SSH Security

ESXi Shell and SSH interfaces are disabled by default. Keep these interfaces disabled unless you are performing troubleshooting or support activities. For day-to-day activities, use the vSphere Client, where activity is subject to role-based access control and modern access control methods.

The SSH configuration in ESXi uses the following settings:

Version 1 SSH protocol disabled

VMware does not support Version 1 SSH protocol and uses Version 2 protocol exclusively. Version 2 eliminates certain security problems present in Version 1 and provides you with a safe way to communicate with the management interface.

Improved cipher strength

SSH supports only 256-bit and 128-bit AES ciphers for your connections.

These settings are designed to provide solid protection for the data you transmit to the management interface through SSH. You cannot change these settings.