PAM_AUTHENTICATE(3) BSD Library Functions Manual PAM_AUTHENTICATE(3)NAMEpam_authenticate — perform authentication within the PAM framework
LIBRARY
Pluggable Authentication Module Library (libpam, -lpam)
SYNOPSIS
#include <sys/types.h>
#include <security/pam_appl.h>
int
pam_authenticate(pam_handle_t *pamh, int flags);
DESCRIPTION
The pam_authenticate function attempts to authenticate the user associ‐
ated with the pam context specified by the pamh argument.
The application is free to call pam_authenticate as many times as it
wishes, but some modules may maintain an internal retry counter and
return PAM_MAXTRIES when it exceeds some preset or hardcoded limit.
The flags argument is the binary or of zero or more of the following val‐
ues:
PAM_SILENT Do not emit any messages.
PAM_DISALLOW_NULL_AUTHTOK
Fail if the user's authentication token is null.
If any other bits are set, pam_authenticate will return PAM_SYMBOL_ERR.
RETURN VALUES
The pam_authenticate function returns one of the following values:
[PAM_ABORT] General failure.
[PAM_AUTHINFO_UNAVAIL]
Authentication information is unavailable.
[PAM_AUTH_ERR] Authentication error.
[PAM_BUF_ERR] Memory buffer error.
[PAM_CONV_ERR] Conversation failure.
[PAM_CRED_INSUFFICIENT]
Insufficient credentials.
[PAM_MAXTRIES] Maximum number of tries exceeded.
[PAM_PERM_DENIED] Permission denied.
[PAM_SERVICE_ERR] Error in service module.
[PAM_SYMBOL_ERR] Invalid symbol.
[PAM_SYSTEM_ERR] System error.
[PAM_USER_UNKNOWN] Unknown user.
SEE ALSOpam(3), pam_strerror(3)STANDARDS
X/Open Single Sign-On Service (XSSO) - Pluggable Authentication Modules,
June 1997.
AUTHORS
The pam_authenticate function and this manual page were developed for the
FreeBSD Project by ThinkSec AS and Network Associates Laboratories, the
Security Research Division of Network Associates, Inc. under DARPA/SPAWAR
contract N66001-01-C-8035 (“CBOSS”), as part of the DARPA CHATS research
program.
BSD December 21, 2007 BSD
