[706051103]: Invalid password format error using smpwservices

Products

• CA Advanced Authentication
• CA Strong Authentication
• CA Risk Authentication

Issue/Introduction

When using Siteminder password policies along with Arcot authentication, upon trying to change user password using Siteminder password policies it will fail, the password will not change and below error will be seen in the arcotadaptershim.log

Error Message: [706051103]: Invalid password format

 

Environment

Policy server: Any supported policy server

Policy server OS: Any supported OS

Arcot webfort: Any supported Webfort version.

CA Strong Authentication

CA Risk Authentication

Resolution

The solution is to set "PasswdSvcUserAtt" parameter in the adaptershim.ini file to a user attribute that is read and writeable by Adapter SHIM and is not being used by any other application. 

For example the PasswdSvcUserAtt can be set to "carLicense" in the adaptershim.ini file. This parameter can be set either under every profile or globally. To set it under every profile it can be set like below example:

===============================

# Profile Name                       : "Your Profile Name"

# Controller Used                       : controller4.jsp

# Primary Credential                    : LDAP password

# Risk Secondary Credential             : Security Questions

# Risk Scoring                          : Enabled

# HTTPS                                 : Required if flash is used for RiskFort cookies

[arcot/integrations/smadapter/siteminder]

 

#

# One-Page login scenario

#

PasswdSvcUserAtt=carLicense

=================================

Or it can be set globally under [arcot/integrations/smadapter/Default] in the adaptershim.ini file.

 

Additional Information

Authentication Shim Properties File