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PAM_PWHISTORY
Section: Linux-PAM Manual (8) Updated: 02/02/2026 Index
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NAME
pam_pwhistory - PAM module to remember last passwords
SYNOPSIS
-
pam_pwhistory.so [debug] [use_authtok] [enforce_for_root] [remember=N] [retry=N] [authtok_type=STRING] [file=/path/filename] [conf=/path/to/config-file]
DESCRIPTION
This module saves the last passwords for each user in order to force password change history and keep the user from alternating between the same password too frequently.
This module does not work together with kerberos. In general, it does not make much sense to use this module in conjunction with NIS or LDAP, since the old passwords are stored on the local machine and are not available on another machine for password history checking.
OPTIONS
debug
-
Turns on debugging via
syslog(3).
use_authtok
-
When password changing enforce the module to use the new password provided by a previously stacked
password
module (this is used in the example of the stacking of the
pam_passwdqc
module documented below).
enforce_for_root
-
If this option is set, the check is enforced for root, too.
remember=N
-
The last
N
passwords for each user are saved. The default is
10. Value of
0
makes the module to keep the existing contents of the
opasswd
file unchanged.
retry=N
-
Prompt user at most
N
times before returning with error. The default is
1.
authtok_type=STRING
-
See
pam_get_authtok(3)
for more details.
file=/path/filename
-
Store password history in file
/path/filename
rather than the default location. The default location is
/etc/security/opasswd.
conf=/path/to/config-file
-
Use another configuration file instead of the default
/etc/security/pwhistory.conf.
The options for configuring the module behavior are described in the
pwhistory.conf(5)
manual page. The options specified on the module command line override the values from the configuration file.
MODULE TYPES PROVIDED
Only the
password
module type is provided.
RETURN VALUES
PAM_AUTHTOK_ERR
-
No new password was entered, the user aborted password change or new password couldn't be set.
PAM_IGNORE
-
Password history was disabled.
PAM_MAXTRIES
-
Password was rejected too often.
PAM_USER_UNKNOWN
-
User is not known to system.
EXAMPLES
An example password section would be:
-
#%PAM-1.0
password required pam_pwhistory.so
password required pam_unix.so use_authtok
In combination with
pam_passwdqc:
-
#%PAM-1.0
password required pam_passwdqc.so config=/etc/passwdqc.conf
password required pam_pwhistory.so use_authtok
password required pam_unix.so use_authtok
FILES
/etc/security/opasswd
-
Default file with password history
/etc/security/pwhistory.conf
-
Config file for pam_pwhistory options
/usr/share/pam/security/pwhistory.conf
-
Config file for pam_pwhistory options. It will be used if
/etc/security/pwhistory.conf
does not exist.
SEE ALSO
pwhistory.conf(5),
pam.conf(5),
pam.d(5),
pam(8)
pam_get_authtok(3)
AUTHOR
pam_pwhistory was written by Thorsten Kukuk <kukuk@thkukuk.de>
Index
- NAME
-
- SYNOPSIS
-
- DESCRIPTION
-
- OPTIONS
-
- MODULE TYPES PROVIDED
-
- RETURN VALUES
-
- EXAMPLES
-
- FILES
-
- SEE ALSO
-
- AUTHOR
-
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