SSH plugin workflows fail with 'Your private key is encrypted with a non-compliant cipher.'

Products

• VCF Operations

Issue/Introduction

When using the SSH plugin in VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator (formerly vRealize Orchestrator) 9.x with FIPS mode enabled, you receive a misleading error message:

InternalError: VCF Operations Orchestrator is running in FIPS mode with a security provider version that does not allow non-compliant algorithms. Your private key is encrypted with a non-compliant cipher.

Environment

vCF Automation 9.x

Cause

This error can be triggered by a firewall setting preventing access from the vRO environment to the target VM, causing the plugin to report a security/cipher mismatch instead of a connectivity timeout.

Resolution

1. Verify connectivity between the Orchestrator appliance and the target Linux VM on the required SSH port (default 22).
2. Check for firewall rules or network ACLs that may be dropping traffic between the Orchestrator nodes and the target.
3. Ensure that the target VM's SSH configuration supports FIPS-compliant ciphers if FIPS mode is required.