Error
Error Code:
2061
MySQL Error 2061: Authentication Plugin Failure
Description
This error indicates that the authentication plugin configured for a user or the MySQL server encountered an internal issue during the authentication process. It means the mechanism responsible for verifying credentials reported an error, rather than simply rejecting a password.
Error Message
Authentication plugin '%s' reported error: %s
Known Causes
4 known causesMisconfigured Authentication Plugin
The authentication plugin specified for the user or server may be incorrectly configured, pointing to a non-existent file, or having invalid parameters.
Plugin Not Found or Unavailable
The required authentication plugin module (.so or .dll file) might be missing from the plugin directory, not loaded by the server, or corrupted.
External Service Authentication Failure
If the authentication plugin relies on an external service (e.g., LDAP, Kerberos, PAM), that service may be unavailable, misconfigured, or experiencing an internal error.
Client-Server Plugin Mismatch
The client might be attempting to use an authentication plugin that is not supported or configured on the MySQL server, leading to a reported error by the server's plugin.
Solutions
3 solutions available1. Verify and Re-set User Authentication Plugin medium
This is the most common cause: the authentication plugin specified for the user doesn't match what the client expects or is configured for.
1
Connect to your MySQL server as a user with sufficient privileges (e.g., root).
2
Check the current authentication plugin for the problematic user.
SELECT user, host, plugin FROM mysql.user WHERE user = 'your_username';
-- Replace 'your_username' with the actual username causing the error.3
If the plugin is incorrect or outdated (e.g., 'mysql_native_password' is often problematic with newer clients), re-set it. For modern MySQL versions (8.0+), 'caching_sha2_password' is the default and recommended. For older versions or specific client compatibility, 'mysql_native_password' might be necessary.
ALTER USER 'your_username'@'your_host' IDENTIFIED WITH caching_sha2_password BY 'your_password';
-- OR for older compatibility:
-- ALTER USER 'your_username'@'your_host' IDENTIFIED WITH mysql_native_password BY 'your_password';
-- Replace 'your_username', 'your_host', and 'your_password' accordingly. If you don't know 'your_host', use '%' for any host or specify the IP/hostname. Use 'FLUSH PRIVILEGES;' if changes don't take effect immediately.4
Attempt to connect again with the client using the updated credentials and plugin.
2. Ensure Client Compatibility with Server Plugin medium
Older MySQL clients might not support newer authentication plugins like 'caching_sha2_password'.
1
Identify the authentication plugin used by the MySQL server for the user (as shown in Solution 1).
2
If the server is using 'caching_sha2_password' and your client is old, you have two options: either upgrade your client or downgrade the server's authentication plugin for that user.
3
To downgrade the plugin (if necessary and acceptable for security), run the following SQL command on the server:
ALTER USER 'your_username'@'your_host' IDENTIFIED WITH mysql_native_password BY 'your_password';
-- Replace 'your_username', 'your_host', and 'your_password'.4
Alternatively, try connecting with a newer MySQL client application or library that explicitly supports 'caching_sha2_password'.
3. Check MySQL Server Configuration for Default Plugin easy
The `default_authentication_plugin` server variable dictates the default plugin for new users.
1
Connect to your MySQL server as a privileged user.
2
Check the current default authentication plugin setting.
SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'default_authentication_plugin';3
If this variable is set to a plugin that your clients don't support or is causing issues, you might consider changing it. However, changing this affects new user creations, so it's often better to adjust individual user plugins as in Solution 1.
SET GLOBAL default_authentication_plugin = 'caching_sha2_password'; -- Or 'mysql_native_password'
-- Note: This change requires a server restart to apply to new connections if not already dynamic. It's usually safer to alter individual users.