Re: Bug#156257: ITP: libpam-ssh -- SSH key authentication and single sign-on via PAM
On Sun, 11 Aug 2002 05:37, Roderick Schertler wrote:
> The pam_ssh PAM module allows you to authenticate yourself by supplying
> the passphrase for your SSH key (id_dsa, id_rsa, or identity in ~/.ssh).
> Better yet, it can be to configured launch an ssh-agent and load the
> decrypted key into it. You supply your passphrase just once when you
> log in, and you get an agent loaded with that key.
Normally to change a user's password you have to be root or to know the old
password. This prevents someone from completely taking over your account if
you leave your terminal logged in or get tricked into running a hostile
script. This PAM module changes the regular Unix password semantics.
With such a PAM module installed anyone who can write to your home directory
can change your password.
This includes a trojan, breaking the security on a network program you run
(such as an IRC client), or breaking the security on a network server that
runs as the user (EG a security hole in a finger daemon that takes affect
after it calls setuid() to go to the UID of the person being fingered).
This PAM module allows accounts to be cracked by people with less skill,
using less effort, and makes it more difficult for the real user to reclaim
their account.
I think that this package should have a very clear debconf warning about the
security issues at the very least.
Maybe we should have a separate repository for packages that are a really bad
idea for security but which users want anyway?
--
I do not get viruses because I do not use MS software.
If you use Outlook then please do not put my email address in your
address-book so that WHEN you get a virus it won't use my address in the
>From field.
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