Re: Password auth turned off in OpenSSH

C. Linus Hicks wrote:
> Okay, so here's a typical protocol 2 connection attempt, and it does
> show the "Unrecognized authentication method name" message:
[...]
> Several other attempts where made in succession for other users
> including guest, admin (2 times), user, root (3 times), test (again),
> nobody, patrick (2 times), and 2 more times for root. Several hours
> later, someone tried to connect with putty. Notice that this one does
> show "Password authentication disabled" but not the "Unrecognized
> authentication method name":

That's a SSHv1 connection and the message comes from protocol 1 code. 
(Older versions of PuTTY would default to protocol 1 if both were 
available).

> The information in my log files show that password authentication is not
> being allowed, however, I am noticing that PAM is getting started, yet
> it seems clear to me that there's no need to start it at all. Do I have
> any cause for concern over that?

No, PAM is still needed in case where there is a successful non-password 
authentication (eg for the "account" and "session" stacks).

--
Darren Tucker (dtucker at zip.com.au)
GPG key 8FF4FA69 / D9A3 86E9 7EEE AF4B B2D4  37C9 C982 80C7 8FF4 FA69
    Good judgement comes with experience. Unfortunately, the experience
usually comes from bad judgement.