PAM_ROLES(7) Standards, Environments, and Macros PAM_ROLES(7)

NAME

pam_roles - Roles account management module

SYNOPSIS

pam_roles.so.1

DESCRIPTION

The pam_roles module implements pam_sm_acct_mgmt(3PAM). It provides
functionality to verify that a user is authorized to assume a role.
It also prevents direct logins to a role. The user_attr(5) database
is used to determine which users can assume which roles.


The PAM items PAM_USER, PAM_AUSER, and PAM_RHOST are used to
determine the outcome of this module. PAM_USER represents the new
identity being verified. PAM_AUSER, if set, represents the user
asserting a new identity. If PAM_AUSER is not set, the real user ID
of the calling service implies that the user is asserting a new
identity. Notice that root can never have roles.


This module is generally stacked above the pam_unix_account(7)
module.


The following options are interpreted:

allow_remote
Allows a remote service to specify the user to enter
as a role.


debug
Provides syslog(3C) debugging information at the
LOG_DEBUG level.

ERRORS

The following values are returned:

PAM_IGNORE
If the type of the new user identity (PAM_USER)
is "normal". Or, if the type of the new user
identity is "role" and the user asserting the new
identity (PAM_AUSER) has the new identity name in
its list of roles.


PAM_USER_UNKNOWN
No account is present for user.


PAM_PERM_DENIED
If the type of the new user identity (PAM_USER)
is "role" and the user asserting the new identity
(PAM_AUSER) does not have the new identity name
in its list of roles.

EXAMPLES

Example 1: Using the pam_roles.so.1 Module

The following are sample entries from pam.conf(5). These entries
demonstrate the use of the pam_roles.so.1 module:


cron account required pam_unix_account.so.1
#
other account requisite pam_roles.so.1
other account required pam_unix_account.so.1
#


The cron service does not invoke pam_roles.so.1. Delayed jobs are
independent of role assumption. All other services verify that roles
cannot directly login. The "su" service (covered by the "other"
service entry) verifies that if the new user is a role, the calling
user is authorized for that role.

Example 2: Allowing Remote Roles

Remote roles should only be allowed from remote services that can be
trusted to provide an accurate PAM_AUSER name. This trust is a
function of the protocol (such as sshd-hostbased).


The following is a sample entry for a pam.conf(5) file. It
demonstrates the use of pam_roles configuration for remote roles for
the sshd-hostbased service.


sshd-hostbased account requisite pam_roles.so.1 allow_remote
sshd-hostbased account required pam_unix_account.so.1

ATTRIBUTES

See attributes(7) for descriptions of the following attributes:


+--------------------+-------------------------+
| ATTRIBUTE TYPE | ATTRIBUTE VALUE |
+--------------------+-------------------------+
|Interface Stability | Evolving |
+--------------------+-------------------------+
|MT Level | MT-Safe with exceptions |
+--------------------+-------------------------+

SEE ALSO

roles(1), syslog(3C), libpam(3LIB), pam(3PAM), pam_acct_mgmt(3PAM),
pam_set_item(3PAM), pam_setcred(3PAM), pam_sm_acct_mgmt(3PAM),
pam.conf(5), user_attr(5), attributes(7), pam_authtok_check(7),
pam_authtok_get(7), pam_authtok_store(7), pam_dhkeys(7),
pam_passwd_auth(7), pam_unix_account(7), pam_unix_auth(7),
pam_unix_session(7), sshd(8), su(8)

NOTES

The interfaces in libpam(3LIB) are MT-Safe only if each thread within
the multi-threaded application uses its own PAM handle.


This module should never be stacked alone. It never returns
PAM_SUCCESS, as it never makes a positive decision.


The allow_remote option should only be specified for services that
are trusted to correctly identify the remote user (that is, sshd-
hostbased).


PAM_AUSER has replaced PAM_RUSER whose definition is limited to the
rlogin/rsh untrusted remote user name. See pam_set_item(3PAM).

August 19, 2023 PAM_ROLES(7)