After updating system to latest samba-client package in Red Hat Enterprise Linux, mount.cifs returns Error 13 when used with credential file option.

Solution Verified - Updated -

Environment

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.8 with samba-client 3.0.33-0.18.el4_8.
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.4 with samba-client-3.0.33-3.15.el5_4.
  • Correct password in credential file, with trailing newline after password.

Issue

  • After updating system to the latest Samba package samba-client 3.0.33-0.18.el4_8 (in RHEL 4 ) and samba-client-3.0.33-3.15.el5_4 ( in RHEL 5) the mount.cifs command with credential file option throw following error :
# mount -v -t cifs  //server/sharename /mnt/ -o credentials=/etc/credentials
mount error 13 = Permission denied
Refer to the mount.cifs(8) manual page (e.g.man mount.cifs
  • Same command will work if credentials file option is not used for example :
mount -v -t cifs  //server/sharename /mnt/ -o username=testuser,password=testpassword

Resolution

Root Cause

Diagnostic Steps

  • Attempt to mount using credentials file with trailing newline:
# cat /etc/credentials 
username=username
password=password
# mount -v -t cifs  //server/sharename /mnt/ -o credentials=/etc/credentials
mount error 13 = Permission denied
Refer to the mount.cifs(8) manual page (e.g.man mount.cifs

  • Workaround is to remove trailing newline after password:

  • Create Credential file as follows and mount command will work :

# cat /etc/credentials 
username=username
password=password#
  • Or create a credential file without newline character at the end of the line:
# printf "username=user1\npassword=secret" > /cred_file  (this will create a file without a new line character after password)
# mount.cifs //server1.example.com/test /mnt -o credentials=/cred_file
  • Another workaround is to add the "null" character at end of lines. The following should work with both smbclient and mount.cifs
printf "username=user1\0\ndomain=test.com\0\npassword=secret\0\n" > /cred_file
# mount.cifs //server1.example.com/test /mnt -o credentials=/cred_file

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