diff --git a/example/authenticator/pam/.gitignore b/example/authenticator/pam/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f3d6549
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/authenticator/pam/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/build/
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/example/authenticator/pam/CMakeLists.txt b/example/authenticator/pam/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6f46a4b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/authenticator/pam/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.10)
+project(webfuse VERSION 2.0.0)
+
+option(WITHOUT_CLANG_TIDY "Disables clang tidy" OFF)
+
+set (CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17)
+
+find_library(PAM pam REQUIRED)
+find_library(B64 b64 REQUIRED)
+
+add_executable(webfuse_pam_authenticator src/main.cpp)
+target_link_libraries(webfuse_pam_authenticator pam b64)
+install(TARGETS webfuse_pam_authenticator DESTINATION bin)
+install(FILES etc/pam.d/webfuse DESTINATION /etc/pam.d)
+
+add_executable(webfuse_pam_token_encode src/token_encode.cpp)
+target_link_libraries(webfuse_pam_token_encode b64)
+
+add_executable(webfuse_pam_token_decode src/token_decode.cpp)
+target_link_libraries(webfuse_pam_token_decode b64)
+
+if(NOT(WITHOUT_CLANG_TIDY))
+set_property(
+    TARGET webfuse_pam_authenticator webfuse_pam_token_encode webfuse_pam_token_decode
+    PROPERTY CXX_CLANG_TIDY clang-tidy -checks=readability-*,-readability-identifier-length -warnings-as-errors=*)
+endif()
diff --git a/example/authenticator/pam/README.md b/example/authenticator/pam/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b89da3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/authenticator/pam/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+# webfuse PAM authenticator
+
+This directory contains an example of a webfuse authenticator using PAM.
+
+The authenticator uses `username` and `password` for authentication.
+Since webfuse only provides a token, username and password are encoded as follows:
+
+    TOKEN := base64 ( USERNAME ":" PASSWORD )
+
+Example:
+
+    USERNAME := "user"
+    PASSWORD := "secret"
+    TOKEN    := base64 ( "user:secret" ) = "XNlcjpzZWNyZXQ="
+
+The utilities `webfuse_pam_token_encode` and `webfuse_pam_token_decode` can be used
+to encode and decode tokens.
+
+## Build
+
+    cmake -b build
+    cmake build
+
+## Dependencies
+
+- libpam
+- libb64
+
+## Notes
+
+- in order to make the authenticator work, read access to /etc/shadow is needed
diff --git a/example/authenticator/pam/etc/pam.d/webfuse b/example/authenticator/pam/etc/pam.d/webfuse
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..593775d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/authenticator/pam/etc/pam.d/webfuse
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# Use unix authentication for webfuse authentication.
+#
+# NOTE:
+# - in order to use unix authentication, read access to /etc/shadow is required
+
+auth    required    pam_unix.so
+account required    pam_unix.so
diff --git a/example/authenticator/pam/src/main.cpp b/example/authenticator/pam/src/main.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aa9cb60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/authenticator/pam/src/main.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,188 @@
+#include <b64/decode.h>
+#include <security/pam_appl.h>
+#include <syslog.h>
+
+#include <cstdlib>
+#include <cstring>
+
+#include <iostream>
+#include <string>
+#include <sstream>
+
+namespace
+{
+
+bool decode(std::string const & token, std::string & username, std::string & password)
+{
+    std::istringstream encoded(token);
+    std::stringstream decoded;
+
+    base64::decoder decoder;
+    decoder.decode(encoded, decoded);
+    auto const plain = decoded.str();
+    auto const pos = plain.find(':');
+    bool const success = (pos != std::string::npos);
+    if (success)
+    {
+        username = plain.substr(0, pos);
+        password = plain.substr(pos + 1);
+    }
+
+    return success;
+}
+
+struct credentials
+{
+    std::string username;
+    std::string password;
+};
+
+extern "C" int conversation(
+    int count,
+    struct pam_message const ** messages,
+    struct pam_response ** ret_responses,
+    void * user_data)
+{
+    if (count <= 0) { return PAM_CONV_ERR; }
+
+    int result = PAM_SUCCESS;
+    auto * responses = reinterpret_cast<struct pam_response *>(malloc(count * sizeof(struct pam_response)));
+    auto * creds = reinterpret_cast<credentials*>(user_data);
+
+    for(int i = 0; (PAM_SUCCESS == result) && (i < count); i++)
+    {
+        auto * response = &responses[i];
+        auto const * message = messages[i];
+
+        response->resp_retcode = 0;
+        response->resp = nullptr;
+
+        switch(message->msg_style)
+        {
+            case PAM_PROMPT_ECHO_ON:
+                response->resp = strdup(creds->username.c_str());
+                break;
+            case PAM_PROMPT_ECHO_OFF:
+                response->resp = strdup(creds->password.c_str());
+                break;
+            case PAM_TEXT_INFO:
+                break;
+            case PAM_ERROR_MSG:
+                break;
+            default:
+                free(responses);
+                result = PAM_CONV_ERR;
+                break;
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (PAM_SUCCESS == result)
+    {
+        *ret_responses = responses;
+    }
+
+    return result;
+}
+
+bool authenticate(std::string const & username, std::string const & password)
+{
+    credentials creds;
+    creds.username = username;
+    creds.password = password;
+
+    struct pam_conv conv;
+    conv.conv = &conversation;
+    conv.appdata_ptr = reinterpret_cast<void*>(&creds);
+
+    pam_handle_t * handle = nullptr;
+    bool cleanup_handle = false;
+    bool result = true;
+    {
+        auto const rc = pam_start("webfuse", nullptr, &conv, &handle);
+        result = (PAM_SUCCESS == rc);
+        cleanup_handle = result;
+        if (!result)
+        {
+            syslog(LOG_AUTH, "failed to start PAM conversation");
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (result)
+    {
+        pam_set_item(handle, PAM_USER, reinterpret_cast<void const*>(username.c_str()));
+        auto const rc = pam_authenticate(handle, PAM_DISALLOW_NULL_AUTHTOK);
+        result = (PAM_SUCCESS == rc);
+    }
+
+    if (result)
+    {
+        auto const rc = pam_acct_mgmt(handle, PAM_DISALLOW_NULL_AUTHTOK);
+        result = (PAM_SUCCESS == rc);
+    }
+
+    if (cleanup_handle)
+    {
+        pam_end(handle, 0);
+    }
+
+    return result;
+}
+
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char* argv[])
+{
+    int exit_code = EXIT_FAILURE;
+    bool print_usage = true;
+
+    if (argc == 2)
+    {
+        std::string const token = argv[1];
+        if (("-h" != token) && ("--help" != token))
+        {
+            print_usage = false;
+
+            openlog("webfuse_pam_auth", 0, LOG_AUTH);
+
+            std::string username;
+            std::string password;
+            auto const decode_valid = decode(token, username, password);
+            if (decode_valid)
+            {
+                auto const is_authenticated = authenticate(username, password);
+                if (is_authenticated)
+                {
+                    syslog(LOG_AUTH, "authenticate user \"%s\"", username.c_str());
+                    exit_code = EXIT_SUCCESS;
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    syslog(LOG_AUTH, "failed to authenticate user \"%s\"", username.c_str());
+                }
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                syslog(LOG_AUTH, "failed to decode authentication token");
+            }
+
+            closelog();
+        }
+    }
+
+
+    if (print_usage)
+    {
+        std::cout << R"(webfuse_pam_authenticator, (c) 2023 Falk Werner
+webfuse PAM authenticator
+
+Usage:
+    webfuse_pam_authenticator <token>
+
+Arguments:
+    <token> token used for authentication
+            token := base64(<username> ":" <password>)
+)";
+    }
+
+    return exit_code;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/example/authenticator/pam/src/token_decode.cpp b/example/authenticator/pam/src/token_decode.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8fa38df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/authenticator/pam/src/token_decode.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+#include <b64/decode.h>
+
+#include <iostream>
+#include <string>
+#include <sstream>
+
+int main(int argc, char* argv[])
+{
+    int exit_code = EXIT_FAILURE;
+
+    if (argc == 2)
+    {
+        std::istringstream token(argv[1]);
+
+        base64::decoder decoder;
+        std::stringstream plain;
+        decoder.decode(token, plain);
+
+        auto const plain_str = plain.str();
+        auto const pos = plain_str.find(':');
+        if (pos != std::string::npos)
+        {
+            auto const username = plain_str.substr(0, pos);
+            auto const password = plain_str.substr(pos + 1);
+
+            std::cout << "username: " << username << std::endl;
+            std::cout << "password: " << password << std::endl;
+            exit_code = EXIT_SUCCESS;
+        }
+
+        if (exit_code != EXIT_SUCCESS)
+        {
+            std::cerr << "error: failed to decode" << std::endl;
+        }
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        std::cout << R"(webfuse_pam_token_encode, (c) 2023 Falk Werner
+    Encode token for webfuse PAM authenticator
+
+    Usage:
+        webfuse_pam_token_encode <username> <password>
+)";
+    }
+
+    return exit_code;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/example/authenticator/pam/src/token_encode.cpp b/example/authenticator/pam/src/token_encode.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3b930fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/authenticator/pam/src/token_encode.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+#include <b64/encode.h>
+
+#include <iostream>
+#include <string>
+#include <sstream>
+
+int main(int argc, char* argv[])
+{
+    if (argc == 3)
+    {
+        std::string const username = argv[1];
+        std::string const password = argv[2];
+
+        base64::encoder encoder;
+        std::istringstream plain(username + ':' + password);
+        std::stringstream token;
+        encoder.encode(plain, token);
+
+        std::cout << token.str();
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        std::cout << R"(webfuse_pam_token_encode, (c) 2023 Falk Werner
+    Encode token for webfuse PAM authenticator
+
+    Usage:
+        webfuse_pam_token_encode <username> <password>
+)";
+    }
+
+    return EXIT_SUCCESS;
+}
\ No newline at end of file