diff --git a/examples/network/bridge/pytest_example_bridge.py b/examples/network/bridge/pytest_example_bridge.py
index 007f4c2d2b..aa0108de7c 100644
--- a/examples/network/bridge/pytest_example_bridge.py
+++ b/examples/network/bridge/pytest_example_bridge.py
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 # SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2022-2025 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: CC0-1.0
+import base64
+import io
 import ipaddress
 import logging
+import os
 import re
 import socket
 import subprocess
@@ -9,6 +12,7 @@ import time
 from concurrent.futures import Future
 from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor
 from typing import List
+from typing import Optional
 from typing import Union
 
 import netifaces
@@ -18,8 +22,11 @@ from common_test_methods import get_host_ip_by_interface
 from netmiko import ConnectHandler
 from pytest_embedded import Dut
 from pytest_embedded_idf.utils import idf_parametrize
+
 # Testbed configuration
 
+ETHVM_ENDNODE_USER = 'ci.ethvm'
+
 BR_PORTS_NUM = 2
 IPERF_BW_LIM = 6
 MIN_UDP_THROUGHPUT = 5
@@ -27,11 +34,17 @@ MIN_TCP_THROUGHPUT = 4
 
 
 class EndnodeSsh:
-    def __init__(self, host_ip: str, usr: str, passwd: str):
+    def __init__(self, host_ip: str, usr: str, passwd: Optional[str] = None):
+        key_string = os.getenv('CI_ETHVM_KEY')
+        key = None
+        if key_string:
+            decoded_key_string = base64.b64decode(key_string)
+            key = paramiko.Ed25519Key.from_private_key(io.StringIO(decoded_key_string.decode('utf-8')))
+
         self.host_ip = host_ip
         self.ssh_client = paramiko.SSHClient()
         self.ssh_client.set_missing_host_key_policy(paramiko.AutoAddPolicy())
-        self.ssh_client.connect(hostname=self.host_ip, username=usr, password=passwd)
+        self.ssh_client.connect(hostname=self.host_ip, username=usr, pkey=key, password=passwd)
         self.executor: ThreadPoolExecutor
         self.async_result: Future
 
@@ -281,14 +294,16 @@ def test_esp_eth_bridge(dut: Dut, dev_user: str, dev_password: str) -> None:
     port_num = int(sw_info.group(2))
     port_num_endnode = int(port_num) + 1  # endnode address is always + 1 to the host
 
-    endnode = EndnodeSsh(f'10.10.{sw_num}.{port_num_endnode}', dev_user, dev_password)
+    endnode = EndnodeSsh(f'10.10.{sw_num}.{port_num_endnode}', ETHVM_ENDNODE_USER)
     switch1 = SwitchSsh(f'10.10.{sw_num}.100', dev_user, dev_password, SwitchSsh.EDGE_SWITCH_10XP)
 
     # Collect all addresses in our network
     # ------------------------------------
     # Bridge (DUT) MAC
     br_mac = dut.expect(
-        r'esp_netif_br_glue: ([0-9A-Fa-f]{2}:[0-9A-Fa-f]{2}:[0-9A-Fa-f]{2}:[0-9A-Fa-f]{2}:[0-9A-Fa-f]{2}:[0-9A-Fa-f]{2})'
+        r'esp_netif_br_glue: '
+        r'([0-9A-Fa-f]{2}:[0-9A-Fa-f]{2}:[0-9A-Fa-f]{2}:'
+        r'[0-9A-Fa-f]{2}:[0-9A-Fa-f]{2}:[0-9A-Fa-f]{2})'
     )
     br_mac = br_mac.group(1).decode('utf-8')
     logging.info('ESP Bridge MAC %s', br_mac)
@@ -387,7 +402,8 @@ def test_esp_eth_bridge(dut: Dut, dev_user: str, dev_password: str) -> None:
     bandwidth_udp = run_iperf('udp', endnode, host_ip, IPERF_BW_LIM, 5)
     if bandwidth_udp < MIN_UDP_THROUGHPUT:
         logging.warning(
-            'Unicast UDP bandwidth was less than expected. Trying again over longer period to compensate transient drops.'
+            'Unicast UDP bandwidth was less than expected. '
+            'Trying again over longer period to compensate transient drops.'
         )
         bandwidth_udp = run_iperf('udp', endnode, host_ip, IPERF_BW_LIM, 60)
     logging.info('Unicast UDP average bandwidth: %s Mbits/s', bandwidth_udp)
@@ -396,7 +412,8 @@ def test_esp_eth_bridge(dut: Dut, dev_user: str, dev_password: str) -> None:
     bandwidth_tcp = run_iperf('tcp', endnode, host_ip, IPERF_BW_LIM, 5)
     if bandwidth_tcp < MIN_TCP_THROUGHPUT:
         logging.warning(
-            'Unicast TCP bandwidth was less than expected. Trying again over longer period to compensate transient drops.'
+            'Unicast TCP bandwidth was less than expected. '
+            'Trying again over longer period to compensate transient drops.'
         )
         bandwidth_tcp = run_iperf('tcp', endnode, host_ip, IPERF_BW_LIM, 60)
     logging.info('Unicast TCP average bandwidth: %s Mbits/s', bandwidth_tcp)
@@ -405,7 +422,8 @@ def test_esp_eth_bridge(dut: Dut, dev_user: str, dev_password: str) -> None:
     bandwidth_mcast_udp = run_iperf('udp', endnode, '224.0.1.4', IPERF_BW_LIM, 5, host_if, endnode_if)
     if bandwidth_mcast_udp < MIN_UDP_THROUGHPUT:
         logging.warning(
-            'Multicast UDP bandwidth was less than expected. Trying again over longer period to compensate transient drops.'
+            'Multicast UDP bandwidth was less than expected. '
+            'Trying again over longer period to compensate transient drops.'
         )
         bandwidth_mcast_udp = run_iperf('udp', endnode, '224.0.1.4', IPERF_BW_LIM, 60, host_if, endnode_if)
     logging.info('Multicast UDP average bandwidth: %s Mbits/s', bandwidth_mcast_udp)