Password works uppercase and lowercase

[G S]

When I log in on the console, I can type my password either uppercase or lowercase. I can log in regardless.

$ uname -a
4.15.0-48-generic #51-Ubuntu SMP Wed Apr 3 08:28:49 UTC 2019 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Ubuntu 18.04 patched as of today.

$ sudo cat /etc/shadow | grep $USER
...:$6$...
---
ProblemType: Bug
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.6
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
InstallationDate: Installed on 2019-02-06 (94 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 18.04.1 LTS "Bionic Beaver" - Release amd64 (20180725)
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_modeset nvidia
Package: gdm3 3.28.3-0ubuntu18.04.4
PackageArchitecture: amd64
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.15.0-48.51-generic 4.15.18
Tags: bionic
Uname: Linux 4.15.0-48-generic x86_64
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
UserGroups: adm cdrom dip lpadmin plugdev sambashare sudo
_MarkForUpload: True

[Alex Murray (alexmurray)]

Thanks for reporting this issue but I can't reproduce it - does this only occur for the vt consoles or can you replicate this via SSH login as well? Does this also occur when authenticating to sudo?

[G S (gosmile3)]

Hi Alex, thank you for helping. This only occurs when logging in with GNOME.
I tried:

* `sudo echo` and uppercase does not work.
* CTRL+ALT+F5 (any console) and uppercase does not work.
* Straight GNOME log in: BOTH uppercase and lowercase work.

I don't use SSH servers on my laptop, but I can try if this is useful.

Please let me know how to debug this. I'm more interested in helping, as I'm not worried about anyone brute forcing with physical access my password in half the time ;)

[Alex Murray (alexmurray)]

Ok - can you confirm how you are typing uppercase? Is this with Shift or CapsLock?

[G S (gosmile3)]

Only CapsLock. Both with the laptop's and an external keyboard.

[Alex Murray (alexmurray)]

Ok - can you confirm if the CapsLock key light is on when you use it? Perhaps you have inadvertently disabled CapsLock. Finally, for completeness - can you please test with a completely invalid password as well?

[G S (gosmile3)]

I had already tried (I don't want to waste Ubuntu devs time ;)).

I confirm that with both keyboards, the light is on AND I see next to the password box a "Warning" icon, suggesting CapsLock on.

I confirm wrong passwords do not work.

I can record a video, if absolutely necessary. Looking forward to know how to help further.

[Alex Murray (alexmurray)]

Sure a video recording of the situation couldn't hurt - also are you using gdm as the login manager?

[G S (gosmile3)]

Yes, everything in the graphical interface is default.

Let me update you with this. I was testing a "good way" to record it (i.e. proving it works, but not showing you the whole password + I can't change it as the behaviour could change) and I selected "Show text" to show my password.

Although CapsLock is ON and Ubuntu sees it ("Warning" icon), the password is always lowercase. This explains why it doesn't work with `sudo`, but not why it does not work in a console login.

Any idea? (With a video I would ask you to delete it after having watched it though.)

[Alex Murray (alexmurray)]

No need for a video - to get some additional details to debug this issue could you please run apport-collect 1828116 in a terminal?

[G S (gosmile3)]

Sent it.

[G S (gosmile3)]

apport information

[G S (gosmile3)]

apport information

[G S (gosmile3)]

apport information

[Alex Murray (alexmurray)]

Thanks - given we do not have other reports of this issue I am assuming it could be due to some local configuration change you have made - as such I am hoping to make this bug report public so that our desktop team who handle gdm3 might be able to help further diagnose this issue - do you mind if I make this public?

[G S (gosmile3)]

Sure. I doubt it's a configuration change I made, as I have touched the gui so little, but anything could be.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

The login GUI is provided by gnome-shell so adding a gnome-shell task.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Do you get the issue in the lock screen as well on only on the boot greeter?

Could you try adding another user to the system and see if it has the same bug?

[G S (gosmile3)]

> Do you get the issue in the lock screen as well on only on the boot greeter?
Yes

> Could you try adding another user to the system and see if it has the same bug?

Here are my steps:
1. Add a new user with a password made of lowercase, numbers and a % sign
1. Lock the screen
1. "Login as another user"
1. Use the lowercase password
1. Logged in
1. Lock the screen
1. Use the same password, with capslock on
1. Logged in

To be clear, it works when:
* There is an external keyboard connected to the laptop and I use the external keyboard
* There is an external keyboard connected to the laptop and I use the internal keyboard
* There is no external keyboard connected to the laptop and I use the internal keyboard

If you have any pointers, I'm happy to help by providing logs and looking at/building some code. I won't touch any config until we sort this out

[G S (gosmile3)]

I keep fully updating with `apt`; you can assume I'm running the latest official stable releases

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

Does it happen with simple password? like if you "sudo passwd <user>" and set "one" does it log in using "ONE"?
Can you also add the journalctl log after getting the issue and the output of "dpkg -l | grep pam"

[G S (gosmile3)]

If it's too short, I'll paste the full log.

> Does it happen with simple password? like if you "sudo passwd <user>" and set "one" does it log in using "ONE"?

Yes

> "dpkg -l | grep pam"

ii libpam-cap:amd64 1:2.25-1.2 amd64 POSIX 1003.1e capabilities (PAM module)
ii libpam-gnome-keyring:amd64 3.28.0.2-1ubuntu1.18.04.1 amd64 PAM module to unlock the GNOME keyring upon login
ii libpam-modules:amd64 1.1.8-3.6ubuntu2.18.04.1 amd64 Pluggable Authentication Modules for PAM
ii libpam-modules-bin 1.1.8-3.6ubuntu2.18.04.1 amd64 Pluggable Authentication Modules for PAM - helper binaries
ii libpam-runtime 1.1.8-3.6ubuntu2.18.04.1 all Runtime support for the PAM library
ii libpam-systemd:amd64 237-3ubuntu10.21 amd64 system and service manager - PAM module
ii libpam0g:amd64 1.1.8-3.6ubuntu2.18.04.1 amd64 Pluggable Authentication Modules library
ii thunderbird 1:60.6.1+build2-0ubuntu0.18.04.1 amd64 Email, RSS and newsgroup client with integrated spam filter

[Seth Arnold (seth-arnold)]

It's almost certainly unrelated to your report, but check out these errors in your logs:

May 16 08:16:11 hostname /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1820]: /usr/bin/prime-supported: 38: /usr/bin/prime-supported: cannot create /var/log/prime-supported.log: Permission denied
May 16 08:16:11 hostname /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-x-session[1820]: /sbin/prime-offload: 30: /sbin/prime-offload: cannot create /var/log/prime-offload.log: Permission denied

These may be indicative of further problems elsewhere in your video drivers.

Thanks

[G S (gosmile3)]

How can they be related to this issue though? I would look for keyboard issues more than video drivers. Could these errors be happening because I have another monitor connected? I will try again without another monitor connected.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for gnome-shell (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for gdm3 (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]