pam_usb/doc/CONFIGURATION.md

Configuration file reference

The configuration file is formatted in XML and subdivided in 4 sections:

• Default options, shared among every device, user and service
• Devices declaration and settings
• Users declaration and settings
• Services declaration and settings

The syntax is the following:

<configuration>
<defaults>
<!-- default options -->
</defaults>
<devices>
<!-- devices definitions -->
</devices>
<users>
<!-- users definitions -->
</users>
<services>
<!-- services definitions -->
</services>
</configuration>

---

Options

Name	Type	Default	Description
enable	Boolean	true	Enable pam_usb
debug	Boolean	false	Enable debug messages
quiet	Boolean	false	Quiet mode
color_log	Boolean	true	Enable colored output
one_time_pad	Boolean	true	Enable the use of one time device-associated pad files
deny_remote	Boolean	true	Deny access from remote host (SSH)
probe_timeout	Time	10s	Time to wait for the volume to be detected
pad_expiration	Time	1h	Time between pad file regeneration
hostname	String	Computer's hostname	Must be unique accross computers using the same device
system_pad_directory	String	.pamusb	Relative path to the user's home used to store one time pads
device_pad_directory	String	.pamusb	Relative path to the device used to store one time pad files

Example:

<configuration>
<defaults>
<!-- Disable colored output by default -->
<option name="color_log">false</option>
<!-- Enable debug output -->
<option name="debug">true</option>
</defaults>
<users>
<user id="root">
<!-- Enable colored output for user "root" -->
<option name="color_log">true</option>
</user>
<user id="scox">
<!-- Disable debug output for user "scox" -->
<option name="debug">false</option>
</user>
</users>
<devices>
<device id="mydevice">
<!-- Wait 15 seconds instead of the default 10 seconds for "mydevice" to be detected -->
<option name="probe_timeout">15</option>
</device>
</devices>
<services>
<service id="su">
<!-- Disable pam_usb for "su" ("su" will ask for a password as usual) -->
<option name="enable">false<option>
</service>
</services>
</configuration>

---

Devices

Name	Type	Description	Example
id	Attribute	Arbitrary device name	MyDevice
vendor	Element	Device's vendor name	SanDisk Corp.
model	Element	Device's model name	Cruzer Titanium
serial	Element	Serial number of the device	SNDKXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
volume_uuid	Element	UUID of the device's volume used to store pads	6F6B-42FC

Example:

<device id="MyDevice">
<vendor>SanDisk Corp.</vendor>
<model>Cruzer Titanium</model>
<serial>SNDKXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX</serial>
<volume_uuid>6F6B-42FC</volume_uuid>
</device>

---

Users

Name	Type	Description	Example
id	Attribute	Login of the user	root
device	Attribute	id of the device associated to the user	MyDevice
agent	Element	Agent commands, for use with pamusb-agent

Agent

Name	Type	Description
env	Attribute	An environment variable for the command. For multiple environment variables use multiple env tags
cmd	Attribute	Agent command, associated with env tags in the same agent element

Example:

<user id="scox">
<device>MyDevice</device>
<!-- When the user "scox" removes the usb device, lock the screen and pause
    beep-media-player -->
<agent event="lock">
<env>DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS=unix:path=/run/user/1000/bus</env>
<env>HOME=/home/scox</env>
<cmd>gnome-screensaver-command --lock</cmd>
</agent>
<agent event="lock">
<cmd>beep-media-player --pause</cmd>
</agent>
<!-- Resume operations when the usb device is plugged back and authenticated -->
<agent event="unlock">
<env>DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS=unix:path=/run/user/1000/bus</env>
<env>HOME=/home/scox</env>
<cmd>gnome-screensaver-command --deactivate</cmd>
</agent>
<agent event="unlock">
<cmd>beep-media-player --play</cmd>
</agent>
</user>

---

Services

Name	Type	Description	Example
id	Attribute	Name of the service	su

Example:

<service id="su">
<!--
       Here you can put service specific options such as "enable", "debug" etc.
       See the options section of this document.
    -->
</service>

---

Location of the configuration file

By default, pam_usb.so and its tools will look for the configuration file at /etc/security/pam_usb.conf.

If you want to use a different location, you will have to use the -c flag.

# /etc/pam.d/system-auth
auth    sufficient      pam_usb.so -c /some/other/path.conf
auth    required        pam_unix.so nullok_secure

You will also have to use the -c option when calling pam_usb's tools.

pamusb-agent -c /some/other/path.conf

Example configuration

NOTE: For detailed information, rely on repository wiki pages.

• 1) Insert an USB block device
• 2) Add necessary user configuration into /etc/security/pam_usb.conf by running:

sudo pamusb-conf --add-user=<username>

where <username> is a valid Unix user name.

• 3) Add necessary device configuration into /etc/security/pam_usb.conf by running:

sudo pamusb-conf --add-device=<devicename>

where <devicename> is a recognizable name for your device. This value is only used internally in the configuration file as device id value.

• 4) Tweak /etc/security/pam_usb.conf manually as desired. Link devices and users, etc.

NOTE: If you don't want to use one time pad files, consider setting one_time_pad option to false. Pad file use defaults to true.

If you use one time pads, you need to do the following:

• 5) Manually mount USB block device partition. You need write access to the mounted partition.

• 6) Run /usr/bin/pamusb-check --debug --service=pamusb-agent <username>

where <username> is associated with the USB block device.

By default, this command creates directory $HOME/.pamusb/ with a protected device-associated .pad file. If you format the device, you must delete $HOME/.pamusb/<devicename>.pad file. The created .pad file can't be used with a new partition UUIDs for the same or any USB block device.

• 7) Unmount the USB block device.
• 8) Add proper PAM configuration into /etc/pam.d/system-auth as described above. For testing purposes, it's highly recommended to start with sufficient PAM option before possibly moving to required or requisite option since you can bypass faulty pam_usb configurations.
• 9) Test the device/user configuration by running sudo echo "pam_usb test". The USB block device must be attached (mount not required) and the user must have proper configuration in /etc/security/pam_usb.conf file.