SFTP connection issue - User could not be created...

TFRITZ · Post by **TFRITZ** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 11:54 am

Hi guys,

we use CoreFTP-Server for SFTP-filetransfer with Key-Authentication. For that we run a batchscript on our AIX-System, which calls the CoreFTP-Server for sftp-downloads. While running the script, there are multiple sequential sftp-calls. Most times everything works fine.

Sometimes the sftp-connection hangs. In this cases we can find the message [b]'User could not be created...'[/b] in the servers logfile.

What does this mean and how to avoid such errors?

We allready tried to reinstall the server to eliminate installation-errors.

In addition, here is a part of the server-log:

[#1] [20160419 17:35:05] [xx.xxx.xx.xx] connecting

[#1] [20160419 17:35:05] [xx.xxx.xx.xx] connected

[#1] [20160419 17:35:05] [xx.xxx.xx.xx] user (PVS) granted access

[#1] [20160419 17:35:05] [xx.xxx.xx.xx] PVS, download of 'FILE'

[#1] [20160419 17:35:05] [xx.xxx.xx.xx] download of FILE, transferred 174 bytes, file size = 174

[#1] [20160419 17:35:05] User could not be created...

[#1] [20160419 17:35:08] [xx.xxx.xx.xx] disconnected (PVS)

[#1] [20160419 17:35:08] [xx.xxx.xx.xx] connecting

[#1] [20160419 17:35:08] [xx.xxx.xx.xx] denied

Best regards
Thomas
[b][/b]

Post by **ForumAdmin** » Thu Apr 28, 2016 3:37 pm

which build is this?

TFRITZ · Post by **TFRITZ** » Fri Apr 29, 2016 7:52 am

Server Version 1.2, build 588, 64 bit. License is Basic

Post by **ForumAdmin** » Mon May 02, 2016 11:18 pm

There isn't any "User could not be created" message in Core FTP Server, so the issue is going to be difficult to track down.

Do you possibly have some steps that could be used here in order to replicate the issue?

CoreFTPServerBasicUser · Thu Jun 23, 2016 3:12 pm

I'm having the same (or very similar) issue.

Version: Core FTP Server Basic Version 1.2, build 589.1, 64-bit

Internally, I can connect over and over with the account in question without issue. However, external (VPN) users can connect only once successfully, after this they receive the "User could not be created" error, followed by a Winsock error. The account in question connects with a private key and password. The logs for the issue are below:

[#1] [20160623 10:12:15] [x.x.x.x] connecting
[#1] [20160623 10:12:15] [x.x.x.x] connected
[#1] [20160623 10:12:25] [x.x.x.x] user (client) granted access
[#1] [20160623 10:12:25] [x.x.x.x] user 'client' sent
[#1] [20160623 10:12:25] [x.x.x.x] USER-PASS (client) success
[#1] [20160623 10:12:25] [x.x.x.x] user (client) granted access
[#1] [20160623 10:12:25] [x.x.x.x] LIST success - .
[#1] [20160623 10:12:43] [x.x.x.x] disconnected (client)
[#1] [20160623 10:13:55] [x.x.x.x] connecting
[#1] [20160623 10:13:55] [x.x.x.x] connected
[#1] [20160623 10:15:50] User could not be created...
[#1] [20160623 10:15:51] [x.x.x.x] connecting
[#1] [20160623 10:15:51] [x.x.x.x] denied
[#1] [20160623 10:17:12] Winsock error - 10053
[#1] [20160623 10:17:12] [x.x.x.x] disconnected ((null))
[#1] [20160623 10:17:13] User could not be created...
[#1] [20160623 10:17:15] [x.x.x.x] connecting
[#1] [20160623 10:17:15] [x.x.x.x] denied
[#1] [20160623 10:20:11] User could not be created...
[#1] [20160623 10:20:13] [x.x.x.x] connecting
[#1] [20160623 10:20:13] [x.x.x.x] denied

Post by **ForumAdmin** » Tue Apr 25, 2017 3:17 pm

Do all VPN users have the same IP address? If so they may be getting banned by the auto-ban feature.

You can try increasing your "max conns per IP" setting to 5 or 10 and see if it helps but if they are using the same IP then the only other option will be to up the max conns setting or disable the auto-ban feature completely.