Unlock vCenter Server localos user account

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

• You are unable to login vCenter Server Appliance Management Interface with error "Exception in invoking authentication handler User account locked"
• The local account of the vCenter Server Appliance is locked.
  
  

This KB provides the way to unlock vCenter Server Appliance local account.

Note: For root Resetting the root password in vCenter Server Appliance

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 8.x
VMware vCenter Server 7.x

Cause

With the default setting, Local users will be locked out after three incorrect password attempts.

Resolution

Process to unlock local user in vCenter Server Appliance(VCSA):

1. Log in to the VC via SSH or console with root and access the shell

2. check the number of failures with the following command:

pam_tally2 --user=local_user_name

-> If the number of failures is not 0, reset it with:

pam_tally2 --user=local_user_name --reset

3. Run 2. again and verify that Failures is 0.

4. Confirm that you can log in to the management interface (VAMI) using local_user_name.

Notes: For 8.0U2 or later, use "/usr/sbin/faillock" instead of "pam_tally2"

Additional Information

Note: For root Resetting the root password in vCenter Server Appliance