[precla]

i've found one possible issue and i have a test for it to reproduce the issue. both with the help of Claude, i did double check the code and the flow to verify it

connect_timeout doesn't cover host-key verification timeout within on_hostkey()

for example if on_hostkey() takes too long for whatever reason or if accept_hostkey()/reject_hostkey() are not called (even tho the last one doesn't make sense to not call one of the two..) then the timeout of c->connect_timer is never reached since it is stopped too soon in the moment the transport handshake completes (CLIENT_STATE_CONNECTING -> CLIENT_STATE_HOSTKEY), before host-key verification begins. once the client reaches CLIENT_STATE_HOSTKEY_WAIT, no timer is armed (the auth timer only starts later)

the ssh client's connect_timeout should handle the entire "getting connected" phase. currently is basically handles only CLIENT_STATE_CONNECTING, but not CLIENT_STATE_HOSTKEY_WAIT. which happens in between when the client receives the server's host key and is waiting for on_hostkey() handler to call accept_hostkey()/reject_hostkey() (or for whatever reason do some other 'magic')

the states CLIENT_STATE_HOSTKEY_WAIT and CLIENT_STATE_HOSTKEY are checked in connect_timeout_cb() so code should time-out in that case but it never does since those states never reach the connect_timeout_cb() if on_hostkey() takes too long

static void connect_timeout_cb(uv_timer_t *timer) {
    ssh_client_ctx *c = (ssh_client_ctx *)timer->data;
    if (c == NULL)
        return;
    if (c->state == CLIENT_STATE_CONNECTING || c->state == CLIENT_STATE_HOSTKEY || c->state == CLIENT_STATE_HOSTKEY_WAIT) {
        client_fail(c, "SSH connect timeout");
    }
}

if the on_hostkey() handler never responds then the client hangs forever. on_connect() is never called

note: the timeout only survives into CLIENT_STATE_HOSTKEY_WAIT on a synchronous connect, which never occurs over a non-blocking socket

proposed fix: stop the connect timer when authentication begins in client_start_auth_timer(), not when the transport connects

test _test_hostkey_stall added