Bitlocker bug

Question

I was verifying my Bitlocker Recovery key today and discovered a bug. Here's what I did:

One way to verify your Recovery Key is to boot into Safe Mode. To do this (from the Windows Desktop), hold down the SHIFT key, click the Windows icon, then power button icon, then Restart.

It will present a blue screen with different options. As you click each item below (Troubleshoot, Advanced Options, etc.), you'll be taken to another blue window). Click through the following options:

Troubleshoot | Advanced Options | Startup Settings

Click the blue Restart button.

The next window gives some info about the need to enter your Bitlocker recovery key. Press the ENTER key. The next screen is where you enter you're recovery key.

As you type each block of 6-digits of your recovery key, Bitlocker will check each block of numbers in real-time. If you enter a block of 6 digits incorrectly, it will display the message "The last 6 digits are incorrect. Please enter them again."

Here's where things get troubling. I found that if I enter ANY number as my very last number of that string, even though it displays the message "The last 6 digits are incorrect. Please enter them again.", if I just press the ENTER key again, I'm taken to the SafeMode menu where you select how you want to enter Safe Mode. After making a selection, it allows you to enter SAFE MODE, EVEN THOUGH THE KEY IS WRONG!

For example, let's say my Recovery Key ends in 185320. If I enter 185321, 185322, 185323 or 185329, it allows me to enter SAFE MODE (even though the key is wrong!). This should not be happening.

Can someone else confirm they can duplicate this?

I'm running Win10 Pro.

Answer 1

I apologize that this did not resolve the issue. I'm running out of ideas regarding this specific issue. Since this is an open forum, let's see if another community member has a better solution to the issue. Kindly allow them time to research and respond accordingly.

Regards,

Nicole

Answer 2

Hello. I can guarantee you this is not MOBO issue. It's a Bitlocker issue because it is accepting any digit as the last digit. My MOBO has nothing to do with this.

Answer 3

You can try to reach out the manufacturer of your motherboard or pc. and see if they have workaround regarding your concern.

Answer 4

I only have one PC at the house running Win10 Pro, so I can't try another PC. That's why I'm hoping others who see this can try and duplicate.

Answer 5

Hi, I’m Nicole, I’ll be happy to help you out today.

Firstly, it's important to note that the behavior you have described is unexpected and may indeed indicate a bug in the Bitlocker system. However, to confirm this, it would be advisable to test this on multiple machines to ensure that it's not a local issue.

Assuming that the behavior is replicable on other machines, it's important to report this issue to Microsoft so that they can investigate and fix the bug. To do this, you can follow the steps below:

Open the Windows Feedback Hub app on your computer.

Click on the "Feedback" button and then select "Problem".

Provide a detailed description of the issue and steps to reproduce it.

You can also include screenshots or videos to help demonstrate the problem.

Make sure to include any relevant information such as the version of Windows 10 you are using, any recent updates or changes made to your system, etc.

Once you have submitted your feedback, Microsoft should review it and provide any necessary updates or fixes. In the meantime, you may want to consider disabling Bitlocker until the issue is resolved to ensure the security of your data.

It's always a good idea to keep your operating system and software up-to-date with the latest security patches and updates to minimize the risk of encountering bugs or vulnerabilities.

Regards