Activity log for bug #1822736

Date Who What changed Old value New value Message
2019-04-02 07:53:40 Tom Reynolds bug added bug
2019-04-02 08:00:21 Tom Reynolds description DISCUSSION When a password longer than 255 characters is set for any user account, this user will become unable to authenticate when running 'sudo' or 'passwd'. IMPACT Tagged 'security' since these utilities then deny service to this user. REPRODUCTION # Add user 'test' with password 'testtest' sudo adduser --gecos '' test # Add user 'test' to the 'sudo' group sudo adduser test sudo # Become user 'test' sudo -iu test # Verify user 'test' can run commands via sudo sudo whoami # Change password of 'test' to this 255 character long password: 123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345 passwd # Verify user 'test' can run commands via sudo with the new password set sudo -k sudo whoami # should report "root" # Change password of 'test' to 'testtest': passwd # Verify user 'test' can run commands via sudo with the new password set sudo -k sudo whoami # should report "root" # Change password of 'test' to this 256 character long password: 1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456 passwd # Verify user 'test' can run commands via sudo with the new password set sudo -k sudo whoami # should report "root" # This authentication fails, as sudo does not accept the 256 character password. # Attempting to change this password to a different value also fails: passwd # Effectively, user 'test' is now unable to use sudo, or to change their password. # The 'login' command, run by root, does, however, still enable user 'test' to login using the newly set 256 character password. # At the same time, a different restricted user who is a member of the 'sudo' group can still set a new password for 'test' (after authenticating to sudo with their own password) by supplying the current 256 character password using: sudo -u test passwd # Finally, to clean up sudo deluser --remove-home test ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS * A root-initiated 'login' command still allows this user to authenticate. * A different restricted user who is a member of the 'sudo' group can still set a new password for for this users' account (after authenticating to sudo with their own password) by supplying the >=256 character password ProblemType: Bug DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04 Package: libpam0g 1.1.8-3.6ubuntu2.18.04.1 ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.18.0-16.17~18.04.1-generic 4.18.20 Uname: Linux 4.18.0-16-generic x86_64 ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.6 Architecture: amd64 CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME Date: Tue Apr 2 09:39:39 2019 SourcePackage: pam UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install) DISCUSSION When a password longer than 255 characters is set for any user account, this user will become unable to authenticate when running 'sudo' or 'passwd'. IMPACT This affects 18.04.2 systems, whether they were installed using Desktop (ubiquity) or Server (subiquity) installers. It may also affect other releases - this is yet untested. Tagged 'security' since these utilities then deny service to this user. REPRODUCTION # Add user 'test' with password 'testtest' sudo adduser --gecos '' test # Add user 'test' to the 'sudo' group sudo adduser test sudo # Become user 'test' sudo -iu test # Verify user 'test' can run commands via sudo sudo whoami # Change password of 'test' to this 255 character long password: 123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345 passwd # Verify user 'test' can run commands via sudo with the new password set sudo -k sudo whoami # should report "root" # Change password of 'test' to 'testtest': passwd # Verify user 'test' can run commands via sudo with the new password set sudo -k sudo whoami # should report "root" # Change password of 'test' to this 256 character long password: 1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456 passwd # Verify user 'test' can run commands via sudo with the new password set sudo -k sudo whoami # should report "root" # This authentication fails, as sudo does not accept the 256 character password. # Attempting to change this password to a different value also fails: passwd # Effectively, user 'test' is now unable to use sudo, or to change their password. # The 'login' command, run by root, does, however, still enable user 'test' to login using the newly set 256 character password. # At the same time, a different restricted user who is a member of the 'sudo' group can still set a new password for 'test' (after authenticating to sudo with their own password) by supplying the current 256 character password using: sudo -u test passwd # Finally, to clean up sudo deluser --remove-home test ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS * A root-initiated 'login' command still allows this user to authenticate. * A different restricted user who is a member of the 'sudo' group can still set a new password for for this users' account (after authenticating to sudo with their own password) by supplying the >=256 character password ProblemType: Bug DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04 Package: libpam0g 1.1.8-3.6ubuntu2.18.04.1 ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.18.0-16.17~18.04.1-generic 4.18.20 Uname: Linux 4.18.0-16-generic x86_64 ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.6 Architecture: amd64 CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME Date: Tue Apr 2 09:39:39 2019 SourcePackage: pam UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
2019-04-02 08:02:38 Tom Reynolds description DISCUSSION When a password longer than 255 characters is set for any user account, this user will become unable to authenticate when running 'sudo' or 'passwd'. IMPACT This affects 18.04.2 systems, whether they were installed using Desktop (ubiquity) or Server (subiquity) installers. It may also affect other releases - this is yet untested. Tagged 'security' since these utilities then deny service to this user. REPRODUCTION # Add user 'test' with password 'testtest' sudo adduser --gecos '' test # Add user 'test' to the 'sudo' group sudo adduser test sudo # Become user 'test' sudo -iu test # Verify user 'test' can run commands via sudo sudo whoami # Change password of 'test' to this 255 character long password: 123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345 passwd # Verify user 'test' can run commands via sudo with the new password set sudo -k sudo whoami # should report "root" # Change password of 'test' to 'testtest': passwd # Verify user 'test' can run commands via sudo with the new password set sudo -k sudo whoami # should report "root" # Change password of 'test' to this 256 character long password: 1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456 passwd # Verify user 'test' can run commands via sudo with the new password set sudo -k sudo whoami # should report "root" # This authentication fails, as sudo does not accept the 256 character password. # Attempting to change this password to a different value also fails: passwd # Effectively, user 'test' is now unable to use sudo, or to change their password. # The 'login' command, run by root, does, however, still enable user 'test' to login using the newly set 256 character password. # At the same time, a different restricted user who is a member of the 'sudo' group can still set a new password for 'test' (after authenticating to sudo with their own password) by supplying the current 256 character password using: sudo -u test passwd # Finally, to clean up sudo deluser --remove-home test ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS * A root-initiated 'login' command still allows this user to authenticate. * A different restricted user who is a member of the 'sudo' group can still set a new password for for this users' account (after authenticating to sudo with their own password) by supplying the >=256 character password ProblemType: Bug DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04 Package: libpam0g 1.1.8-3.6ubuntu2.18.04.1 ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.18.0-16.17~18.04.1-generic 4.18.20 Uname: Linux 4.18.0-16-generic x86_64 ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.6 Architecture: amd64 CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME Date: Tue Apr 2 09:39:39 2019 SourcePackage: pam UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install) DISCUSSION When a password longer than 255 characters is set for any user account, this user will become unable to authenticate when running 'sudo' or 'passwd'. IMPACT This affects 18.04.2 systems, whether they were installed using Desktop (ubiquity) or Server (subiquity) installers. It may also affect other releases - this is yet untested. Tagged 'security' since these utilities then deny service to this user. REPRODUCTION # Add user 'test' with password 'testtest' sudo adduser --gecos '' test # Add user 'test' to the 'sudo' group sudo adduser test sudo # Become user 'test' sudo -iu test # Verify user 'test' can run commands via sudo sudo whoami # Change password of 'test' to this 255 character long password: 123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345 passwd # Verify user 'test' can run commands via sudo with the new password set sudo -k sudo whoami # should report "root" # Change password of 'test' to 'testtest': passwd # Verify user 'test' can run commands via sudo with the new password set sudo -k sudo whoami # should report "root" # Change password of 'test' to this 256 character long password: 1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456 passwd # Verify user 'test' can run commands via sudo with the new password set sudo -k sudo whoami # should report "root" # This authentication fails, as sudo does not accept the 256 character password. # Attempting to change this password to a different value also fails: passwd # Effectively, user 'test' is now unable to use sudo, or to change their password. # The 'login' command, run by root, does, however, still enable user 'test' to login using the newly set 256 character password. # At the same time, a different restricted user who is a member of the 'sudo' group can still set a new password for 'test' (after authenticating to sudo with their own password) by supplying the current 256 character password using: sudo -u test passwd # Finally, to clean up sudo deluser --remove-home test ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS * A root-initiated 'login' command still allows this user to authenticate. * A different restricted user who is a member of the 'sudo' group can still set a new password for for this users' account (after authenticating to sudo with their own password) by supplying the >=256 character password CREDIT This was originally reported by 'Fieldy', I just reproduced it / filed this bug report. ProblemType: Bug DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04 Package: libpam0g 1.1.8-3.6ubuntu2.18.04.1 ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.18.0-16.17~18.04.1-generic 4.18.20 Uname: Linux 4.18.0-16-generic x86_64 ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.6 Architecture: amd64 CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME Date: Tue Apr 2 09:39:39 2019 SourcePackage: pam UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
2019-04-02 10:55:34 Alex Murray information type Private Security Public Security
2019-04-03 00:10:08 Launchpad Janitor pam (Ubuntu): status New Confirmed
2019-10-05 14:44:10 Marc Deslauriers information type Public Security Public
2019-10-16 10:28:51 Dr. Jens Harbott bug added subscriber Dr. Jens Harbott