Knox authentication with PAM

[#1]

Hello Team,

I have an issue with setting the Knox authentication with PAM. I have the default login in /etc/pam.d/

$ cat /etc/pam.d/login
#%PAM-1.0
auth [user_unknown=ignore success=ok ignore=ignore default=bad] pam_securetty.so
auth       substack     system-auth
auth       include      postlogin
account    required     pam_nologin.so
account    include      system-auth
password   include      system-auth
# pam_selinux.so close should be the first session rule
session    required     pam_selinux.so close
session    required     pam_loginuid.so
session    optional     pam_console.so
# pam_selinux.so open should only be followed by sessions to be executed in the user context
session    required     pam_selinux.so open
session    required     pam_namespace.so
session    optional     pam_keyinit.so force revoke
session    include      system-auth
session    include      postlogin
-session   optional     pam_ck_connector.so

Knox-sso looks as following (the default one)

I created a user named - test with a password. I tried to access the Knox Gateway UI but I get the issue.

The Knox Gateway log says:

(KnoxPamRealm.java:handleAuthFailure(170)) - Shiro unable to login: null

Note: I am using CDP 7.1.6 and I can login to my host (where Knox Gateway is installed) using the test user. Also, there's no Kerberos setup.

Please share if there's something that needs to be adjusted.

Best Regards

Sayed

[#2 · Accepted solution]

@Sayed016 Can you check the permission on /etc/shadow file, make sure it has 444 permission

[#3]

Yes, that resolved the issue! I had 000 as my permission. Thank you @Scharan I appreciate the quick reply.

[#4]

@Scharan Can you please give a short explanation as my customer is asking for it as to why shadow file matters in this case i.e. what's the relation with Knox with shadow file? Thank you! 

[#5]

@Sayed016 Not only knox whatever the service may  be the Pam authentication requires Read permission on /etc/shadow file 

Refer to the below doc for more info

https://www.redhat.com/sysadmin/pluggable-authentication-modules-pam

[#6]

@Scharan Thank you! This helps. I appreciate!

[#7]

Resolved my error. Thanks

[#8]

Hi Sayed,

i Would like to know that how you have created user to access KNOX web UI

[#9]

@S_chinna  To create user follow below steps on knox host

# useradd <Username> (to create a user)
# passwd <Username> (to set the password)
- Set read permission on /etc/shadow  file  for knox user and try to login with the above created credentials