Connectrix MDS-Series Hardware: Login to switch via device manager fails with authorization error

no changes made at the time the issue was discovered.

Symptom 1: customer is trying to login to switch via device manager and when logging in as admin user, the login fails with "authorization error."

Symptom 2: resetting the snmp account for admin to make sure password is correct for admin snmp account vs admin cli account, made no difference.

 config
snmp-server user admin network-admin auth md5 password priv password

auth type is md5, privacy is default to DES


Symptom 3: "show snmp user"  command shows that snmp privacy is enforced for the user authorization type is md5, and the type of privacy encryption is DES ( default):

AMER-MDS9513-1# show snmp user
______________________________________________________________
                  SNMP USERS
______________________________________________________________

User                Auth  Priv(enforce) Groups
____                ____  _____________ ______

admin              md5   des(yes)       network-admin

Did not select the snmp v3 authorization encryption type that is being enforced for the user/switch. Authorization type was set to MD5, not MD5-DES.

You have several options to resolve.

1. If privacy is enforced for the user or for all snmp users, just choose the correct authorization/enforcement type.  in this case, the user is authorized in MD5 format and the privacy encryption DES type is enforced.  when logging into the switch via Device Manager, choose the option for MD5-DES authorization type.

2. if you want to disable privacy enforcement configured for an snmp user called admin, run the following command:

config
no snmp-server admin enforcePriv

3. if you have privacy enforced globally on the switch for all snmp users, it can be disabled with the following command:

config
no snmp-server globalEnforcePriv

There are multiple authorization and privacy encryption types to choose in the device manager GUI depending on how the security/user is configured. you can confirm auth and privacy requirements for any snmp user by checking show snmp user on the switch.