First determine whether the SSH warning is caused by a stale record on your computer or by two Droplets actually presenting the same host key. If a Droplet was rebuilt and reused an IP address, remove the old known_hosts entry only after verifying the new server’s identity. If two servers’ host-key fingerprints match, rotate the affected server keys; clearing a client record alone will not fix duplicated keys.
What “duplicate SSH host keys” can mean
SSH host keys let a client recognize a server. They are separate from your login credentials: a host key is the server’s identity, while a private user key authenticates you and a public key in authorized_keys grants login access. DigitalOcean discusses user-authentication keys separately from server host keys in its SSH troubleshooting guidance.
The warning WARNING: REMOTE HOST IDENTIFICATION HAS CHANGED! does not, by itself, prove that two servers share a key. DigitalOcean says the warning commonly occurs when a Droplet is destroyed and a replacement is created using the same IP address: the client still has the previous server’s key recorded.
| Case | What is happening | Where the repair is made |
|---|---|---|
| Stale client record | Your SSH client remembers a previous server at this IP address or hostname. | On each affected client, after verifying the replacement server. |
| Duplicated server identity | Two Droplets present the same SSH host-key fingerprint, or a server’s identity needs replacement. | On the affected Droplet, using trusted administrative access or recovery. |
Diagnose before changing keys
Record the endpoint and fingerprint
Note the Droplet’s IP address or hostname and the fingerprint shown in the warning. Confirm in the DigitalOcean control panel or another trusted channel which Droplet currently owns that endpoint. A rebuilt or replaced Droplet that inherited an old IP is a strong reason to suspect a stale client record, not proof of duplicate server keys.
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Compare fingerprints to test for real duplication
If you have trusted console or administrative access to both Droplets, inspect the configured SSH host-key files. Common OpenSSH defaults are under /etc/ssh, though a distribution can configure different paths. Compare fingerprints for the public host-key files and for the key types both servers offer. Do not copy or publish private host-key material.
If the fingerprints differ, the warning may be an expected change for that endpoint; proceed with client-side cleanup only after verifying that the presented key belongs to the intended Droplet. If fingerprints match across two Droplets, investigate and rotate the affected server keys. The available DigitalOcean guidance does not establish how often duplication occurs or prove a particular provisioning method caused it.
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Fix a stale known_hosts entry
Use this remedy when the endpoint now belongs to the expected Droplet and you have independently verified its offered fingerprint. DigitalOcean documents this command for removing an old IP entry after a Droplet replacement:
ssh-keygen -R <droplet-ip>- Run the command on the client that displayed the warning, replacing
<droplet-ip>with the actual address. - For a non-default SSH port or a hostname entry, use the exact host notation recorded in the relevant
known_hostsfile. DigitalOcean also documents specifying a file withssh-keygen -f <known_hosts-file> -R <droplet-ip>. - Reconnect to the verified endpoint. Compare the newly presented fingerprint with the one obtained through your trusted channel before accepting it.
This removes a client’s stored trust record; it does not change any server’s host keys. Repeat the cleanup on other clients only where they have a stale entry, and only after verifying the replacement identity.
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Rotate genuinely duplicated host keys on a Droplet
Do this only after establishing that the server host keys are actually duplicated or that the affected server identity must be replaced. Keep a trusted administrative route open—such as the DigitalOcean console—so you can recover if SSH access changes. Do not delete authorized_keys, your administrator’s local private key, or unrelated SSH configuration.
- Identify the host-key files configured for
sshd. Common defaults are in/etc/ssh; check the Droplet’s configuration and distribution rather than assuming every installation uses the defaults. - Back up any configuration needed for recovery. Move aside or remove only the confirmed duplicated server host-key private/public pairs.
- Run DigitalOcean’s documented host-key generation command as root:
sudo ssh-keygen -AOpenSSH defines -A as generating default host keys if they do not already exist. Therefore, running it while duplicate files remain in place will not replace those existing keys; move aside or remove the affected files first. This command concerns server host keys, not user login keys.
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- Restart or reload the SSH daemon using the service name and command appropriate to the Droplet’s Linux distribution. There is no single service-management command established for every distribution.
- Confirm that the daemon is listening and that the affected Droplets now present distinct, expected fingerprints. Use trusted console access if you cannot confirm this safely over SSH.
- On each client with an old entry, remove that entry only after independently verifying the new fingerprint, then reconnect and accept the verified identity.
Recover if SSH or network access is unavailable
DigitalOcean’s Recovery ISO guide describes a recovery console for cases where the Droplet has lost network access or sshd has failed. Its recovery menu includes option 7, “Clear out Cloud-Init cached data (will regenerate host ssh keys).” Follow the current console flow, and make sure the Droplet has returned to booting from its installed local system before trusting its SSH identity: the recovery environment’s SSH host keys are different.
Reduce the chance of recurrence
DigitalOcean documents that cloud-init consumes user data during a Droplet’s first boot and can configure the server. If identical host keys reappear after image cloning or automated provisioning, inspect image preparation and first-boot steps to confirm each instance receives unique host keys. Treat this as a diagnostic lead, not a proven cause: the cited guidance does not identify a specific cloud-init defect or establish the cause of an individual incident.
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Choose the right repair
| Question | Client-side cleanup | Server-side rotation |
|---|---|---|
| What is wrong? | The client has a record for an earlier server at this endpoint. | Two servers present the same host public key, or the server identity needs replacement. |
| Where does the change happen? | On each affected SSH client. | On the affected Droplet, through trusted administration or recovery. |
| What changes? | The client’s stored trust record; server keys stay the same. | The server identity; clients must verify and learn the new fingerprint. |
| Key caution | Verify the endpoint before accepting a new key. | Preserve recovery access and rotate only server host keys. |
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