Filevault2 uses incorrect keyboard layout for initial unlock

Originator:oliver.drobnik
Number:rdar://11738458 Date Originated:June 25th, 2012
Status:Duplicate/10384230 Resolved:
Product:Mac OS X Product Version:10.7.4 (11E53)
Classification:Serious Bug Reproducible:Always
 
Summary:

When starting a 15" MacBook Pro (Mid 2009) that is using Filevault2 full disk encryption the wrong keyboard layout is active for entering the initial boot password when starting the system.

Steps to Reproduce:

- on a Mac with German keyboard set system language to English, keyboard layout to German (matching the HW keyboard)
- enable Filevault2, choose a password that uses keys that are differently positioned on German and English layout. (e.g. Z and Y)
- turn off Mac
- when promoted for the hard disk password try to enter the password as it was entered with OS X running

Expected Results:

- password should be accepted in the keyboard layout used when setting it

Actual Results:

- password is only accepted when entered with English keyboard layout.

Regression:

With Filevault 1 the password was queried later when the German layout was already active.


Notes:

This might lead to customer confusion because it misleads them to thinking that they have set their password incorrectly. Add to this the extremely stressful situation of thinking that you have lost access to all your data.

Most people would not recognize this problem because typically people would have the system language and keyboard layout be the same. But some users (especially developers and in IT) prefer to have their system in English even with a German keyboard. This also means that they will have to know where this certain characters can be found on an English keyboard to be able to successfully authenticate. 

Filefault2 apparently is using the system language layout instead of the actual HW layout or the one that is configured while running OS X.

Comments


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