Bitbucket SSH Key Access Denied Error

One common error when using SSH with Bitbucket is the “Access Denied” message when trying to clone or push to a repository.

This issue typically stems from an incorrectly configured SSH key or improper permissions.

The first step is to verify that the correct SSH key is in use by running ssh-add -L.

This command will display all the SSH keys that are currently loaded in your SSH agent.

If the key you expect to use is not listed, you will need to add it with the ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_rsa command.

Next, confirm that the public SSH key has been added to your Bitbucket account.

Navigate to your Bitbucket account settings and select SSH keys to check if the correct public key is listed.

If the key is missing, add it by copying the contents of ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub into the appropriate field.

Another common issue is a mismatch between the SSH URL in your repository configuration and the actual URL for your Bitbucket repository.

To check this, run git remote -v and ensure that the repository URL follows the format [email protected]:username/repository.git.

If it’s using the HTTPS format, change it to SSH with git remote set-url origin [email protected]:username/repository.git.

Additionally, check your repository permissions to ensure that your user account has the necessary access.

If the repository is private, you may need to be granted permission by the owner.

In some cases, your SSH key may have been revoked or expired.

Try generating a new key pair and updating it on Bitbucket to resolve the issue.

If you continue to experience problems, check your firewall settings or any network issues that might be blocking SSH access to Bitbucket.

You can test your SSH connection using the ssh -T [email protected] command to verify that the connection is working correctly.

If Bitbucket’s status page indicates no ongoing issues and you still face access problems, Bitbucket support can help you troubleshoot further.