ExtendedFormAuthenticate class that overrides CakePhp's FormAuthenticate class

ExtendedFormAuthenticate.php

<?php

App::uses('FormAuthenticate', 'Controller/Component/Auth');

class ExtendedFormAuthenticate extends FormAuthenticate
{
  public function authenicate(CakeRequest $request, CakeResponse $response) {
    $userModel = $this->settings['userModel'];
    list($plugin, $model) = pluginSplit($userModel);
    $fields = $this->settings['fields'];
    if (empty($request->data[$model])) {
    	return false;
    }
    if (
    	empty($request->data[$model][$fields['username']]) ||
    	empty($request->data[$model][$fields['password']])
    ) {
    	return false;
    }
    return $this->_findUser(
    	$request->data[$model][$fields['username']],
    	$request->data[$model][$fields['password']]
    );
  }

  protected function _findUser($username, $password)
  {
    $userModel = $this->settings['userModel'];
    list($plugin, $model) = pluginSplit($userModel);
    $fields = $this->settings['fields'];
    $conditions = array(
      $model . '.' . $fields['username'] => $username,
      $model . '.' . $fields['password'] => $this->_password($password),
    );
    if (!empty($this->settings['scope'])) {
      $conditions = array_merge($conditions, $this->settings['scope']);
    }
    $result = ClassRegistry::init($userModel)->find('first', array(
      'conditions' => $conditions,
      'recursive' => -1
    ));
    if (empty($result) || empty($result[$model])) {
      return false;
    }
    unset($result[$model][$fields['password']]);
    return $result[$model];
  }
}

?>