Bug 740 – sudo error in AIX

Bug 740 - sudo error in AIX


Summary:	sudo error in AIX

Status:	RESOLVED FIXED

Product:	Sudo
Classification:	Unclassified
Component:	Visudo
Version:	1.8.15
Hardware:	PC AIX

Importance:	low high
Assigned To:	Todd C. Miller

URL:

Depends on:
Blocks:
	Show dependency tree / graph

Reported:	2016-03-19 23:46 MDT by surendra swamy
Modified:	2016-11-08 07:47 MST (History)
CC List:	1 user (show)

See Also:

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Description surendra swamy 2016-03-19 23:46:51 MDT

Hi,

I am getting the below error when i execute the sudo command

"sudo: unable to initialize PAM: A file or directory in the path name does not exist."

Comment 1 Todd C. Miller 2016-03-20 14:31:43 MDT

Sudo uses the /etc/security/login.cfg file to determine whether to use PAM or AIX authentication.  If the usw stanza in /etc/security/login.cfg has the line:

auth_type = PAM_AUTH

sudo will use PAM authentication.  Can you check /etc/security/login.cfg to see what auth_type is set to?  Also, do you have an /etc/pam.conf file?

Comment 2 Todd C. Miller 2016-03-23 10:58:13 MDT

The following commit may fix this:
https://www.sudo.ws/repos/sudo/rev/cdbe432c465c

You can find AIX 5.3 packages built with this patch at:
ftp://ftp.sudo.ws/pub/millert/sudo/sudo-1.8.16-2.aix53.rpm
ftp://ftp.sudo.ws/pub/millert/sudo/sudo.1.8.16.1.aix53.bff.gz

If you could try one of those and report back it would be helpful.

Comment 3 Todd C. Miller 2016-06-18 06:01:05 MDT

Fixed in sudo 1.8.17 which is now available.

Comment 4 Tom Callahan 2016-11-08 06:22:36 MST

I seem to be having this problem.. and I have tried using version up to and including sudo-1.8.18rc4-1
I think I may be missing something. When I change back login.cfg to STD_AUTH the problem goes away 
...
Sorry, try again.
Sorry, try again.
sudo: 3 incorrect password attempts

Comment 5 Todd C. Miller 2016-11-08 07:47:43 MST

It sounds like you have auth_type set to PAM_AUTH but have a pam configuration error of some kind.  You need a valid entry in /etc/pam.conf either for sudo or OTHER.  For example:

sudo   auth      required      /usr/lib/security/pam_aix
sudo   account   required      /usr/lib/security/pam_aix
sudo   password  required      /usr/lib/security/pam_aix
sudo   session   required      /usr/lib/security/pam_aix