SFMC Error: Object Reference Not Set to an Instance of an Object

Issue

While configuring FTP using SSH key pair authentication, the following error appears on the Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) Key Management page:

Object reference not set to an instance of an object

Environment

Connector: Salesforce Marketing Cloud

Resolution

To resolve this issue, verify that the SSH key file is created and formatted correctly:

1. Paste the public key generated in Fivetran into a .pub file. The key must appear on a single line with no spaces or extra text.
2. Convert the .pub file to a .pem file using the following command:

   ssh-keygen -e -f file_name.pub -m ssh2 > file_name.pem
   

3. Confirm that the uploaded file has a .pem extension and follows PEM format requirements.

To learn more, see our documentation on creating an SSH key file and uploading an SSH key file.

Cause

The error appears when SFMC rejects an invalid or incorrectly formatted SSH key file.