VMware vSphere – Troubleshoot Exception in invoking authentication handler User password expired

Release date: March 15th 2020

Welcome to my VMware vSphere series. As I was about to log into my VCSA to update this, I got the error below. This was most likely due to the fact that I had forgotten to adjust the password policy after a previous upgrade. As this is a Lab setup, I like to disable password expiration. In a production environment, this would not be advisable.

The first thing I need to do, is to enable SSH access to the VCSA. This will be necessary as I will connect with Putty and change the password later.

I log in to the VCSA console

I enable SSH from the Troubleshooting Mode Options

Next, I use Putty and connect to the VCSA, launch Shell and change the password using the “passwd” command.

I’m now able to log into VAMI and will adjust the Password Expiration settings from the Administration menu

As I mentioned above, disabling the password expiration setting, is not advisable in a production environment, but as this is a lab, it is preferable to do this for me.

I click Edit and disable password expiration.

Disclaimer: Every tips/tricks/posting I have published here, is tried and tested in different it-solutions. It is not guaranteed to work everywhere, but is meant as a tip for other users out there. Remember, Google is your friend and don’t be afraid to steal with pride! Feel free to comment below as needed.