This started yesterday after I attempted to execute an SCP command to send a tarball file I had created on my VM to my local machine, it came up with a text block informing me that the address was unknown along with the ECDSA fingerprint for the server followed by asking me if I wanted to continue with 3 options it wished for me to enter, yes, no, the fingerprint, I entered in yes, it added the IP address of my virtual server to a list of known hosts, I never received the tarball file because it then gave me this output:
username@ip address: Permission denied (publickey)
and from that point, when I attempt to SSH into my virtual server I receive the following output:
Load key "/path/to/.ssh/private key": Permission denied
username@ip address: Permission denied (publickey)
I know it is related to something changing the permissions for the private key because when I try to access the file it says I cannot read the file, I have been unable to change the permissions using sudo chmod 600 from the command line, the command appears to execute only for it to have done nothing at all to the file in question, because of this I am effectively locked out of my virtual server, I need to figure out how to change the permissions back to what they were so my public key can actually read the file and confirm it matches up with itself so I can be granted access to my server.