error: PAM: Authentication failed for xxxxx.

[Paolo_c]

We're seeing the following errors when attempting to SFTP to a HP-UX system running B.11.31 from VMS Blade and other HP-UX servers (but are able to successfully SFTP to the same server using other accounts), and wondering whether issue is permission related (As note the user Agritkon on destination server is setup with restricted login shell of /usr/bin/false

Error seen when connecting from another HP-UX server

ukxxxx:/#sftp agritkon@ukxxxx
Password:
Password:
Password:
agritkon@ukxxxx's password:
Permission denied, please try again.

Error seen when connecting from VMS O/S Blade server

ftp agritkon@ukxxxx
warning: Authentication failed.
Disconnected; no more authentication methods available (No further authenticatio
n methods available.).

FATAL: ssh2 client failed to authenticate. (or you have too old ssh2 installed, check with ssh2 "-V")%TCPIP-F-SSH_FATAL, non-specific fatal error condition

Error displayed in syslog.log on destination server

Dec 2 11:07:24 ukxxxx sshd[19657]: error: PAM: Authentication failed for agritkon from ukxxxx.xxx.xxx.com
Dec 2 11:08:06 ukxxxx sshd[19657]: Failed password for agritkon from 10.x.x.x port 55197 ssh2

As i mentioned above, we can SFTP and SSH to the same server using other accounts , but note that none of the accounts have a restricted shell like Agritkon below. My understanding was that provided the associated login shell is included in /etc/shells (which it is) then SFTP should work under that account ? 

ukxxxxx:/#cat /etc/passwd | grep agritkon

agritkon:*:4001:4001:xxxxxxxxxxxxx,,:/agritkon/./:/usr/bin/false

The SFTP subsystem is setup as follows ...

ukxxxxx:/#cat sshd_config | grep Sub

Subsystem       sftp    /opt/ssh/libexec/sftp-server

I have seen a couple of posts in which they mention that sshd_config should include the following line ?

Subsystem sftp internal-sftp 

but not sure whether that is the correct fix and/or how that fits in with our current configuration of below ?

Subsystem       sftp    /opt/ssh/libexec/sftp-server

[Paolo_c]

I would be grateful for anyones feedback on this as issue remains unresolved