14.7. Repairing Changed UID and GID Numbers

When a user logs into an IdM system or service, SSSD on that system caches their user name together with the UID and GID of the user. SSSD then uses the UID as the identifying key for the user. If a user with the same user name but a different UID attempts to log into the system, SSSD registers two different UIDs and assumes that there are two different users with conflicting user names. This can pose a problem if a UID of a user changes. In such a situation, SSSD incorrectly interprets the user with a modified UID as a new user, instead of recognizing that it as the same user with a different UID. If the UID of an existing user changes, the user cannot log into SSSD and associated services and domains. This also affects client applications that use SSSD for identity information.

To work around this problem, if a UID or GID changes, clear the SSSD cache, which ensures that the user is able to log in again. For example, to clear the SSSD cache for a specified user, use the sss_cache utility as follows:

[root@server ~]# sss_cache -u user