Two 19.10 AWS EC2 Upgrades result in ssh Permission denied (publickey).

I upgrade two EC2 20.04 systems from 20.04 to 20.10 (via ssh of course). In both cases, after completing the upgrade and attempting to log in my ssh certificate was rejected. I've been using this certificate for years without incident.

Code:

$ ssh -vvv -i ~/.ssh/sslTest ubuntu@52.23.192.104 OpenSSH_8.3p1 Ubuntu-1, OpenSSL 1.1.1f 31 Mar 2020 debug1: Reading configuration data /home/mslinn/.ssh/config debug1: Reading configuration data /etc/ssh/ssh_config debug1: /etc/ssh/ssh_config line 19: include /etc/ssh/ssh_config.d/*.conf matched no files debug1: /etc/ssh/ssh_config line 21: Applying options for * debug2: resolve_canonicalize: hostname 52.23.192.104 is address debug2: ssh_connect_direct debug1: Connecting to 52.23.192.104 [52.23.192.104] port 22. debug1: Connection established. load pubkey "/home/mslinn/.ssh/sslTest": invalid format debug1: identity file /home/mslinn/.ssh/sslTest type -1 debug1: identity file /home/mslinn/.ssh/sslTest-cert type -1 debug1: Local version string SSH-2.0-OpenSSH_8.3p1 Ubuntu-1 debug1: Remote protocol version 2.0, remote software version OpenSSH_8.3p1 Ubuntu-1 debug1: match: OpenSSH_8.3p1 Ubuntu-1 pat OpenSSH* compat 0x04000000 debug2: fd 3 setting O_NONBLOCK debug1: Authenticating to 52.23.192.104:22 as 'ubuntu' debug3: hostkeys_foreach: reading file "/home/mslinn/.ssh/known_hosts" debug3: record_hostkey: found key type ECDSA in file /home/mslinn/.ssh/known_hosts:48 debug3: load_hostkeys: loaded 1 keys from 52.23.192.104 debug3: order_hostkeyalgs: prefer hostkeyalgs: ecdsa-sha2-nistp256-cert-v01@openssh.com,ecdsa-sha2-nistp384-cert-v01@openssh.com,ecdsa-sha2-nistp521-cert-v01@openssh.com,ecdsa-sha2-nistp256,ecdsa-sha2-nistp384,ecdsa-sha2-nistp521 debug3: send packet: type 20 debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEXINIT sent debug3: receive packet: type 20 debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEXINIT received debug2: local client KEXINIT proposal debug2: KEX algorithms: curve25519-sha256,curve25519-sha256@libssh.org,ecdh-sha2-nistp256,ecdh-sha2-nistp384,ecdh-sha2-nistp521,diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha256,diffie-hellman-group16-sha512,diffie-hellman-group18-sha512,diffie-hellman-group14-sha256,ext-info-c debug2: host key algorithms: ecdsa-sha2-nistp256-cert-v01@openssh.com,ecdsa-sha2-nistp384-cert-v01@openssh.com,ecdsa-sha2-nistp521-cert-v01@openssh.com,ecdsa-sha2-nistp256,ecdsa-sha2-nistp384,ecdsa-sha2-nistp521,sk-ecdsa-sha2-nistp256-cert-v01@openssh.com,ssh-ed25519-cert-v01@openssh.com,sk-ssh-ed25519-cert-v01@openssh.com,rsa-sha2-512-cert-v01@openssh.com,rsa-sha2-256-cert-v01@openssh.com,ssh-rsa-cert-v01@openssh.com,sk-ecdsa-sha2-nistp256@openssh.com,ssh-ed25519,sk-ssh-ed25519@openssh.com,rsa-sha2-512,rsa-sha2-256,ssh-rsa debug2: ciphers ctos: chacha20-poly1305@openssh.com,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr,aes128-gcm@openssh.com,aes256-gcm@openssh.com debug2: ciphers stoc: chacha20-poly1305@openssh.com,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr,aes128-gcm@openssh.com,aes256-gcm@openssh.com debug2: MACs ctos: umac-64-etm@openssh.com,umac-128-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-256-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-512-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-etm@openssh.com,umac-64@openssh.com,umac-128@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-256,hmac-sha2-512,hmac-sha1 debug2: MACs stoc: umac-64-etm@openssh.com,umac-128-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-256-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-512-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-etm@openssh.com,umac-64@openssh.com,umac-128@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-256,hmac-sha2-512,hmac-sha1 debug2: compression ctos: zlib@openssh.com,zlib,none debug2: compression stoc: zlib@openssh.com,zlib,none debug2: languages ctos: debug2: languages stoc: debug2: first_kex_follows 0 debug2: reserved 0 debug2: peer server KEXINIT proposal debug2: KEX algorithms: curve25519-sha256,curve25519-sha256@libssh.org,ecdh-sha2-nistp256,ecdh-sha2-nistp384,ecdh-sha2-nistp521,diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha256,diffie-hellman-group16-sha512,diffie-hellman-group18-sha512,diffie-hellman-group14-sha256 debug2: host key algorithms: rsa-sha2-512,rsa-sha2-256,ssh-rsa,ecdsa-sha2-nistp256,ssh-ed25519 debug2: ciphers ctos: chacha20-poly1305@openssh.com,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr,aes128-gcm@openssh.com,aes256-gcm@openssh.com debug2: ciphers stoc: chacha20-poly1305@openssh.com,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr,aes128-gcm@openssh.com,aes256-gcm@openssh.com debug2: MACs ctos: umac-64-etm@openssh.com,umac-128-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-256-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-512-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-etm@openssh.com,umac-64@openssh.com,umac-128@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-256,hmac-sha2-512,hmac-sha1 debug2: MACs stoc: umac-64-etm@openssh.com,umac-128-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-256-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-512-etm@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-etm@openssh.com,umac-64@openssh.com,umac-128@openssh.com,hmac-sha2-256,hmac-sha2-512,hmac-sha1 debug2: compression ctos: none,zlib@openssh.com debug2: compression stoc: none,zlib@openssh.com debug2: languages ctos: debug2: languages stoc: debug2: first_kex_follows 0 debug2: reserved 0 debug1: kex: algorithm: curve25519-sha256 debug1: kex: host key algorithm: ecdsa-sha2-nistp256 debug1: kex: server->client cipher: chacha20-poly1305@openssh.com MAC: <implicit> compression: zlib@openssh.com debug1: kex: client->server cipher: chacha20-poly1305@openssh.com MAC: <implicit> compression: zlib@openssh.com debug3: send packet: type 30 debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_KEX_ECDH_REPLY debug3: receive packet: type 31 debug1: Server host key: ecdsa-sha2-nistp256 SHA256:ABq7YnCtlA7th201/MY9AyEjJrg2mg5yggmJA7De0po debug3: hostkeys_foreach: reading file "/home/mslinn/.ssh/known_hosts" debug3: record_hostkey: found key type ECDSA in file /home/mslinn/.ssh/known_hosts:48 debug3: load_hostkeys: loaded 1 keys from 52.23.192.104 debug1: Host '52.23.192.104' is known and matches the ECDSA host key. debug1: Found key in /home/mslinn/.ssh/known_hosts:48 debug3: send packet: type 21 debug2: set_newkeys: mode 1 debug1: rekey out after 134217728 blocks debug1: SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS sent debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS debug3: receive packet: type 21 debug1: SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS received debug2: set_newkeys: mode 0 debug1: rekey in after 134217728 blocks debug1: Will attempt key: /home/mslinn/.ssh/sslTest explicit debug2: pubkey_prepare: done debug3: send packet: type 5 debug3: receive packet: type 7 debug1: SSH2_MSG_EXT_INFO received debug1: kex_input_ext_info: server-sig-algs=<ssh-ed25519,sk-ssh-ed25519@openssh.com,ssh-rsa,rsa-sha2-256,rsa-sha2-512,ssh-dss,ecdsa-sha2-nistp256,ecdsa-sha2-nistp384,ecdsa-sha2-nistp521,sk-ecdsa-sha2-nistp256@openssh.com> debug3: receive packet: type 6 debug2: service_accept: ssh-userauth debug1: SSH2_MSG_SERVICE_ACCEPT received debug3: send packet: type 50 debug3: receive packet: type 51 debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey debug3: start over, passed a different list publickey debug3: preferred gssapi-with-mic,publickey,keyboard-interactive,password debug3: authmethod_lookup publickey debug3: remaining preferred: keyboard-interactive,password debug3: authmethod_is_enabled publickey debug1: Next authentication method: publickey debug1: Trying private key: /home/mslinn/.ssh/sslTest debug3: sign_and_send_pubkey: RSA SHA256:P+B2f4dkicVFoUWXv9BFa7qmAMtqo8GNWdtIjKsRZm8 debug3: sign_and_send_pubkey: signing using rsa-sha2-512 SHA256:P+B2f4dkicVFoUWXv9BFa7qmAMtqo8GNWdtIjKsRZm8 debug3: send packet: type 50 debug2: we sent a publickey packet, wait for reply debug3: receive packet: type 51 debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey debug2: we did not send a packet, disable method debug1: No more authentication methods to try. ubuntu@52.23.192.104: Permission denied (publickey).

I see the message 'load pubkey "/home/mslinn/.ssh/sslTest": invalid format'. No idea why that should appear now.