CA XCOM for Linux using PAM receives message "XCOMU0287E Error setting remote user id: Verify login failed"

Products

• XCOM Data Transport
• XCOM Data Transport - Linux PC

Issue/Introduction

Implemented LDAP PAM on our Linux RHEL 7 to use with CA XCOM and when performing an incoming transfer receive message:
"XCOMU0287E Error setting remote user id: Verify login failed" 

Environment

XCOM r11.6 for Linux, Red Hat v7

Resolution

Support provided a working sample version of the xcomauth file that solved the problem.

auth required /opt/CA/XCOM/redistrib/pam_userpass/pam_userpass.so
auth required pam_env.so
auth sufficient pam_sss.so use_first_pass
auth sufficient pam_unix.so nullok use_first_pass
auth required pam_deny.so

account required pam_access.so
account required pam_unix.so broken_shadow
account sufficient pam_localuser.so
account sufficient pam_succeed_if.so uid < 500 quiet
account [default=bad success=ok user_unknown=ignore] pam_sss.so
account required pam_permit.so

Additional Information

CA XCOM DATA TRANSPORT FOR UNIX/LINUX 11.6.1> Reference > Operating Environment > Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM) Based Authentication

NOTE: The above sample xcomauth file may or may not work in a specific environment. It is the responsibility of the Security Administrator to review and modify the security for site specific implemenattion. 

To debug PAM problems:
1. Check the syslog for any useful messages
2. Debug the system-auth file and xcomauth file.

PAM modules are expected to send messages to syslog(3) under facility type authpriv and the following logging levels: 
- LOG_ERR - errors found by the module 
- LOG_DEBUG - debugging information 
- LOG_ALERT - corrupted or unusable configuration files 
- LOG_CRIT - shortage of resources 
- LOG_NOTICE - regular authentication failures 
The debugging information is enabled by passing string 'debug' as the very first argument (right after the module name) in the PAM config file. For example:
auth required /opt/CA/XCOM/redistrib/pam_userpass/pam_userpass.so debug
Expand the included entries from system-auth into xcomauth and plant the debug parameter into each line (and adjust syslogd.conf so that the messages are saved). This will hopefully explain why any authentication fails. Also check how these logging destinations are defined in syslogd.conf and see whether there are meaningful messages there.
For further details please see Red Hat Knowledgebase article 1314883: Debugging PAM configuration (requires Red Hat Customer Portal Login)