Cartman

Linux-PAM Challenge-and-Response Authentication Module

Cartman is a PAM authentication module which implements a challenge-and-response method for login. The server issues a challenge, which the user must enter into a response generator application. I have written Blackberry, C, and Java (Applet) response generator applications. A login would look like this:

hellfish login: bkg
Challenge: 3847HJD752DASJ23J3242J
 Response: LKJ879JHG76HGF65HF657H

Cartman uses 128-bit MD5-hashed keys, or optional 64 or truncated 32-bit ones for easier data entry. (Keys are base-32 encoded for dislplay/entry). Multiple modules can be registered to allow the user to use a smaller key:

hellfish login: bkg
Challenge: 3847HJD752DASJ23J3242J
 Response: 
Challenge: 3847HJD752
 Response: 
Challenge: 3847
 Response: LKJ8

The main advantage to this, is that anyone sniffing your keystrokes cannot break into your system, as each successive login attempt will be greeted with a new challenge.

I will be releasing the code GPL whenever I get around to it. In the meantime, if your intestested in it, write me: brad-at-thisdomain.

See the Java Response Generator