The bug is pretty simple: bn_print.c in openssl-0.9.6's crypto lib says you must use OPENSSL_free on the return value from Bn_bn2dec, yet key.c simply calls free on the buffer. I changed it, but it didn't fix the problem I'm seeing. I don't know if what I'm seeing is a known bug (didn't see it anywhere on the web site). I get a core dump when trying to connect to another machine. It cores in BN_bn2dec in CRYPTO_malloc, all in openssl's cryptolib, but I think it's because openssh is not initiallizing the openssl malloc machine (there is a comment in the openssl source about calling CRYPTO_malloc_init, but it's in the SSLEAY CHANGES. . .). Just FYI: It's a sparc running Solaris 8. Will provide further details upon request, but the actual bug is not calling OPENSSL_free on the returned buffer from BN_bn2dec, which may or may not be excaserbating my coredumps. . . :-) Sean Kamath