Fedora 31 Will Finally Disable OpenSSH Root Password-Based Logins By Default

Fedora 31 will harden up its default configuration by finally disabling password-based OpenSSH root log-ins, matching the upstream default of the past four years and behavior generally enforced by other Linux distributions.

The default OpenSSH daemon configuration file will now respect upstream's default of prohibiting passwords for root log-ins. Those wishing to restore the old behavior of allowing root log-ins with a password can adjust their SSHD configuration file with the PermitRootLogin option, but users are encouraged to instead use a public-key for root log-ins that is more secure and will be permitted still by default.

The Fedora Engineering and Steering Committee (FESCo) approved the change during their meeting on Friday.

Fedora 31 is aiming for release at the end of October.