Last updated on NOVEMBER 28, 2016

Applies to:

Symptoms

• ORA-600 [4406] may occur when the default user profile uses a password complexity verification routine to verify password restrictions such as password length etc.
• When executing the Sqlplus PASSWORD command and the specified password conflicts with the rules handled by the password verification routing (eg. the password length is below the expected length) an ORA-600 [4406] may occur.

-- Changing password
SQL> password
Changing password for TEST
Old password:        <-- specify current password
New password:        <-- type in a conflicting password
Retype new password: <-- retype conflicting password

ERROR:
ORA-600: internal error code, arguments: [4406], [0x32E1E574], [0x0],
ORA-28003: password verification for the specified password failed
ORA-20002: Password length less than 8

            
            
            
STACK TRACE: (ORA-600) 
------------ 
ktcrab kpoauth opiodr ttcpip opitsk opiino opiodr opidrv ... 

          
          
          

Changes

Issue occurs when:

• Sqlplus "PASSWORD"  command was executed:

SQL> password 

• A password verification function has been enabled.

SELECT * FROM sys.dba_profiles 
where resource_name='PASSWORD_VERIFY_FUNCTION' 
and limit != 'NULL'; 

PROFILE                 RESOURCE_NAME RESOURCE LIMIT 
--------- --------------------------- -------- --------------- 
DEFAULT      PASSWORD_VERIFY_FUNCTION PASSWORD VERIFY_PWD

• The password verification function uses a COMMIT statement to commit DML such as writing log information into a table. 

Example - Password Verification Function 
---------------------------------------- 
... 
IF LENGTH (PASSWORD) < 8 
THEN 
  INSERT INTO log_password(dt_chgt_pwd,status,v_schema,v_txt) 
  VALUES (SYSDATE, 'ERROR',username, 
  SYS_CONTEXT ('USERENV', 'OS_USER') 
  || ', terminal ' 
  || SYS_CONTEXT ('USERENV', 'TERMINAL') 
  || ', logged on as user: ' 
  || SYS_CONTEXT ('USERENV', 'CURRENT_SCHEMA') 
  .... 
  COMMIT; <== Commit is triggering the issue! 
  ... 

Cause