cvs: fails to perform authentification, due to PAM breakage

Originally reported using reportbug. Filing by proxy.

Original report follows:

From: Samium Gromoff <email address hidden>
To: Ubuntu Bug Tracking System <email address hidden>
Subject: cvs: fails to perform authentification, due to PAM breakage
Date: Mon, 02 Oct 2006 22:28:52 +0400
X-Mailer: reportbug 3.21.2ubuntu1

Package: cvs
Version: 1:1.12.13-3
Severity: grave
Justification: renders package unusable

here is what it boils down to:

deepfire@betelheise:~/exports/asdf$ export CVSROOT=:pserver:<email address hidden>:/project/slime/cvsroot
deepfire@betelheise:~/exports/asdf$ cvs co slime
PAM start error: Critical error - immediate abort
Fatal error, aborting.
cvs [checkout aborted]: unrecognized auth response from common-lisp.net:
pam failed to release authenticator

-- System Information:
Debian Release: testing/unstable
  APT prefers edgy
  APT policy: (500, 'edgy')
Architecture: i386 (i686)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/bash
Kernel: Linux 2.6.14.2-betelheise
Locale: LANG=C, LC_CTYPE=C (charmap=ANSI_X3.4-1968)

Versions of packages cvs depends on:
ii debconf [debconf-2.0] 1.5.2ubuntu2 Debian configuration management sy
ii libc6 2.4-1ubuntu10 GNU C Library: Shared libraries
ii libpam-runtime 0.79-3.1ubuntu1 Runtime support for the PAM librar
ii libpam0g 0.79-3.1ubuntu1 Pluggable Authentication Modules l
ii zlib1g 1:1.2.3-13ubuntu1 compression library - runtime

Versions of packages cvs recommends:
ii emacs-multi-tty [info- 0.2004.580-1 The GNU Emacs editor
ii emacs21 [info-browser] 21.4a-6ubuntu2 The GNU Emacs editor
ii info [info-browser] 4.8.dfsg.1-1 Standalone GNU Info documentation
ii konqueror [info-browse 4:3.5.4-0ubuntu28 KDE's advanced file manager, web b
ii netbase 4.25ubuntu2 Basic TCP/IP networking system

-- debconf information:
  cvs/rotatekeep: 7
  cvs/badrepositories: create
  cvs/rotatekeep_nondefault: no
  cvs/rotate_individual: true
  cvs/pserver_repos_individual: true
  cvs/pserver_setspawnlimit: false
  cvs/rotatekeep_individual: 7
  cvs/pserver_repos: all
  cvs/pserver: false
  cvs/cvs_conf_is_dead:
  cvs/repositories: /var/lib/cvs
  cvs/pserver_spawnlimit: 400
  cvs/rotatehistory: no