Why does SCP or SFTP say permission denied when SSH works?
SSH authentication and file access are separate checks. An account can log in successfully while lacking permission to read a source or write a destination. Identify which path failed and which account owns it.
Instructions
1. Confirm the remote identity and directory
Run the check in the same account used by the transfer.
whoami
pwd
ls -ld "$HOME" "$HOME/staging"The staging path must exist if you intend to use it. Inspect the actual failing directory rather than assuming the home directory controls it.
2. Inspect the specific source or destination
Check the file and each relevant parent directory. Read access to a file is not enough if the account cannot traverse a parent directory. A read-only filesystem or quota limit can also prevent writes.
3. Choose an authorised writable target
For an upload needed by a protected application, first use an account-owned staging location, then follow the application’s approved deployment procedure.
scp ".\report.txt" adminuser@203.0.113.10:report-staging.txtThis writes to the account’s home directory. Confirm the target filename does not already contain data you need.
Check the result
- The selected account has the required access to the exact transfer path.
- The file arrives in the intended authorised destination.
Troubleshooting
- SFTP starts in a restricted directory
- The account may be intentionally jailed. Use its assigned writable area and approved transfer scope.
- A protected directory rejects uploads
- Do not grant world-write permission. Use a controlled administrative deployment step after staging.
Official references
Use the documentation for your installed version when a flag, service name or platform feature differs.