UNIX_CHKPWD(8) Linux-PAM Manual UNIX_CHKPWD(8)NAME
unix_chkpwd - Helper binary that verifies the password of the current user
SYNOPSIS
unix_chkpwd [...]
DESCRIPTION
unix_chkpwd is a helper program for the pam_unix module that verifies the password of the current user. It also checks password and account
expiration dates in shadow. It is not intended to be run directly from the command line and logs a security violation if done so.
It is typically installed setuid root or setgid shadow.
The interface of the helper - command line options, and input/output data format are internal to the pam_unix module and it should not be
called directly from applications.
SEE ALSO pam_unix(8)AUTHOR
Written by Andrew Morgan and other various people.
Linux-PAM Manual 09/19/2013 UNIX_CHKPWD(8)
Check Out this Related Man Page
PAM_UNIX(8) Linux-PAM Manual PAM_UNIX(8)NAME
pam_unix - Module for traditional password authentication
SYNOPSIS
pam_unix.so [...]
DESCRIPTION
This is the standard Unix authentication module. It uses standard calls from the system's libraries to retrieve and set account information
as well as authentication. Usually this is obtained from the /etc/passwd and the /etc/shadow file as well if shadow is enabled.
The account component performs the task of establishing the status of the user's account and password based on the following shadow
elements: expire, last_change, max_change, min_change, warn_change. In the case of the latter, it may offer advice to the user on changing
their password or, through the PAM_AUTHTOKEN_REQD return, delay giving service to the user until they have established a new password. The
entries listed above are documented in the shadow(5) manual page. Should the user's record not contain one or more of these entries, the
corresponding shadow check is not performed.
The authentication component performs the task of checking the users credentials (password). The default action of this module is to not
permit the user access to a service if their official password is blank.
A helper binary, unix_chkpwd(8), is provided to check the user's password when it is stored in a read protected database. This binary is
very simple and will only check the password of the user invoking it. It is called transparently on behalf of the user by the
authenticating component of this module. In this way it is possible for applications like xlock(1) to work without being setuid-root. The
module, by default, will temporarily turn off SIGCHLD handling for the duration of execution of the helper binary. This is generally the
right thing to do, as many applications are not prepared to handle this signal from a child they didn't know was fork()d. The noreap module
argument can be used to suppress this temporary shielding and may be needed for use with certain applications.
The password component of this module performs the task of updating the user's password. The default encryption hash is taken from the
ENCRYPT_METHOD variable from /etc/login.defs
The session component of this module logs when a user logins or leave the system.
Remaining arguments, supported by others functions of this module, are silently ignored. Other arguments are logged as errors through
syslog(3).
OPTIONS
debug
Turns on debugging via syslog(3).
audit
A little more extreme than debug.
nullok
The default action of this module is to not permit the user access to a service if their official password is blank. The nullok
argument overrides this default.
try_first_pass
Before prompting the user for their password, the module first tries the previous stacked module's password in case that satisfies this
module as well.
use_first_pass
The argument use_first_pass forces the module to use a previous stacked modules password and will never prompt the user - if no
password is available or the password is not appropriate, the user will be denied access.
nodelay
This argument can be used to discourage the authentication component from requesting a delay should the authentication as a whole fail.
The default action is for the module to request a delay-on-failure of the order of two second.
use_authtok
When password changing enforce the module to set the new password to the one provided by a previously stacked password module (this is
used in the example of the stacking of the pam_cracklib module documented below).
not_set_pass
This argument is used to inform the module that it is not to pay attention to/make available the old or new passwords from/to other
(stacked) password modules.
nis
NIS RPC is used for setting new passwords.
remember=n
The last n passwords for each user are saved in /etc/security/opasswd in order to force password change history and keep the user from
alternating between the same password too frequently. Instead of this option the pam_pwhistory module should be used.
shadow
Try to maintain a shadow based system.
md5
When a user changes their password next, encrypt it with the MD5 algorithm.
bigcrypt
When a user changes their password next, encrypt it with the DEC C2 algorithm.
sha256
When a user changes their password next, encrypt it with the SHA256 algorithm. The SHA256 algorithm must be supported by the crypt(3)
function.
sha512
When a user changes their password next, encrypt it with the SHA512 algorithm. The SHA512 algorithm must be supported by the crypt(3)
function.
blowfish
When a user changes their password next, encrypt it with the blowfish algorithm. The blowfish algorithm must be supported by the
crypt(3) function.
rounds=n
Set the optional number of rounds of the SHA256, SHA512 and blowfish password hashing algorithms to n.
broken_shadow
Ignore errors reading shadow information for users in the account management module.
minlen=n
Set a minimum password length of n characters. The max. for DES crypt based passwords are 8 characters.
Invalid arguments are logged with syslog(3).
MODULE TYPES PROVIDED
All module types (account, auth, password and session) are provided.
RETURN VALUES
PAM_IGNORE
Ignore this module.
EXAMPLES
An example usage for /etc/pam.d/login would be:
# Authenticate the user
auth required pam_unix.so
# Ensure users account and password are still active
account required pam_unix.so
# Change the users password, but at first check the strength
# with pam_cracklib(8)
password required pam_cracklib.so retry=3 minlen=6 difok=3
password required pam_unix.so use_authtok nullok md5
session required pam_unix.so
SEE ALSO login.defs(5), pam.conf(5), pam.d(5), pam(8)AUTHOR
pam_unix was written by various people.
Linux-PAM Manual 06/17/2014 PAM_UNIX(8)