Unable to connect SQL express DB instance via jdbc when database password contains back slash

Question

I am trying to connect to SQL express DB instance via jdbc. DB password is "Passw0rd\".

Here is the code I am using:

String url ="jdbc:sqlserver://hostname:2638;instanceName=SQLEXPRESSSYMC;integratedSecurity=false;encrypt=true;trustServerCertificate=true";  
String password = "Passw0rd\\";  
try  
{  
    System.out.println("url:" +url );  
    System.out.println("Password:"+password);  
    Connection conn = DriverManager.getConnection(url , "DBA", password);  
    System.out.println("connected");  

}  
catch (Exception e)  
{  
    e.printStackTrace();  
}   

I get following exception:

com.microsoft.sqlserver.jdbc.SQLServerException: Login failed for user 'DBA'. ClientConnectionId:3be3d544-73d3-4710-aa4e-dfe78b6dcbb1
com.microsoft.sqlserver.jdbc.SQLServerException.makeFromDatabaseError(SQLServerException.java:262),
com.microsoft.sqlserver.jdbc.TDSTokenHandler.onEOF(tdsparser.java:283),
com.microsoft.sqlserver.jdbc.TDSParser.parse(tdsparser.java:129),
com.microsoft.sqlserver.jdbc.TDSParser.parse(tdsparser.java:37),
com.microsoft.sqlserver.jdbc.SQLServerConnection.sendLogon(SQLServerConnection.java:5233),
com.microsoft.sqlserver.jdbc.SQLServerConnection.logon(SQLServerConnection.java:3988),
com.microsoft.sqlserver.jdbc.SQLServerConnection$LogonCommand.doExecute(SQLServerConnection.java:3932),
com.microsoft.sqlserver.jdbc.TDSCommand.execute(IOBuffer.java:7375),
com.microsoft.sqlserver.jdbc.SQLServerConnection.executeCommand(SQLServerConnection.java:3206),
com.microsoft.sqlserver.jdbc.SQLServerConnection.connectHelper(SQLServerConnection.java:2713),
com.microsoft.sqlserver.jdbc.SQLServerConnection.login(SQLServerConnection.java:2362),
com.microsoft.sqlserver.jdbc.SQLServerConnection.connectInternal(SQLServerConnection.java:2213),
com.microsoft.sqlserver.jdbc.SQLServerConnection.connect(SQLServerConnection.java:1276),
com.microsoft.sqlserver.jdbc.SQLServerDriver.connect(SQLServerDriver.java:861),
java.sql/java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(DriverManager.java:677),
java.sql/java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(DriverManager.java:228)

If I set DB password which uses back slash character but not as an end character then it works. e.g
String password = "Passw0rd\a";

Please let me know how to resolve this?

Answer 1

Hi @Shekar ,

Some special character like bask slash, can be used as escape characters, this need to be validated in case it is interpreted as an escape character, so when using it, it often leads to errors, it needs to ensure that they are validated as string literals and not escape characters, for simple, it is recommended not to use bask slash

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Answer 2

It's known that some special characters in passwords or more precise in the complete connection string for data provider like ODBC or JDBC causes issues or failures.
See for example
https://community.microstrategy.com/s/article/Special-character-restrictions-of-username-and-password-in-ODBC-connection-for-Diamond-and-Platinum-gateways-new?language=en_US
https://github.com/prisma/prisma/issues/11276
https://www.oradba.ch/wordpress/2014/06/oracle-passwords-and-special-characters/

Please let me know how to resolve this?

By changing the password to an other strong one; one without backslash.