Wrong password works!

[scaryfish]

I've got a fairly large (16 chars) password, and I just recently noticed that I can put in the wrong password and it'll work.

All that matters apparently is the first 8 characters - after that you can type whatever you like (or nothing at all), and it'll accept it as correct.

Does everyone else know this? I realise most people won't have a password that long, but it's interesting to know that there is absolutely no point in having a password greater than 8 chars.

<edit>
Found out that the Keychain does in fact use the full password, but login and anything where you're asked for your "administrator's password" only uses the first 8 chars.
</edit>

=)
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[blb]

The Unix-level passwords (the login ones) are all limited to eight characters. This is a backwards-compatible thing which really should go away; it has to do with the system still using crypt() to protect passwords, from which a number of other *nix are moving away.

[jyu]

Forget where I got this info, but Apple said "... only the first 8 characters ..." count.