Updated to reflect changes introduced with 10.13.4. Update to 10.13.4 if needed before attempting to make SecureToken-related changes.
sysadminctl is a tool Apple introduced in 10.10 for working with system user accounts. In 10.13, sysadminctl is Apple's recommended tool for working with user accounts in the CLI, replacing functionality that has long been provided by dscl and adds new features available only in 10.13. sysadminctl can be used to change user passwords, create new users or check the status of a new-to-10.13 security feature named SecureToken.
SecureToken is a non-visible APFS file system attribute, unlike the SIP protected flag or file creation date, that triggers the creation of a new AuthenticationAuthority entry in a user's local account record (e.g. sudo dscl . -read /Users/[user name] AuthenticationAuthority). SecureToken is not publicly documented by Apple so it is not possible to provide a full technical description, but in practice one needs only to know if a user has SecureToken or not. Having SecureToken set signifies that a user can unlock a FileVault-encrypted container on an APFS-formatted volume. Without the SecureToken bit on a user account, that user will not be able to authenticate at the FileVault pre-OS login screen.
The SecureToken attribute should be automatically granted:
- To the first user created by SetupAssistant on a new machine/fresh OS install
- For a user created by the MDM createuser command for machines enrolled in DEP
- For existing FileVault users on a machine that has been upgraded to 10.13
- To directory users on a properly bound machine
Users created in the GUI via System Preferences > Accounts should be automatically granted SecureToken but users created via the CLI (dscl, sysadminctl or via policy from the JSS) do not automatically get SecureToken. For all CLI-created users you need to explicitly grant them SecureToken using an admin account that itself has SecureToken.
On machines with FileVault enabled, it is imperative that any user using the machine have SecureToken set or else they will not be able to unlock the encrypted drive.
Check a User's SecureToken Status
sudo sysadminctl -secureTokenStatus [user being checked]
Grant SecureToken to a User v1 (must be done on the machine in a GUI login)
The admin user running this command must have SecureToken themselves. Granting SecureToken is a chain-of-trust process.
sudo sysadminctl interactive -secureTokenOn [user being granted SecureToken] -password -
When prompted, authenticate as the admin running the command and then provide the user's password.
Grant SecureToken to a User v2
sudo sysadminctl -adminUser [admin user] -adminPassword [admin's password] -secureTokenOn [user being granted SecureToken] -password [password of user being granted SecureToken]
or
sudo sysadminctl -adminUser [admin user] -adminPassword - -secureTokenOn [user being granted SecureToken] -password -
This second version will prompt you, at the CLI, to first enter the admin user's password and then the user's password.
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