss something?
 
I disconnected from the network to work on FileZilla while I set up the server in it so it wouldn't automatically connect. After I got the first entry into the Site Manager, it stopped doing that. I selected it from the sites, and it tried to connect to the correct site. Then I plugged back into the network and tried it. It connected fine, as does WinSCP. However, the moment I connect on the / directory, everything stops, same as it does in WinSCP. When I discover where the problem is, I'll post back. Out of 5 ?NIX servers, this is the only one with the problem, and it never used to have. I went through the things to check from the WinSCP site, and it complies with everything, and if it didn't, I wouldn't be able to traverse other directories. It has to be something I did some time back.

Thanks!
 
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The server has been working fine. Approximately 15 minutes ago I noticed that I missed an E-Mail pickup. I didn't think much of it. About 5 minutes later I received a text that said Server Load on <ServerName> 54.6. I logged into the server, which by that time was really high. (E-Mail problems don't normally show up until it gets ~80) I figured it was another "drive by" but I shut off HTTP, which was full, but it didn't help. Then I shut down mail, ftp, and ssh, and it still didn't help. Hardly anything running, and a load that was out of sight. I started everything back up and every process came up fine, but still a high load, and naturally http built back up because it got behind. The only thing I could think of now is a reboot. Reboots take about 50 seconds, so I decided to sneak one in to see if I could get away without anybody noticing. Nobody called. It came up, and the high load did not return. I don't know why, but I decided to try WinSCP again. No more problems. I could list root with no issues at all. It works now like it always did.

I discovered the WinSCP problem about a week ago when I went it to make some edits. With UNIX, rebooting isn't the first thing on my mind. It may be the only time in my life I've ever fixed a UNIX machine problem by rebooting. At the time, all I was thinking about is getting it running right. In retro, it would have been wiser to see what I could see by running top first because it has left me terribly curious, and I might have learned how to prevent future occurrences.

It's time for me to crawl back under my rock.

Thanks!
 
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