Resetting the [email protected] password for VMware Cloud Foundation Services Runtime

Products

• VCF Automation
• VCF Operations

Issue/Introduction

• You are unable to login to use the [email protected] API account used for interacting with various components in running in a Services Runtime platform.
• Password reset procedure for [email protected] API account for VCF Services Runtime 9.1 is not functioning via the Fleet Management UI/API.

Environment

• VCF Management Services 9.1.0
• VCF Services Runtime 9.1.0

Resolution

Note: The below process should only be followed when you are unable to manage the [email protected] password via the Fleet Management UI/API. If the password is known and you simply wish to reset, see Update Passwords for VMware Cloud Foundation Components.

1. Identify and Connect to a VCF services runtime control plane node virtual machine.
   
   • Establish an SSH Connection to a VCF Services Runtime Instance.
   • If you have forgotten the vmware-system-user password, please see Resetting the vmware-system-user password for VMware Cloud Foundation Services Runtime.
2. Take a backup of the secret:
   
   • kubectl get secret vsp-admin-secret -n vmsp-platform -o yaml > vsp-admin-secret.yaml.back
3. Generate password that met the criteria if vsp-admin password 
   

   Password Requirements

   • Minimum length: 15
   • Maximum length: 64
   • At least
   • 1 lowercase letter
   • 1 uppercase letter
   • 1 number
   • 1 of the following special characters: @ # $ ^ * !
   • Must NOT include
   • dictionary word
   • palindrome
   • more than four monotonic character sequences
   • three of the same consecutive character
4. Update the cluster password with a temporary password:
   
   • export NEW_PASSWORD='<complex_password_from_point_3>'
   • hash=$(echo ${NEW_PASSWORD} | vmsp passwd --password-stdin | tr -d "\n" | base64 -w0)

When the password meets the criteria you should see a response like:
2026/06/23 10:03:07 /opt/vsp/password-policy.json not exist
2026/06/23 10:03:07 validating password against local pwquality.conf

• • kubectl patch secret vsp-admin-secret -n vmsp-platform -p "{\"data\":{\"password\":\"${hash}\"}}"

                                   When the commands succeed, you will see a message:
                                   secret/vsp-admin-secret patched

Additional Information

• Resetting Passwords for VMware Cloud Foundation Services Runtime