# Reset Authenticator Password

This procedure describes what to do when a user loses their password and can not reset it with a superuser role.
If a node has maintenance socket available, there is no node or cluster downtime required.
If a node does not have maintenance socket available, node has to be restarted with maintenance socket enabled, but no cluster downtime is required.

## Prerequisites

Enable maintenance socket on the node. If already done, skip to the `Procedure` section.
To check if the maintenance socket is enabled, see [Admin Tools: Maintenance Socket](https://docs.scylladb.com/manual/master/operating-scylla/admin-tools/maintenance-socket.md) for details.

1. Stop the ScyllaDB node.

```shell
sudo systemctl stop scylla-server
```

1. Edit `/etc/scylla/scylla.yaml` file and configure the maintenance socket.
   See [Admin Tools: Maintenance Socket](https://docs.scylladb.com/manual/master/operating-scylla/admin-tools/maintenance-socket.md) for details.
2. Start the ScyllaDB node.

```shell
sudo systemctl start scylla-server
```

## Procedure

1. Connect to the node using `cqlsh` over the maintenance socket.

```shell
cqlsh <maintenance_socket_path>
```

Replace `<maintenance_socket_path>` with the socket path configured in `scylla.yaml`.

1. Reset the password for the user using `ALTER ROLE` command.

```cql
ALTER ROLE username WITH PASSWORD '<new_password>';
```

1. Verify that you can log in to your node using `cqlsh` command with the new password.

```shell
cqlsh -u username
Password:
```

#### NOTE
Enter the value of <new_password> password when prompted. The input is not displayed.

[Troubleshoot](https://docs.scylladb.com/manual/master/troubleshooting/index.md)