Re: Upgrading from 2.4.2 to 2.4.3 broke static password login

Make sure you have

import_environment { USER_PASSWORD = %{env:USER_PASSWORD} }

somewhere in the config. This was moved to auth.conf recently in the docker image.

Aki

 On 27/04/2026 19:57 EEST harrison--- via dovecot
 <[1]dovecot@dovecot.org> wrote:


 Hey folks,

 I've got dovecot running via docker on version 2.4.2. Here's what my
 config extension looks like:

 ```
 # auth_mechanisms = plain login
 auth_verbose = yes

 passdb static {
 password = %{env:USER_PASSWORD}
 }

 service lmtp {
 inet_listener lmtps {
 port = 31024
 ssl = no
 }
 }

 ssl_server_cert_file = /etc/dovecot/ssl/cert.pem
 ssl_server_key_file = /etc/dovecot/ssl/key.pem
 ssl = yes
 auth_allow_cleartext = no

 namespace inbox {
 type = private
 separator = /
 inbox = yes

 mailbox Drafts {
 special_use = \Drafts
 auto = subscribe
 }

 mailbox Junk {
 special_use = \Junk
 auto = create
 }

 mailbox spam {
 special_use = \Junk
 auto = no
 }

 mailbox Spam {
 special_use = \Junk
 auto = no
 }

 mailbox Trash {
 special_use = \Trash
 auto = subscribe
 }

 mailbox TRASH {
 special_use = \Trash
 auto = no
 }

 mailbox Sent {
 special_use = \Sent
 auto = subscribe
 }

 mailbox "Sent Mail" {
 special_use = \Sent
 auto = no
 }

 mailbox "Sent Messages" {
 special_use = \Sent
 auto = no
 }

 mailbox Archive {
 special_use = \Archive
 auto = create
 }

 mailbox "Archives" {
 special_use = \Archive
 auto = no
 }
 }
 ```

 I have env `USER_PASSWORD` defined in the format of `{PLAIN}REDACTED`

 This has been humming along fine for a little while. I recently
 automatically upgraded to 2.4.3 which broke my ability to login via IMAP
 to retrieve emails (it also broke my local mail transport setup; it was
 unable to send emails). I could see the following messages in the logs:

 ```
 Apr 27 11:12:09 auth(REDACTED,REDACTED,sasl:plain)<REDACTED>: Info:
 static: No password returned (and no nopassword)
 Apr 27 11:12:11 imap-login: Info: Login aborted: Connection closed (auth
 failed, 1 attempts in 6 secs) (auth_failed): user=<REDACTED>,
 method=PLAIN, rip=REDACTED, lip=172.17.0.2, TLS, session=<REDACTED>
 ```

 Downgrading back to 2.4.2 "fixed" the problem (I was able to login
 again; LMTP worked again). I didn't change my config extension between
 the upgrades.

 I tried searching
 [2]https://github.com/search?q=repo%3Adovecot%2Fcore+password&type=issues
 and I see a few related to passwords but nothing is really jumping out
 at me.

 Help? I'm staying pinned on 2.4.2 for now but that's not a long term
 solution.
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