Nginx Proxy Manager: Recovering A Lost CLI Password

Nov 17, 2025 by Alex Johnson 52 views

Have you ever locked yourself out of your Nginx Proxy Manager (NPM) command-line interface (CLI)? It happens to the best of us! You're cruising along, managing your reverse proxies, and suddenly you realize you can't remember your CLI password. Don't panic! This guide will walk you through the steps to regain access, especially if you can still access the web GUI.

Understanding the Issue

Losing access to your CLI can be a major headache, especially when you need to perform updates, troubleshoot issues, or make configuration changes directly from the command line. In the context of Nginx Proxy Manager (NPM), it's not uncommon to manage the system via both the web GUI and the CLI. However, the credentials might not always be in sync, leading to situations where your web GUI login works perfectly, but the CLI access is blocked due to a forgotten password.

Nginx Proxy Manager (NPM) is designed to simplify the management of Nginx reverse proxies. It offers a user-friendly web interface and a CLI for different levels of access and management. When you encounter a situation where you've lost your CLI user password but still have access to the web GUI, it indicates that the authentication mechanisms for these two interfaces might be distinct or that the CLI user's credentials have been altered separately.

The frustration is understandable; after spending considerable time setting up and configuring your NPM instance, being locked out of a critical component like the CLI can feel like a significant setback. This situation is further compounded when you've made updates or changes over a year and suddenly need CLI access for maintenance or troubleshooting. It's a scenario many administrators face, and fortunately, there are straightforward ways to resolve it. The key is to identify the correct method to reset or recover your CLI password without disrupting your existing web GUI access or the functionality of your reverse proxies. This guide will help you navigate these steps efficiently and get you back to managing your NPM instance with full access.

Prerequisites

Before diving into the recovery process, ensure you have the following:

Access to the Nginx Proxy Manager web GUI: Since you mentioned that you can still log in to the web GUI, this is a crucial advantage. It allows us to perform certain actions that can help reset the CLI password.
Root or administrative access to the server: You'll need the ability to execute commands with elevated privileges on the server where NPM is running. This is necessary to modify user accounts or reset passwords.
Basic familiarity with the command line: While the goal is to recover your CLI access, you'll still need to use the command line to execute the necessary commands. If you're not comfortable, consider having a colleague or someone familiar with the command line assist you.

Steps to Recover Your CLI Password

Here’s a detailed, step-by-step guide to help you recover your lost CLI password for Nginx Proxy Manager.

Step 1: Access the Server

First, you need to access the server where your Nginx Proxy Manager (NPM) instance is running. Since you mentioned that NPM is running in an LXC container on Proxmox, you'll need to access the Proxmox host and then enter the LXC container.

SSH into your Proxmox host:
```
ssh user@your_proxmox_ip
```
Replace user with your Proxmox username and your_proxmox_ip with the IP address of your Proxmox host.
Enter the LXC container:

Once you're logged into the Proxmox host, you can enter the LXC container using the pct enter command followed by the container ID.
```
pct enter your_container_id
```
Replace your_container_id with the ID of your LXC container where NPM is installed. If you don't know the container ID, you can list all containers with pct list.

Step 2: Identify the CLI User

Before resetting the password, it’s crucial to identify the correct user account used for CLI access. By default, NPM might use a specific user account or rely on the system's user accounts. Here are a few common scenarios and how to address them:

Default NPM User:
- NPM might have a default user specifically created for CLI access during installation. Common usernames could be npm, nginx, or a similar variation. To check for such users, you can list all users on the system using the getent passwd command. This command displays all user accounts and their details.
```
getent passwd
```
- Look for any usernames that seem related to NPM or Nginx. If you find one, note it down, as this is likely the user account for which you need to reset the password.
System User Account:
- NPM might be configured to use a standard system user account for CLI access. This could be a user account you created when setting up the server. If you're unsure, think back to the initial setup and any user accounts you might have configured.
- You can also check the /etc/passwd file for a list of user accounts. This file contains essential information about each user, including their username, user ID, group ID, home directory, and login shell. Use the cat command to view the contents of the file.
```
cat /etc/passwd
```
- Examine the list and identify the user account that you believe is used for CLI access to NPM.
Checking NPM Configuration Files:
- In some cases, NPM might store user account information in its configuration files. These files are typically located in the NPM installation directory or in a configuration directory such as /etc/nginx-proxy-manager/ or /opt/nginx-proxy-manager/. Navigate to these directories and look for any files that might contain user account details.
```
cd /etc/nginx-proxy-manager/
ls -l
```
  or
```
cd /opt/nginx-proxy-manager/
ls -l
```
- Open any relevant configuration files using a text editor like nano or vim and search for usernames or user-related settings.
```
nano your_config_file.conf
```
- Look for entries that define the CLI user or any authentication-related parameters.

By identifying the correct CLI user, you ensure that you're resetting the password for the right account, preventing any disruption to other system users or services.

Step 3: Reset the CLI User Password

Once you've identified the CLI user, you can reset the password using the passwd command. This command allows you to change the password for any user account on the system, provided you have the necessary permissions.

Use the passwd command:
- Open your terminal and enter the following command, replacing your_cli_user with the actual username you identified in the previous step:
```
sudo passwd your_cli_user
```
- The sudo command ensures that you have the necessary privileges to modify the password for the specified user. You may be prompted to enter your own password to confirm the elevated privileges.
Enter the new password:
- After entering the passwd command, you will be prompted to enter the new password for the CLI user. Type in the new password and press Enter.
```
Enter new password: 
```
- For security reasons, the password you type will not be displayed on the screen. This is a standard security measure to prevent others from seeing your password.
Retype the new password:
- Next, you will be asked to retype the new password to confirm that you entered it correctly. This step helps prevent accidental typos and ensures that the password is set as intended.
```
Retype new password: 
```
- Enter the same password again and press Enter. If the passwords match, the password will be successfully updated.
Success message:
- If the password reset is successful, you will see a message indicating that the password has been updated. The exact message may vary depending on the system configuration, but it typically looks something like this:
```
passwd: password updated successfully
```
- This message confirms that the password for the CLI user has been successfully reset.
Handling errors:
- If you encounter an error during the password reset process, such as an incorrect password or insufficient permissions, the system will display an error message. Read the message carefully to understand the issue and take corrective action.
- For example, if you see an error message like passwd: Authentication token manipulation error, it could indicate that there is an issue with the PAM (Pluggable Authentication Modules) configuration. In this case, you may need to consult your system administrator or refer to the system documentation for troubleshooting steps.

Step 4: Test the CLI Access

After resetting the password, it's essential to verify that you can successfully log in to the CLI using the new credentials. This ensures that the password reset was successful and that you can access the command-line interface without any issues.

Open a new terminal or SSH session:
- To test the CLI access, open a new terminal window or start a new SSH session to your server. This ensures that you're starting with a fresh connection and that any previous authentication sessions don't interfere with the test.
Attempt to log in using the CLI user:
- Use the su command followed by the CLI username to switch to the CLI user account. This command allows you to assume the identity of another user on the system.
```
su - your_cli_user
```
- Replace your_cli_user with the actual username you identified in the previous steps.
Enter the new password:
- When prompted, enter the new password you set in Step 3. Type the password carefully and press Enter.
Verify successful login:
- If the login is successful, the command prompt will change to reflect the CLI user's account. This indicates that you have successfully authenticated and can now execute commands as the CLI user.
- You can verify the current user by running the whoami command, which will display the username of the currently logged-in user.
```
whoami
```
- The output should display the CLI username, confirming that you are logged in as the correct user.
Handling login failures:
- If the login fails, double-check that you entered the correct username and password. Passwords are case-sensitive, so ensure that you're using the correct capitalization.
- If you're sure that you entered the correct credentials, there might be an issue with the authentication configuration. Check the system logs for any error messages related to authentication failures. These logs can provide valuable clues about the cause of the problem.
- Common log files to check include /var/log/auth.log and /var/log/syslog. You can use the tail command to view the latest entries in these files.
```
tail -f /var/log/auth.log
```
  or
```
tail -f /var/log/syslog
```
- Look for any error messages related to authentication failures or password mismatches. These messages can help you diagnose the issue and take corrective action.

Additional Tips and Considerations

Web GUI Credentials: As you mentioned that the web GUI is still accessible, consider if the CLI uses the same authentication backend. Some systems allow you to manage users and passwords centrally. If that's the case, investigate if you can reset the CLI password via the web GUI.
Key-Based Authentication: For enhanced security, consider setting up key-based authentication for your CLI user. This involves generating an SSH key pair and adding the public key to the user's ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file. This eliminates the need to enter a password each time you log in, making the process more secure and convenient.
Regular Backups: Regularly back up your Nginx Proxy Manager configuration and data. This ensures that you can quickly restore your setup in case of any issues, including lost passwords or system failures.
Documentation: Keep detailed documentation of your Nginx Proxy Manager setup, including usernames, passwords, and any custom configurations. This can save you time and effort in the event of a problem.

Conclusion

Regaining access to your Nginx Proxy Manager CLI after losing your password doesn't have to be a daunting task. By following these steps, you can quickly reset your password and get back to managing your reverse proxies. Remember to keep your credentials secure and consider implementing key-based authentication for enhanced security. This comprehensive guide ensures that you are well-equipped to handle any password-related issues and maintain seamless access to your Nginx Proxy Manager instance. Always remember to document your credentials and configurations to avoid future lockouts. And for more information on Nginx Proxy Manager, visit the official Nginx website.