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PAM_STRESS

Section: Linux-PAM Manual (8)
Updated: 02/02/2026
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NAME

pam_stress - The stress-testing PAM module

SYNOPSIS

pam_stress.so [debug] [no_warn] [use_first_pass] [try_first_pass] [rootok] [expired] [fail_1] [fail_2] [prelim] [required]

DESCRIPTION

The pam_stress PAM module is mainly intended to give the impression of failing as a fully functioning module might.

OPTIONS

debug

: Put lots of information in syslog. *NOTE* this option writes passwords to syslog, so don't use anything sensitive when testing.

no_warn

: Do not give warnings about things (otherwise warnings are issued via the conversation function)

use_first_pass

: Do not prompt for a password, for pam_sm_authentication function just use item PAM_AUTHTOK.

try_first_pass

: Do not prompt for a password unless there has been no previous authentication token (item PAM_AUTHTOK is NULL)

rootok

: This is intended for the pam_sm_chauthtok function and it instructs this function to permit root to change the user's password without entering the old password.

expired

: An argument intended for the account and chauthtok module parts. It instructs the module to act as if the user's password has expired

fail_1

: This instructs the module to make its first function fail.

fail_2

: This instructs the module to make its second function (if there is one) fail.

prelim

: For pam_sm_chauthtok, means fail on PAM_PRELIM_CHECK.

required

: For pam_sm_chauthtok, means fail if the user hasn't already been authenticated by this module. (See stress_new_pwd data string in the NOTES.)

MODULE TYPES PROVIDED

All module types (auth, account, password and session) are provided.

RETURN VALUES

PAM_BUF_ERR

: Memory buffer error.

PAM_PERM_DENIED

: Permission denied.

PAM_AUTH_ERR

: Access to the system was denied.

PAM_CONV_ERR

: Conversation failure.

PAM_SUCCESS

: The function passes all checks.

PAM_USER_UNKNOWN

: The user is not known to the system.

PAM_CRED_ERR

: Failure involving user credentials.

PAM_NEW_AUTHTOK_REQD

: Authentication token is no longer valid; new one required.

PAM_SESSION_ERR

: Session failure.

PAM_TRY_AGAIN

: Failed preliminary check by service.

PAM_AUTHTOK_LOCK_BUSY

: Authentication token lock busy.

PAM_AUTHTOK_ERR

: Authentication token manipulation error.

PAM_SYSTEM_ERR

: System error.

NOTES

This module uses the stress_new_pwd data string which tells pam_sm_chauthtok that pam_sm_acct_mgmt says we need a new password. The only possible value for this data string is 'yes'.

EXAMPLES

#%PAM-1.0
#
# Any of the following will suffice
account  required pam_stress.so
auth     required pam_stress.so
password required pam_stress.so
session  required pam_stress.so

AUTHORS

The pam_stress PAM module was developed by Andrew Morgan <morgan@linux.kernel.org>. The man page for pam_stress was written by Lucas Ramage <ramage.lucas@protonmail.com>.