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On the recordRead 5 Oct 202618 facts
Dropbear
Plans and prices
Dropbear
Free
Open source SSH server and client distributed under a MIT-style license
Read 5 Oct 2026 · matt.ucc.asn.au
On the record
- Algorithm defaults
- The changelog says SHA-1 algorithms are disabled by default and post-quantum key exchange was added in release 2025.87.matt.ucc.asn.au · read 4 Oct 2026
- Build options
- Features can be disabled when compiling to save space, and the server, client, key generator, and key converter can be compiled into one binary.matt.ucc.asn.au · read 5 Oct 2026
- Footprint
- With uClibc on x86 and minimal options selected, Dropbear can compile to a 110 kB statically linked binary.matt.ucc.asn.au · read 4 Oct 2026
- Forwarding
- The server implements X11 forwarding and authentication-agent forwarding for OpenSSH clients.matt.ucc.asn.au · read 5 Oct 2026
- Intended use
- The maker says Dropbear is particularly useful for embedded Linux or other Unix systems, such as wireless routers.matt.ucc.asn.au · read 5 Oct 2026
- License
- Dropbear is open-source software distributed under an MIT-style license.matt.ucc.asn.au · read 4 Oct 2026
- Maker location
- The Dropbear website says it is hosted by The University Computer Club in Perth, Australia.matt.ucc.asn.au · read 5 Oct 2026
- Memory footprint
- With uClibc on x86 and only minimal options selected, Dropbear can compile to a 110kB statically linked binary.matt.ucc.asn.au · read 5 Oct 2026
- Multi-hop
- Its multi-hop mode uses SSH TCP forwarding to tunnel through multiple SSH hosts in a single command.matt.ucc.asn.au · read 5 Oct 2026
- Operation
- Dropbear can run from inetd or as a standalone service.matt.ucc.asn.au · read 4 Oct 2026
- Public key authentication
- Dropbear is compatible with OpenSSH ~/.ssh/authorized_keys public key authentication.matt.ucc.asn.au · read 5 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Dropbear is a relatively small SSH server and client.matt.ucc.asn.au · read 5 Oct 2026
- Release
- The official site lists version 2026.94, dated 23 July 2026, as the latest release.matt.ucc.asn.au · read 4 Oct 2026
- Run modes
- Dropbear can run from inetd or standalone.matt.ucc.asn.au · read 5 Oct 2026
- Security update
- The changelog says release 2026.93 fixed a use-after-free in X11 forwarding that could cause memory corruption for authenticated users when forwarding was enabled; X11 forwarding is not built by default.matt.ucc.asn.au · read 5 Oct 2026
- Security updates
- The changelog records a 2026.93 fix for a possible memory-corruption issue in X11 forwarding affecting authenticated users when that feature is enabled; X11 forwarding is not built by default.matt.ucc.asn.au · read 4 Oct 2026
- Support
- The maker offers a low-volume mailing list for release notifications and general discussion.matt.ucc.asn.au · read 5 Oct 2026
