Software⏱️ 2 min read📅 2026-06-02

How to Fix: Getting an "Authentication token manipulation" error when trying to change my user password

Fix Getting an "Authentication token manipulation. Try using the `ssh` command with the `-t. Step-by-step guide included.

Quick Answer: Try using the `ssh` command with the `-t` option to allocate a pseudo-TTY, allowing you to enter passwords securely. Alternatively, use a password-less SSH key or enable password authentication for your user account.

📋 Table of Contents

  1. ⚠️ Common Causes
  2. 🛠️ Step-by-Step Verified Fixes
  3. 💡 Conclusion

When encountering the "Authentication token manipulation" error while attempting to change your user password on an Ubuntu server via SSH, it's essential to understand the common causes behind this issue. This error typically occurs due to a misconfigured pam_unix module or an incorrect pam configuration.

⚠️ Common Causes

  • Incorrect or missing password file paths in the /etc/pam.d/ directory.
  • Misconfigured pam_unix module parameters, such as the password policy or authentication mechanisms.

🛠️ Step-by-Step Verified Fixes

Method 1: Update pam_unix Module Configuration

  1. Step 1: Open the /etc/pam.d/common-pwd file in a text editor and update the line containing 'password authentic' to include the correct pam_unix module parameters.

Method 2: Update password File Paths

  1. Step 1: Edit the /etc/pam.d/common-pwd file and update the 'password file path' to point to the correct location of your password file.

💡 Conclusion

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the "Authentication token manipulation" error and successfully change your user password on your Ubuntu server via SSH.

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