Plesk – Retrieve Email Account Password Information
Introduction
Plesk stores email account information within its internal database. In certain administrative scenarios, server administrators may need to review email account records associated with a domain for troubleshooting, migration, or account management purposes.
This article explains how to access the Plesk database and retrieve email account authentication information associated with a specific domain. It also provides an alternative method for Linux-based Plesk servers to view authentication-related information for a specific mailbox.
Important: Depending on the Plesk version and mail server configuration, passwords may be stored as encrypted or hashed values rather than plaintext passwords. In such cases, the original password cannot be recovered and must be reset instead.
Prerequisites
Before proceeding, ensure the following requirements are met:
Access Requirements
- Administrator access to the Plesk server.
- Root access for Linux servers or Administrator access for Windows servers.
- Access to the Plesk database credentials.
Server Requirements
- Plesk installed and functioning correctly.
- MySQL/MariaDB service running.
- Access to the
psadatabase.
Knowledge Requirements
- Basic familiarity with MySQL commands.
- Knowledge of the target domain name and email account.
Security Considerations
- Email authentication data is sensitive information.
- Only authorized administrators should perform these actions.
- Avoid sharing password hashes or authentication details with unauthorized users.
- Consider resetting passwords instead of attempting to retrieve authentication information.
- Ensure compliance with your organization’s security policies and data protection requirements.
Conclusion
By accessing the Plesk psa database, administrators can review email account records associated with a domain and obtain available authentication information for troubleshooting and administrative purposes. On Linux-based servers, the mail_auth_view utility may provide a simpler method for inspecting mailbox authentication data.
Because modern Plesk installations typically store passwords in hashed form, recovering the original password is often not possible. If mailbox access is required and the password is unknown, resetting the password through the Plesk interface is the recommended and most secure approach.
Always handle email authentication information carefully and ensure that access is limited to authorized personnel only.
