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BMC Password Reset Guide

How to reset the baseboard-management-controller password on the BMC variants used in the node fleet — ASUS, Gigabyte, Dell iDRAC9, and Supermicro.

·May 4, 2026·3 min read

The baseboard management controller (BMC) is the out-of-band management interface on every node machine. Use this runbook when you need to reset the BMC password — for example, after staff turnover, or as part of bringing a returned RMA chassis back into service.

[!WARNING] The BMC sits beneath the operating system and has full power-cycle and KVM authority over the node. Treat the BMC password with at least the same care as a root credential. Set it to a strong, unique value and never reuse it across nodes.

Before you start

You will need an interactive way to reach the BMC:

  • A crash cart physically attached to the node, or
  • A KVM session, or
  • The BMC's own web interface, reached over its management network.

Reset the password from one of those sessions, not from the host operating system on the node itself.

ASUS — ASMB10-iKVM

  1. Sign in to the BMC web interface.
  2. Navigate to Maintenance → System Administrator.
  3. Use the reset password control to set a new password.

Gigabyte — MegaRAC SP-X

  1. Sign in to the BMC web interface.
  2. Navigate to Maintenance → System Administrator.
  3. Use the reset password control to set a new password.

Dell — iDRAC9

  1. Sign in to iDRAC.
  2. Navigate to iDRAC Settings → Users → Local Users.
  3. Select your user account and choose Edit.
  4. Use the reset password control to set a new password.

Supermicro

  1. Sign in to the BMC web interface.
  2. Navigate to Configuration → Users.
  3. Select your user account and choose Modify User.
  4. Use the reset password control to set a new password.

Choosing a strong password

[!TIP] Generate the new password with a password manager rather than typing one. The BMC will accept any value you give it; the security comes from your choice.

Follow the guidance in Decentralization and Security for password strength and storage. Record the new password in your provider's credentials vault before you log out — losing the BMC password locks you out of the node's out-of-band interface.

After resetting

  • Verify the new password by logging out and signing in again.
  • If the BMC supports it, rotate any session tokens or API keys derived from the previous password.
  • If the node is part of a fleet rotation, repeat the procedure for every BMC affected by the same exposure.

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