Manual: pam_keyinit

PAM_KEYINIT(8)					      Linux-PAM Manual					      PAM_KEYINIT(8)

NAME
       pam_keyinit - Kernel session keyring initialiser module

SYNOPSIS

       pam_keyinit.so [debug] [force] [revoke]

DESCRIPTION
       The pam_keyinit PAM module ensures that the invoking process has a session keyring other than the user default
       session keyring.

       The module checks to see if the process's session keyring is the user-session-keyring(7), and, if it is, creates a
       new session-keyring(7) with which to replace it. If a new session keyring is created, it will install a link to the
       user-keyring(7) in the session keyring so that keys common to the user will be automatically accessible through it.
       The session keyring of the invoking process will thenceforth be inherited by all its children unless they override
       it.

       In order to allow other PAM modules to attach tokens to the keyring, this module provides both an auth (limited to
       pam_setcred(3) and a session component. The session keyring is created in the module called. Moreover this module
       should be included as early as possible in a PAM configuration.

       This module is intended primarily for use by login processes. Be aware that after the session keyring has been
       replaced, the old session keyring and the keys it contains will no longer be accessible.

       This module should not, generally, be invoked by programs like su, since it is usually desirable for the key set to
       percolate through to the alternate context. The keys have their own permissions system to manage this.

       The keyutils package is used to manipulate keys more directly. This can be obtained from:

       Keyutils[1]

OPTIONS
       debug
	   Log debug information with syslog(3).

       force
	   Causes the session keyring of the invoking process to be replaced unconditionally.

       revoke
	   Causes the session keyring of the invoking process to be revoked when the invoking process exits if the session
	   keyring was created for this process in the first place.

MODULE TYPES PROVIDED
       Only the session module type is provided.

RETURN VALUES
       PAM_SUCCESS
	   This module will usually return this value

       PAM_AUTH_ERR
	   Authentication failure.

       PAM_BUF_ERR
	   Memory buffer error.

       PAM_IGNORE
	   The return value should be ignored by PAM dispatch.

       PAM_SERVICE_ERR
	   Cannot determine the user name.

       PAM_SESSION_ERR
	   This module will return this value if its arguments are invalid or if a system error such as ENOMEM occurs.

       PAM_USER_UNKNOWN
	   User not known.

EXAMPLES
       Add this line to your login entries to start each login session with its own session keyring:

	   session  required  pam_keyinit.so

       This will prevent keys from one session leaking into another session for the same user.

SEE ALSO
       pam.conf(5), pam.d(5), pam(7), keyctl(1)

AUTHOR
       pam_keyinit was written by David Howells, .

NOTES
	1. Keyutils
	   http://people.redhat.com/~dhowells/keyutils/

Linux-PAM						 07/16/2026					      PAM_KEYINIT(8)