Wrong PAM settings: successful login logged as failure

pam

SERVER:/etc/pam.d # head -1 /etc/issue

SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 9.4

SERVER:/etc/pam.d # cat login

#%PAM-1.0
auth requisite  pam_unix2.so    nullok     #set_secrpc
auth required   pam_securetty.so
auth required   pam_nologin.so
#auth    required   pam_homecheck.so
auth required   pam_env.so
auth required   pam_mail.so
#account required pam_tally.so deny=5 reset no_magic_root
account required    pam_unix2.so
password required   pam_pwcheck.so  nullok md5
password required   pam_unix2.so    nullok use_first_pass use_authtok md5
session required    pam_unix2.so    none     # debug or trace
session required    pam_limits.so

SERVER:/etc/pam.d # cat sshd

#%PAM-1.0
auth     required   pam_tally.so no_magic_root
auth     required       /lib/security/pam_unix.so   # set_secrpc
auth     required       /lib/security/pam_nologin.so
auth     required       /lib/security/pam_env.so
#account required pam_tally.so deny=5 reset no_magic_root
account  required       /lib/security/pam_unix.so
password required       /lib/security/pam_pwcheck.so
password required       /lib/security/pam_unix.so       use_first_pass use_authtok md5
session  required       /lib/security/pam_unix.so   none # trace or debug
session  required       /lib/security/pam_limits.so
SERVER:/etc/pam.d # 
SERVER:/etc/pam.d #

SERVER:/etc/pam.d # faillog -u pamtest

Username   Failures  Maximum  Latest
pamtest           0        5  Thu Aug 29 13:35:15 +0200 2013 on localhost

SERVER:/etc/pam.d # ssh pamtest@localhost

pamtest@localhost's password: 
Last login: Thu Aug 29 13:35:15 2013 from localhost
pamtest@SERVER:~> exit
logout
Connection to localhost closed.
SERVER:/etc/pam.d # faillog -u pamtest
Username   Failures  Maximum  Latest
pamtest           1        5  Thu Aug 29 13:39:40 +0200 2013 on localhost
SERVER:/etc/pam.d #

Q: Why does the system logs the successful login as failed login? "UsePAM yes" is in the sshd_config. (Does the order of the lines in the ex.: sshd file counts?)

Best Answer

'pam_tally.so' should be included in 'account' section as well as in 'auth' section. This will clear the failed attempts count after successful login. Add the following line to /etc/pam.d/sshd:

account required pam_tally.so
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