[BUG]: Cannot connect to Raspberry via SSH using password

[IgnacioMGarrido]

What happened?

Description

Whenever I flash an image to my microSD, I encounter the same issue:

• I set up a user and password.
• I configure Wi-Fi SSID and Wi-Fi password.
• I enable SSH access with user and password authentication.

When I insert the microSD into my Raspberry Pi and try to connect via SSH, it prompts for the password, but the password I type is rejected as incorrect.

Additionally, when I retry flashing the image again and revisit the OS customization screen, the password field displays a value much longer than the one I originally typed.

This happens in the latest release 1.9.6, and I also reproduced it when building from source on the qml branch (the most active one).

Steps to Reproduce

1. Open Raspberry Pi Imager.
2. Flash an OS image to a microSD card.
3. In OS customization:

• Set username and password.
• Configure Wi-Fi SSID and password.
• Enable SSH with user/password authentication.
• Boot the Raspberry Pi with the flashed microSD.

4. Attempt to connect via SSH using the configured user and password.

Expected Behavior

The SSH login should succeed with the user and password defined during OS customization.

Actual Behavior

• SSH login fails, reporting incorrect password.
• The password shown in the OS customization dialog on subsequent flashes appears much longer than the password originally entered.

Environment

Raspberry Pi Imager 1.9.6
Also tested with latest build from source (qml branch)
Host OS: macOS (Apple Silicon)
Target: Raspberry Pi 3

Notes

• The password length mismatch suggests it may not be stored or encoded correctly.
• Could be an issue with how customization settings are written back into the image.

Version

1.9.6 (Default)

What host operating system were you using?

macOS

Host OS Version

Sequoia 15.7

Selected OS

Raspberry Pi OS Bookworm

Which Raspberry Pi Device are you using?

Raspberry Pi 3B, 3A+, 3B+, and Compute Module 3, 3+

What kind of storage device are you using?

microSD Card in an internal reader

OS Customisation

• Yes, I was using OS Customisation when the bug occurred.

Relevant log output

[hieubnt235]

I have the same problem, it's annoying, after google and search around issues, I see a lot of people have the same issue, but the maintainer just seem like "don't care" and said that it's because of users.