SSH authentication failed for a challenged user with RSA Authentication Manager using REST protocol for RSA Authentication Agent 8.0.x for PAM
Originally Published: 2019-02-05
Last Modified: 2026-06-10
Article Number
Applies To
RSA Product/Service Type: Authentication Agent for PAM
RSA Version/Condition: 8.0.x
Platform : Linux<
Issue
- The RSA Authentication Agent 8.0.x for PAM is installed on a supported platform.
- The RSA Authentication Agent 8.0.x for PAM is installed with REST protocol as a operation method.
#OPERATION_MODE :: To enable the agent operating mode choose one of the option.
# :: 0 UDP Protocol
# :: 1 SID REST Service
# :: 2 MFA REST Service
# default value is 0
OPERATION_MODE=1
# :: 0 UDP Protocol
# :: 1 SID REST Service
# :: 2 MFA REST Service
# default value is 0
OPERATION_MODE=1
- The RSA Authentication Agent for PAM installed with UDP protocol as an operation method works fine when the challenged user logs into the machine through SSH.
- The challenged user is not prompted for a passcode, but instead is prompted for a password which is not a behavior observed when the agent is installed using the UDP protocol as operation method.
- After enabling the DEBUG for the REST protocol, the /var/ace/log/mfa_rest.log shows the following error:
INFO (../src/ConnectionHandler/ConnectionHandler.cpp:355) - Connecting to Server: https://am83p.vcloud.local:6666/mfa/v1_1/authn
ERROR (../src/ConnectionHandler/ConnectionHandler.cpp:359) - Failed to connect.Curl error code: 60
ERROR (../src/ConnectionHandler/ConnectionHandler.cpp:359) - Failed to connect.Curl error code: 60
Cause
Error - Failed to connect.Curl error code: 60
Resolution
To resolve this issue, follow the steps below:
- Using the procedure in knowledge article 000063937 - How to export RSA SecurID Access Authentication Manager or Cloud Authentication Service Root Certificate, extract the RSA Authentication Manager primary server root certificate.
- Copy the generated certificate to any location on the machine where the RSA Authentication Agent for PAM is installed using a secure copy client such as WinSCP.
- Login as the root user to the Linux server on which the PAM agent is installed.
- Navigate to /var/ace/conf on the Linux server and edit the mfa_api.properties file, In the example below the certificate is copied to /var/ace:
CA_CERT_FILE_PATH=/var/ace/AM84RootCA.cer
- Open a SSH session and try to authenticate with a challenged user.
- Enter the RSA passcode at the next prompt and verify that the authentication succeeds.
- After successful authentication with a passcode, the mfa_rest.log located in directory /var/ace/log shows the following message
(../src
(../src/ConnectionHandler/ConnectionHandler.cpp:355) - Connecting to Server: https://am83p.vcloud.local:6666/mfa/v1_1/authn
(../src/ConnectionHandler/ConnectionHandler.cpp:425) - Successfully got response!
(../src/ConnectionHandler/ConnectionHandler.cpp:444) - The response is {"context":{"authnAttemptId":"53034944-93fd-4163-8401-f3368126c487","messageId":"a05a90fe-417f-47fe-8771-83d281f787ab","inResponseTo":"acd947a0-295f-11e9-8c89-005056011612"},"credentialValidationResults":[{"methodId":"SECURID","methodResponseCode":"SUCCESS","methodReasonCode":null,"authnAttributes":[]}],"attemptResponseCode":"SUCCESS","attemptReasonCode":"CREDENTIAL_VERIFIED","challengeMethods":{"challenges":[{"methodSetId":null,"requiredMethods":[]}]}}
(../src/auth/MFAVerifyProcessor.cpp:143) - processing response from AM for Verify Request
(../src/auth/MFAVerifyProcessor.cpp:240) - completed processing response from AM for Verify Request
(../src/auth/AuthnHandler.cpp:61) - Result prompt string: Authentication Success
(../src/ConnectionHandler/ConnectionHandler.cpp:355) - Connecting to Server: https://am83p.vcloud.local:6666/mfa/v1_1/authn
(../src/ConnectionHandler/ConnectionHandler.cpp:425) - Successfully got response!
(../src/ConnectionHandler/ConnectionHandler.cpp:444) - The response is {"context":{"authnAttemptId":"53034944-93fd-4163-8401-f3368126c487","messageId":"a05a90fe-417f-47fe-8771-83d281f787ab","inResponseTo":"acd947a0-295f-11e9-8c89-005056011612"},"credentialValidationResults":[{"methodId":"SECURID","methodResponseCode":"SUCCESS","methodReasonCode":null,"authnAttributes":[]}],"attemptResponseCode":"SUCCESS","attemptReasonCode":"CREDENTIAL_VERIFIED","challengeMethods":{"challenges":[{"methodSetId":null,"requiredMethods":[]}]}}
(../src/auth/MFAVerifyProcessor.cpp:143) - processing response from AM for Verify Request
(../src/auth/MFAVerifyProcessor.cpp:240) - completed processing response from AM for Verify Request
(../src/auth/AuthnHandler.cpp:61) - Result prompt string: Authentication Success
Notes
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