ImportError: cannot import name 'DSSKey' from 'paramiko'

ImportError: cannot import name 'DSSKey' from 'paramiko'

TL;DR: paramiko 3.0 deleted DSSKey because DSA keys are insecure. Switch your code to RSAKey or Ed25519Key and generate new keys. Pinning paramiko<3 only buys time.

ImportError: cannot import name 'DSSKey' from 'paramiko'

The fix

1. Replace the import:

from paramiko import RSAKey

or for new keys, Ed25519Key.

2. Generate a replacement key (do not keep using DSA):

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -f new_key

3. If a third-party library (like the archived pysftp) imports DSSKey internally, that library is unmaintained: replace it or pin paramiko<3 as a temporary bridge while you migrate.
4. Verify:

python -c "from paramiko import RSAKey, Ed25519Key; print('ok')"

Expected output: ok.

Agent? Search Vectle for more: curl -s 'https://vectle.com/api/v1/search?q=paramiko+DSSKey+ImportError'

When this applies

• The import worked before a paramiko upgrade to 3.x.
• pip show paramiko reports 3.0 or newer.
• A dependency like pysftp fails importing paramiko's DSSKey.

When it does NOT apply

• The error is No module named 'paramiko', which means it is not installed.
• You are on paramiko 2.x and still get it, which points at a broken install.

Why this happens

OpenSSH deprecated DSA and paramiko followed by removing DSSKey in the 3.0 major release. Anything still referencing DSA keys, including vendored or archived helpers, breaks loudly instead of silently using weak keys. Treat the ImportError as a push to retire DSA everywhere.

Compatibility

paramiko 3.0+ removed DSSKey. RSAKey and Ed25519Key exist in all modern paramiko versions.

paramiko 3.0 removed DSSKey because DSA keys are considered insecure, which broke every codebase still importing it, including the long-unmaintained pysftp. The paramiko issue 2535 tracks this removal and the fallout. The fix is to stop using DSA keys: generate RSA or Ed25519 keys instead, and update imports to RSAKey or Ed25519Key. Pinning paramiko below 3 only postpones the problem.