Yes, exec bit is set and script also tested directly in console. How does your cmd option lines look like in the config-file? Now I start to suspect that not even the default cmd line "logger..." is running. I don't see the message in syslog it should create.
Enabled debug in config-file and restored the original cmds: Feb 25 11:00:46 debiansdk sshd[9115]: Invalid user test from 10.0.1.104 port 62729 Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: /etc/security/pam_abl.conf: host_purge=1d Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: /etc/security/pam_abl.conf: user_purge=1d Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: /etc/security/pam_abl.conf: limits=100-300 Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: /etc/security/pam_abl.conf: user_db=/var/lib/abl/users.db Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: /etc/security/pam_abl.conf: host_db=/var/lib/abl/hosts.db Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: /etc/security/pam_abl.conf: user_whitelist= Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: /etc/security/pam_abl.conf: host_whitelist=localhost Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: /etc/security/pam_abl.conf: db_home=/var/lib/abl Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: debug = 1 Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: db_home = /var/lib/abl Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: host_db = /var/lib/abl/hosts.db Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: host_rule = */sshd:3/5h Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: host_purge = 86400 Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: host_block_cmd = [logger] [block] [host] [%h] Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: host_clear_cmd = [logger] [clear] [host] [%h] Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: user_db = /var/lib/abl/users.db Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: user_rule = */sshd:2/1h Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: user_purge = 86400 Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: user_block_cmd = [logger] [block] [user] [%u] Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: user_clear_cmd = [logger] [clear] [user] [%u] Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: lower limit = 100 Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: upper limit = 300 Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: str[0x5590bde918d0] = db_home=/var/lib/abl Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: str[0x5590bde918a0] = host_whitelist=localhost Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: str[0x5590bde91880] = user_whitelist= Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: str[0x5590bde91850] = host_db=/var/lib/abl/hosts.db Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: str[0x5590bde91820] = user_db=/var/lib/abl/users.db Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: str[0x5590bde91800] = limits=100-300 Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: str[0x5590bde917e0] = user_purge=1d Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: str[0x5590bde917c0] = host_purge=1d Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: str[0x5590bde81ad0] = debug Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: str[0x5590bde91780] = user_block_cmd=[logger] [block] [user] [%u] Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: str[0x5590bde91740] = user_clear_cmd=[logger] [clear] [user] [%u] Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: str[0x5590bde91700] = host_block_cmd=[logger] [block] [host] [%h] Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: str[0x5590bde916c0] = host_clear_cmd=[logger] [clear] [host] [%h] Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: str[0x5590bde7d770] = host_rule=*/sshd:3/5h Feb 25 11:00:47 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: str[0x5590bde7e1b0] = user_rule=*/sshd:2/1h Feb 25 11:00:48 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: state opened Feb 25 11:00:48 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: state opened Feb 25 11:00:48 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: Check 10.0.1.104/sshd against */sshd:3/5h(1) Feb 25 11:00:48 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: Name part matches, **rp = '/' Feb 25 11:00:48 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: match('sshd', 'sshd:3/5h', 4) Feb 25 11:00:48 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: Match! Feb 25 11:00:48 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: Name matched, next char is ':' Feb 25 11:00:48 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: matchperiod(0x5590bde95b20, 1, '3/5h') Feb 25 11:00:48 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: count is 3, **rp='/' Feb 25 11:00:48 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: period is 18000, **rp='#000' Feb 25 11:00:48 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: Checking 3/18000 Feb 25 11:00:48 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: howmany(18000) = 1 Feb 25 11:00:48 debiansdk sshd[9115]: pam_unix(sshd:auth): check pass; user unknown Feb 25 11:00:48 debiansdk sshd[9115]: pam_unix(sshd:auth): authentication failure; logname= uid=0 euid=0 tty=ssh ruser= rhost=10.0.1.104 Feb 25 11:00:50 debiansdk sshd[9115]: Failed password for invalid user test from 10.0.1.104 port 62729 ssh2 Feb 25 11:00:53 debiansdk sshd[9115]: Connection closed by invalid user test 10.0.1.104 port 62729 [preauth] Feb 25 11:00:53 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: In cleanup, err is 00000007 Feb 25 11:00:53 debiansdk pam-abl[9115]: record returned 0 I wonder what this cleanup error means: " pam-abl[9115]: In cleanup, err is 00000007"