OneLinersCommand workbench
Verified diagnostic signature

Incorrect sudo password

Ansible could not complete SSH server authentication or the later privilege-escalation authentication for the selected inventory target. Match this output from ansible, then continue with sourced, read-only checks.

Confidence
high
Platforms
linux · macos · windows
Verified
2026-07-24
Recognized output

Signature matched locally

Incorrect sudo password

OneLiners matches this pattern in your browser. Your pasted output is not stored or indexed.

Likely causes

What usually produces this signal

  1. The control node has no trusted host key for the selected address and port
  2. The managed host was rebuilt or rotated and its independently verified host key changed
  3. The play uses become but the runner has no interactive or protected noninteractive become credential
  4. The inventory selects the wrong remote user, become user, become method, or credential binding
  5. The remote sudo policy requires authentication or does not authorize the automation account
Safe next checks

Collect evidence before changing the system

01

Show the effective OpenSSH client configuration for a host

ssh -G <host> | sort

The output matches the expected target and exits without an error.

02

Diagnose an SSH connection without opening an interactive shell

ssh -vvv -o BatchMode=yes -o ConnectTimeout=10 <username>@<host> true

Re-run the corresponding read-only inspection and confirm the intended state.

03

Fetch the SSH host keys offered by a server

ssh-keyscan -H -p <port> <host>

The output matches the expected target and exits without an error.

04

Show the current user and group identities

id

The output matches the expected target and exits without an error.

Related signals

Other output patterns from this error family

Missing sudo passwordAnsible could not complete SSH server authentication or the later privilege-escalation authentication for the selected inventory target.Host key verification failedAnsible could not complete SSH server authentication or the later privilege-escalation authentication for the selected inventory target.Failed to connect to the host via ssh: Host key verification failedAnsible could not complete SSH server authentication or the later privilege-escalation authentication for the selected inventory target.sudo: a password is requiredAnsible could not complete SSH server authentication or the later privilege-escalation authentication for the selected inventory target.