PAW is designed to avoid exposing the main system password when operating in an unsafe environment. Use it instead with a combination such as a secondary-password + fingerprint. GrapheneOS-like authentication on your GNU/Linux system.
- minimum number of successfully passed modules option
Modules:
PasswordFingerprint- Faceid
- NFC
- Trusted Bluetooth/Wi-Fi networks
-
Find the PAM modules directory on your system. Common paths:
/usr/lib64/security(Fedora-based distros)/usr/lib/security(many Debian/Ubuntu-based distros)
-
Install
pam_paw.sointo that directory:
sudo install -m 0644 -o root -g root pam_paw.so /usr/lib64/security/pam_paw.so- Create the
pawdirectory inside the PAM security directory:
sudo mkdir /lib64/security/paw- Place
pawmodules in it:
sudo install -m 0644 -o root -g root paw_fingerprint.so /usr/lib64/security/paw_fingerprint.so
sudo install -m 0644 -o root -g root paw_password.so /usr/lib64/security/paw_password.so
Create /etc/paw.conf
sudo $EDITOR /etc/paw.confFormat (one module per line):
path_to_paw_module attemps_number
Default attempts_number is 3 if omitted. Order in the config affects the execution sequence.
/lib64/security/paw/paw_password.so
/lib64/security/paw/paw_fingerprint.so 5
To enable paw in a real PAM service, edit the corresponding file in /etc/pam.d/.
Add this line to /etc/pam.d/sudo:
auth sufficient pam_paw.so
requisite
- Like
required, but if it fails: stop immediately and return failure. - If it succeeds: continues.
required
- If it fails: authentication will fail, but PAM continues running the rest of the stack.
- If it succeeds: continues.
- Final result: any
requiredfailure makes the whole stack fail.
sufficient
- If it succeeds: stop immediately and return success (if no prior
required/requisitefailed). - If it fails: ignore the failure and continue.
optional
- Success/failure usually does not affect the result unless it is the only module in that stack.
-
Install
pamtestervia your system package manager -
Create and edit
/etc/pam.d/paw_testing:
auth required pam_paw.so
account required pam_permit.so
- Run
pamtester paw_testing $USER authenticate
- Install pam lib
# Debian / Ubuntu
sudo apt install -y libpam0g-dev
# Fedora
sudo dnf install -y pam-devel
# Arch
sudo pacman -S --needed pam
- Git clone
git clone https://codeberg.org/vvindetta/paw.git && cd paw
- Build
cargo build
The build will be available inside paw/target/debug
libhost.so -> pam_paw.so
libpaw_fingerprint.so -> paw_fingerprint.so
libpaw_password.so -> paw_password.so