paramiko

SSH2 protocol library

paramiko Copyleft license LGPL-2.1 Active ★ 9,826 v5.0.0 released 2026-05-09

Install

paramiko on PyPI

pip

pip install paramiko

uv

uv add paramiko

poetry

poetry add paramiko

Package facts

License	LGPL-2.1 (copyleft)
Python support	supports the current Python release (>=3.9)
Install friction	low — pure-Python wheel
Runtime dependencies	4 — bcrypt, cryptography, invoke, pynacl
Maintenance	actively maintained — 96 days since the last release
Last repo commit	2026-05-09
First released	2010-10-27
Popularity	one of the top 1,000 most-downloaded packages on PyPI (30-day window, as of 2026-08-13)
Known vulnerabilities	none known (OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-13)

Evidence: paramiko-5.0.0-py3-none-any.whl

Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableIntended Audience :: DevelopersOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: OnlyProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Topic :: InternetTopic :: Security :: Cryptography

About paramiko

from the package's own PyPI description — quoted content, verbatim

.. |version| image:: https://img.shields.io/pypi/v/paramiko :target: https://pypi.org/project/paramiko/ :alt: PyPI - Package Version .. |python| image:: https://img.shields.io/pypi/pyversions/paramiko :target: https://pypi.org/project/paramiko/ :alt: PyPI - Python Version .. |license| image:: https://img.shields.io/pypi/l/paramiko :target: https://github.com/paramiko/paramiko/blob/main/LICENSE :alt: PyPI - License .. |ci| image:: https://img.shields.io/circleci/build/github/paramiko/paramiko/main :target: https://app.circleci.com/pipelines/github/paramiko/paramiko :alt: CircleCI .. |coverage| image:: https://img.shields.io/codecov/c/gh/paramiko/paramiko :target: https://app.codecov.io/gh/paramiko/paramiko :alt: Codecov

Welcome to Paramiko!

Paramiko is a pure-Python [#] implementation of the SSHv2 protocol [#], providing both client and server functionality. It provides the foundation for the high-level SSH library Fabric <https://fabfile.org>_, which is what we recommend you use for common client use-cases such as running remote shell commands or transferring...

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AI interpretation — verify before relying

AI-generated interpretation of the package facts above; every digit, version, license, or vulnerability id it cites is grounded in the facts already shown on this page

Paramiko is a pure-Python implementation of the SSHv2 protocol providing both client and server functionality for SSH communication, remote command execution, and file transfer.

Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel distribution. Actively maintained with recent releases and strong repository signals (9826 stars, last commit 2026-05-09). Depends on four cryptographic libraries (bcrypt, cryptography, invoke, pynacl) that are well-established.

Licensed under LGPL-2.1 (copyleft). Derivative works and modifications must be distributed under compatible terms; proprietary applications using Paramiko should review copyleft obligations carefully.

Usage

pip install paramiko

import paramiko
client = paramiko.SSHClient()
client.set_missing_host_key_policy(paramiko.AutoAddPolicy())
client.connect('hostname', username='user', password='pass')
stdin, stdout, stderr = client.exec_command('ls')
print(stdout.read().decode())
client.close()

Requires Python 3.9 or later. The cryptography dependency uses C and Rust extensions but provides precompiled wheels for most platforms.

Verdict: Paramiko is a stable, actively maintained SSH protocol library suitable for low-level SSH operations and in-Python SSH servers. Its LGPL-2.1 license requires copyleft compliance for derivative works. Low install friction and no known vulnerabilities make it production-ready, though the maintainers recommend Fabric for typical client use cases.

Needs verification

Whether the cryptography dependency's C/Rust extensions are available as precompiled wheels for all target deployment platforms.
Whether invoke is a runtime dependency or only a development/optional dependency for Paramiko itself.

SSH client library PythonSSHv2 protocol implementationremote command execution PythonSSH server in PythonSFTP file transfer librarylow-level SSH primitivespure Python SSH