I'm a newbie and trying to harden a RHEL5 box which I think is up to date. I am able to ssh as root but when I try to ssh as another user (nloring) I get a 'permission denied' error. On the console, if I su to a non-root user then try to su to nloring I get an 'incorrect password' error. I've usermod -p the account and have unlocked the account but I still get the same error. There are a few posts in this forum that are similar, but none have helped me so far. Any suggestions?

Thanks

What does /var/log/secure say??

1 members found this post helpful.

Here is the whole session starting with the 'date' cmd.

[root@localhost log]# date
Thu Aug 12 01:31:54 EDT 2010
[root@localhost log]# su cbowman
[cbowman@localhost log]$ su nloring
Password:
su: incorrect password
[cbowman@localhost log]$ exit
exit
[root@localhost log]# tail secure
Aug 12 00:24:39 localhost su: pam_unix(su:auth): authentication failure; logname
=root uid=501 euid=0 tty=pts/0 ruser=cbowman rhost= user=nloring
Aug 12 00:24:42 localhost su: pam_unix(su:session): session closed for user cbow
man
Aug 12 00:24:46 localhost su: pam_unix(su:session): session opened for user nlor
ing by root(uid=0)
Aug 12 00:24:53 localhost su: pam_unix(su:session): session closed for user nlor
ing
Aug 12 01:30:46 localhost su: pam_unix(su:session): session opened for user cbow
man by root(uid=0)
Aug 12 01:30:57 localhost su: pam_unix(su:auth): authentication failure; logname
=root uid=501 euid=0 tty=pts/0 ruser=cbowman rhost= user=nloring
Aug 12 01:31:18 localhost su: pam_unix(su:session): session closed for user cbow
man
Aug 12 01:32:01 localhost su: pam_unix(su:session): session opened for user cbow
man by root(uid=0)
Aug 12 01:32:11 localhost su: pam_unix(su:auth): authentication failure; logname
=root uid=501 euid=0 tty=pts/0 ruser=cbowman rhost= user=nloring
Aug 12 01:32:15 localhost su: pam_unix(su:session): session closed for user cbow
man

Here is an ssh -vvv output plus the tail of /var/log/secure at the end:

E:\dumps>ssh -vvv nloring@172.28.3.237
OpenSSH_3.8.1p1, OpenSSL 0.9.7d 17 Mar 2004
debug1: Reading configuration data /etc/ssh_config
debug2: ssh_connect: needpriv 0
debug1: Connecting to 172.28.3.237 [172.28.3.237] port 22.
debug1: Connection established.
debug1: identity file /home/cbowman/.ssh/identity type -1
debug1: identity file /home/cbowman/.ssh/id_rsa type -1
debug1: identity file /home/cbowman/.ssh/id_dsa type -1
debug1: Remote protocol version 2.0, remote software version OpenSSH_4.3
debug1: match: OpenSSH_4.3 pat OpenSSH*
debug1: Enabling compatibility mode for protocol 2.0
debug1: Local version string SSH-2.0-OpenSSH_3.8.1p1
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEXINIT sent
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEXINIT received
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha1,diffie-hellman-gro
up1-sha1
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: ssh-rsa,ssh-dss
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,arcfour,
aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,rijndael-cbc@lysator.liu.se,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-c
tr
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,arcfour,
aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,rijndael-cbc@lysator.liu.se,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-c
trbug3: tty_make_modes: 7 0
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160@open
ssh.com,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160@open
ssh.com,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: 15
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: 0
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: first_kex_follows 0
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: reserved 0
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha1,diffie-hellman-gro
up14-sha1,diffie-hellman-group1-sha1
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: ssh-rsa,ssh-dss
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,arcfour1
28,arcfour256,arcfour,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,rijndael-cbc@lysator.liu.se,aes128-c
tr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr38 1
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,arcfour1
28,arcfour256,arcfour,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,rijndael-cbc@lysator.liu.se,aes128-c
tr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr41 0
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160@open
ssh.com,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160@open
ssh.com,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib@openssh.com
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib@openssh.com
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: 0
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: 0
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: first_kex_follows 0
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: reserved 0
debug2: mac_init: found hmac-md5
debug1: kex: server->client aes128-cbc hmac-md5 none
debug2: mac_init: found hmac-md5
debug1: kex: client->server aes128-cbc hmac-md5 none
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_REQUEST(1024<1024<8192) sent
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_GROUP
debug2: dh_gen_key: priv key bits set: 124/256
debug2: bits set: 540/1024 1
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_INIT sent
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_REPLY
debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: filename /home/cbowman/.ssh/known_hosts
debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: match line 3
debug1: Host '172.28.3.237' is known and matches the RSA host key.
debug1: Found key in /home/cbowman/.ssh/known_hosts:3
debug2: bits set: 510/1024nfirm rwindow 0 rmax 32768
debug1: ssh_rsa_verify: signature correct
debug2: kex_derive_keys07:25:48 2010 from 172.28.3.11
debug2: set_newkeys: mode 1
debug1: SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS sent
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS
debug2: set_newkeys: mode 0
debug1: SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS received
debug1: SSH2_MSG_SERVICE_REQUEST sent
debug2: service_accept: ssh-userauth
debug1: SSH2_MSG_SERVICE_ACCEPT received
debug2: key: /home/cbowman/.ssh/identity (0x0)
debug2: key: /home/cbowman/.ssh/id_rsa (0x0)
debug2: key: /home/cbowman/.ssh/id_dsa (0x0)
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,gssapi-with-mic,password
debug3: start over, passed a different list publickey,gssapi-with-mic,password
debug3: preferred publickey,keyboard-interactive,password
debug3: authmethod_lookup publickey
debug3: remaining preferred: keyboard-interactive,password
debug3: authmethod_is_enabled publickey
debug1: Next authentication method: publickey
debug1: Trying private key: /home/cbowman/.ssh/identity
debug3: no such identity: /home/cbowman/.ssh/identity
debug1: Trying private key: /home/cbowman/.ssh/id_rsa
debug3: no such identity: /home/cbowman/.ssh/id_rsa
debug1: Trying private key: /home/cbowman/.ssh/id_dsa
debug3: no such identity: /home/cbowman/.ssh/id_dsa
debug2: we did not send a packet, disable method
debug3: authmethod_lookup password
debug3: remaining preferred: ,password
debug3: authmethod_is_enabled password
debug1: Next authentication method: password
nloring@172.28.3.237's password:
debug3: packet_send2: adding 48 (len 69 padlen 11 extra_pad 64)
debug2: we sent a password packet, wait for reply
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,gssapi-with-mic,password
Permission denied, please try again.
nloring@172.28.3.237's password:
debug3: packet_send2: adding 48 (len 69 padlen 11 extra_pad 64)
debug2: we sent a password packet, wait for reply
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,gssapi-with-mic,password
Permission denied, please try again.
nloring@172.28.3.237's password:
debug3: packet_send2: adding 48 (len 69 padlen 11 extra_pad 64)
debug2: we sent a password packet, wait for reply
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,gssapi-with-mic,password
debug2: we did not send a packet, disable method
debug1: No more authentication methods to try.
Permission denied (publickey,gssapi-with-mic,password).


[root@localhost log]# date
Thu Aug 12 01:33:18 EDT 2010
[root@localhost log]# tail secure
Aug 12 00:24:53 localhost su: pam_unix(su:session): session closed for user nlor
ing
Aug 12 01:30:46 localhost su: pam_unix(su:session): session opened for user cbow
man by root(uid=0)
Aug 12 01:30:57 localhost su: pam_unix(su:auth): authentication failure; logname
=root uid=501 euid=0 tty=pts/0 ruser=cbowman rhost= user=nloring
Aug 12 01:31:18 localhost su: pam_unix(su:session): session closed for user cbow
man
Aug 12 01:32:01 localhost su: pam_unix(su:session): session opened for user cbow
man by root(uid=0)
Aug 12 01:32:11 localhost su: pam_unix(su:auth): authentication failure; logname
=root uid=501 euid=0 tty=pts/0 ruser=cbowman rhost= user=nloring
Aug 12 01:32:15 localhost su: pam_unix(su:session): session closed for user cbow
man
Aug 12 01:34:07 localhost sshd[8121]: Failed password for nloring from 172.28.3.
11 port 6067 ssh2
Aug 12 01:34:16 localhost last message repeated 2 times
Aug 12 01:34:16 localhost sshd[8125]: Connection closed by 172.28.3.11
[root@localhost log]#

"Failed password" - are you sure you're typing in the password correctly? Try resetting it.

1 members found this post helpful.

Got it, I was using 'usermod' to change the password and sending it a clear text password. I used passwd and I can now log in.
Thanks for directing my steps.

You understand that really is a bad practice, right?

Yes, which is why it was an issue that I could not log in with any other login. Next step is to disallow root from remote logins.

Thanks