diff -up Linux-PAM-1.0.4/modules/pam_unix/pam_unix_passwd.c.safeguards Linux-PAM-1.0.4/modules/pam_unix/pam_unix_passwd.c
--- Linux-PAM-1.0.4/modules/pam_unix/pam_unix_passwd.c.safeguards	2009-03-17 11:25:11.000000000 +0100
+++ Linux-PAM-1.0.4/modules/pam_unix/pam_unix_passwd.c	2009-03-26 10:29:32.000000000 +0100
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ static int _unix_run_update_binary(pam_h
     const char *fromwhat, const char *towhat, int remember)
 {
     int retval, child, fds[2];
-    void (*sighandler)(int) = NULL;
+    struct sigaction newsa, oldsa;
 
     D(("called."));
     /* create a pipe for the password */
@@ -157,13 +157,15 @@ static int _unix_run_update_binary(pam_h
 	 * The "noreap" module argument is provided so that the admin can
 	 * override this behavior.
 	 */
-	sighandler = signal(SIGCHLD, SIG_DFL);
+        memset(&newsa, '\0', sizeof(newsa));
+        newsa.sa_handler = SIG_DFL;
+        sigaction(SIGCHLD, &newsa, &oldsa);
     }
 
     /* fork */
     child = fork();
     if (child == 0) {
-        size_t i=0;
+        int i=0;
         struct rlimit rlim;
 	static char *envp[] = { NULL };
 	char *args[] = { NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL };
@@ -171,15 +173,18 @@ static int _unix_run_update_binary(pam_h
 
 	/* XXX - should really tidy up PAM here too */
 
-	close(0); close(1);
 	/* reopen stdin as pipe */
-	close(fds[1]);
 	dup2(fds[0], STDIN_FILENO);
+	/* and replace also the stdout/err as the helper will
+           not write anything there */
+	dup2(fds[1], STDOUT_FILENO);
+	dup2(fds[1], STDERR_FILENO);
 
 	if (getrlimit(RLIMIT_NOFILE,&rlim)==0) {
-	  for (i=2; i < rlim.rlim_max; i++) {
-	    if ((unsigned int)fds[0] != i)
-	  	   close(i);
+	  if (rlim.rlim_max >= MAX_FD_NO)
+	    rlim.rlim_max = MAX_FD_NO;
+	  for (i = STDERR_FILENO + 1; i < (int)rlim.rlim_max; i++) {
+	    close(i);
 	  }
 	}
 
@@ -239,8 +244,8 @@ static int _unix_run_update_binary(pam_h
 	retval = PAM_AUTH_ERR;
     }
 
-    if (sighandler != SIG_ERR) {
-        (void) signal(SIGCHLD, sighandler);   /* restore old signal handler */
+    if (off(UNIX_NOREAP, ctrl)) {
+        sigaction(SIGCHLD, &oldsa, NULL);   /* restore old signal handler */
     }
 
     return retval;
diff -up Linux-PAM-1.0.4/modules/pam_unix/support.c.safeguards Linux-PAM-1.0.4/modules/pam_unix/support.c
--- Linux-PAM-1.0.4/modules/pam_unix/support.c.safeguards	2009-03-17 11:25:11.000000000 +0100
+++ Linux-PAM-1.0.4/modules/pam_unix/support.c	2009-03-26 10:29:54.000000000 +0100
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ static int _unix_run_helper_binary(pam_h
 				   unsigned int ctrl, const char *user)
 {
     int retval, child, fds[2];
-    void (*sighandler)(int) = NULL;
+    struct sigaction newsa, oldsa;
 
     D(("called."));
     /* create a pipe for the password */
@@ -414,7 +414,9 @@ static int _unix_run_helper_binary(pam_h
 	 * The "noreap" module argument is provided so that the admin can
 	 * override this behavior.
 	 */
-	sighandler = signal(SIGCHLD, SIG_DFL);
+        memset(&newsa, '\0', sizeof(newsa));
+	newsa.sa_handler = SIG_DFL;
+	sigaction(SIGCHLD, &newsa, &oldsa);
     }
 
     /* fork */
@@ -427,15 +429,18 @@ static int _unix_run_helper_binary(pam_h
 
 	/* XXX - should really tidy up PAM here too */
 
-	close(0); close(1);
 	/* reopen stdin as pipe */
-	close(fds[1]);
 	dup2(fds[0], STDIN_FILENO);
+	/* and replace also the stdout/err as the helper will
+           not write anything there */
+	dup2(fds[1], STDOUT_FILENO);
+	dup2(fds[1], STDERR_FILENO);
 
 	if (getrlimit(RLIMIT_NOFILE,&rlim)==0) {
-	  for (i=2; i < (int)rlim.rlim_max; i++) {
-		if (fds[0] != i)
-	  	   close(i);
+          if (rlim.rlim_max >= MAX_FD_NO)
+                rlim.rlim_max = MAX_FD_NO;
+	  for (i = STDERR_FILENO + 1; i < (int)rlim.rlim_max; i++) {
+	  	close(i);
 	  }
 	}
 
@@ -488,8 +493,8 @@ static int _unix_run_helper_binary(pam_h
 	retval = PAM_AUTH_ERR;
     }
 
-    if (sighandler != SIG_ERR) {
-        (void) signal(SIGCHLD, sighandler);   /* restore old signal handler */
+    if (off(UNIX_NOREAP, ctrl)) {
+        sigaction(SIGCHLD, &oldsa, NULL);   /* restore old signal handler */
     }
 
     D(("returning %d", retval));
diff -up Linux-PAM-1.0.4/modules/pam_unix/pam_unix_acct.c.safeguards Linux-PAM-1.0.4/modules/pam_unix/pam_unix_acct.c
--- Linux-PAM-1.0.4/modules/pam_unix/pam_unix_acct.c.safeguards	2009-03-03 10:00:31.000000000 +0100
+++ Linux-PAM-1.0.4/modules/pam_unix/pam_unix_acct.c	2009-03-26 10:29:17.000000000 +0100
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ int _unix_run_verify_binary(pam_handle_t
 	const char *user, int *daysleft)
 {
   int retval=0, child, fds[2];
-  void (*sighandler)(int) = NULL;
+  struct sigaction newsa, oldsa;
   D(("running verify_binary"));
 
   /* create a pipe for the messages */
@@ -85,29 +85,33 @@ int _unix_run_verify_binary(pam_handle_t
      * The "noreap" module argument is provided so that the admin can
      * override this behavior.
      */
-    sighandler = signal(SIGCHLD, SIG_DFL);
+     memset(&newsa, '\0', sizeof(newsa));
+     newsa.sa_handler = SIG_DFL;
+     sigaction(SIGCHLD, &newsa, &oldsa);
   }
 
   /* fork */
   child = fork();
   if (child == 0) {
-    size_t i=0;
+    int i=0;
     struct rlimit rlim;
     static char *envp[] = { NULL };
     char *args[] = { NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL };
 
-    close(0); close(1);
-    /* reopen stdin as pipe */
-    close(fds[0]);
+    /* reopen stdout as pipe */
     dup2(fds[1], STDOUT_FILENO);
+    /* and replace also the stdin, stderr so we do not exec the helper with
+       tty as stdin, it will not read anything from there anyway */
+    dup2(fds[0], STDIN_FILENO);
+    dup2(fds[1], STDERR_FILENO);
 
     /* XXX - should really tidy up PAM here too */
 
     if (getrlimit(RLIMIT_NOFILE,&rlim)==0) {
-      for (i=2; i < rlim.rlim_max; i++) {
-	if ((unsigned int)fds[1] != i) {
-	  close(i);
-	}
+      if (rlim.rlim_max >= MAX_FD_NO)
+        rlim.rlim_max = MAX_FD_NO;
+      for (i = STDERR_FILENO + 1; i < (int)rlim.rlim_max; i++) {
+	close(i);
       }
     }
 
@@ -126,7 +130,6 @@ int _unix_run_verify_binary(pam_handle_t
 
     pam_syslog(pamh, LOG_ERR, "helper binary execve failed: %m");
     /* should not get here: exit with error */
-    close (fds[1]);
     D(("helper binary is not available"));
     printf("-1\n");
     exit(PAM_AUTHINFO_UNAVAIL);
@@ -162,9 +165,11 @@ int _unix_run_verify_binary(pam_handle_t
     }
     close(fds[0]);
   }
-  if (sighandler != SIG_ERR) {
-    (void) signal(SIGCHLD, sighandler);   /* restore old signal handler */
+
+  if (off(UNIX_NOREAP, ctrl)) {
+        sigaction(SIGCHLD, &oldsa, NULL);   /* restore old signal handler */
   }
+
   D(("Returning %d",retval));
   return retval;
 }
diff -up Linux-PAM-1.0.4/modules/pam_unix/passverify.c.safeguards Linux-PAM-1.0.4/modules/pam_unix/passverify.c
--- Linux-PAM-1.0.4/modules/pam_unix/passverify.c.safeguards	2009-03-02 16:02:22.000000000 +0100
+++ Linux-PAM-1.0.4/modules/pam_unix/passverify.c	2009-03-17 11:25:11.000000000 +0100
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ verify_pwd_hash(const char *p, char *has
 		p = NULL;		/* no longer needed here */
 
 		/* the moment of truth -- do we agree with the password? */
-		D(("comparing state of pp[%s] and salt[%s]", pp, salt));
+		D(("comparing state of pp[%s] and hash[%s]", pp, hash));
 
 		if (pp && strcmp(pp, hash) == 0) {
 			retval = PAM_SUCCESS;
@@ -675,8 +675,13 @@ save_old_password(const char *forwho, co
 	}
     }
 
+    if (fflush(pwfile) || fsync(fileno(pwfile))) {
+	D(("fflush or fsync error writing entries to old passwords file: %m"));
+	err = 1;
+    }
+    
     if (fclose(pwfile)) {
-	D(("error writing entries to old passwords file: %m"));
+	D(("fclose error writing entries to old passwords file: %m"));
 	err = 1;
     }
 
@@ -795,8 +800,13 @@ unix_update_passwd(pam_handle_t *pamh, c
     }
     fclose(opwfile);
 
+    if (fflush(pwfile) || fsync(fileno(pwfile))) {
+	D(("fflush or fsync error writing entries to password file: %m"));
+	err = 1;
+    }
+    
     if (fclose(pwfile)) {
-	D(("error writing entries to password file: %m"));
+	D(("fclose error writing entries to password file: %m"));
 	err = 1;
     }
 
@@ -925,8 +935,13 @@ unix_update_shadow(pam_handle_t *pamh, c
     }
     fclose(opwfile);
 
+    if (fflush(pwfile) || fsync(fileno(pwfile))) {
+	D(("fflush or fsync error writing entries to shadow file: %m"));
+	err = 1;
+    }
+    
     if (fclose(pwfile)) {
-	D(("error writing entries to shadow file: %m"));
+	D(("fclose error writing entries to shadow file: %m"));
 	err = 1;
     }
 
@@ -1007,8 +1022,12 @@ su_sighandler(int sig)
 {
 #ifndef SA_RESETHAND
         /* emulate the behaviour of the SA_RESETHAND flag */
-        if ( sig == SIGILL || sig == SIGTRAP || sig == SIGBUS || sig = SIGSERV )
-                signal(sig, SIG_DFL);
+        if ( sig == SIGILL || sig == SIGTRAP || sig == SIGBUS || sig = SIGSERV ) {
+		struct sigaction sa;
+		memset(&sa, '\0, sizeof(sa));
+		sa.sa_handler = SIG_DFL;
+                sigaction(sig, &sa, NULL);
+	}
 #endif
         if (sig > 0) {
                 _exit(sig);
diff -up Linux-PAM-1.0.4/modules/pam_unix/support.h.safeguards Linux-PAM-1.0.4/modules/pam_unix/support.h
--- Linux-PAM-1.0.4/modules/pam_unix/support.h.safeguards	2008-01-23 16:35:13.000000000 +0100
+++ Linux-PAM-1.0.4/modules/pam_unix/support.h	2009-03-17 11:25:11.000000000 +0100
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ static const UNIX_Ctrls unix_args[UNIX_C
 
 #define UNIX_DEFAULTS  (unix_args[UNIX__NONULL].flag)
 
+#define MAX_FD_NO 2000000
 
 /* use this to free strings. ESPECIALLY password strings */