[Bug]: LDAP `"Bind failed: 8: Strong(er) authentication required"` on v31->v32

⚠️ Before submitting, please verify the following: ⚠️

• This is a bug, not a question or a configuration issue.
• This issue is not already reported on Github (I've searched it).
• Nextcloud Server and Desktop Client are up to date. See Server Maintenance and Release Schedule and Desktop Releases for supported versions.
• I agree to follow Nextcloud's Code of Conduct

Bug description

AlmaLinux release 10.1 (Heliotrope Lion)
Apache/2.4.63
PHP 8.4.18
11.4.10-MariaDB

Hello
I migrated from version 31.0.3 to 32.0.6 and I'm getting LDAP errors.
...

Steps to reproduce

sudo -u apache php -f /var/www/html/nextcloud/occ update:check
sudo -u apache php /var/www/html/nextcloud/occ maintenance:mode --on
sudo -u apache php /var/www/html/nextcloud/updater/updater.phar
sudo -u apache php /var/www/html/nextcloud/occ maintenance:mode --off
...

Expected behavior

To be able to connect via LDAP

Which files are affected by this bug

vv

Operating system

Linux

Which version of the operating system you are running.

AlmaLinux release 10.1 (Heliotrope Lion)

Package

Other

Nextcloud Server version

32.0.6

Nextcloud Desktop Client version

v

Is this bug present after an update or on a fresh install?

Updated from a minor version (ex. 3.16.1 to 3.16.2)

Are you using the Nextcloud Server Encryption module?

Encryption is Disabled

Are you using an external user-backend?

• Default internal user-backend
• LDAP/ Active Directory
• SSO - SAML
• Other

Nextcloud Server logs

[adminlocal@srv-nextcloud nextcloud]$ sudo tail -f /datas/nextcloud/nextcloud.log
{"reqId":"BA0c2YVXaNm5ZIRdqINf","level":2,"time":"2026-02-16T07:55:02+00:00","remoteAddr":"","user":"--","app":"user_ldap","method":"","url":"--","scriptName":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/cron.php","message":"Bind failed: 8: Strong(er) authentication required","userAgent":"--","version":"32.0.6.1","occ_command":["/var/www/html/nextcloud/cron.php"],"data":{"app":"user_ldap"}}
{"reqId":"BA0c2YVXaNm5ZIRdqINf","level":3,"time":"2026-02-16T07:55:02+00:00","remoteAddr":"","user":"--","app":"user_ldap","method":"","url":"--","scriptName":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/cron.php","message":"No LDAP Connection to server ldap://srv-ad2.ad.test.fr","userAgent":"--","version":"32.0.6.1","occ_command":["/var/www/html/nextcloud/cron.php"],"data":{"app":"user_ldap"}}
{"reqId":"BA0c2YVXaNm5ZIRdqINf","level":3,"time":"2026-02-16T07:55:02+00:00","remoteAddr":"","user":"--","app":"core","method":"","url":"--","scriptName":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/cron.php","message":"Error while running background job OCA\\User_LDAP\\Jobs\\CleanUp (id: 96302, arguments: null)","userAgent":"--","version":"32.0.6.1","occ_command":["/var/www/html/nextcloud/cron.php"],"exception":{"Exception":"OC\\ServerNotAvailableException","Message":"Connection to LDAP server could not be established","Code":0,"Trace":[{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/user_ldap/lib/Access.php","line":189,"function":"getConnectionResource","class":"OCA\\User_LDAP\\Connection","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/user_ldap/lib/User_LDAP.php","line":286,"function":"readAttribute","class":"OCA\\User_LDAP\\Access","type":"->"},{"function":"userExistsOnLDAP","class":"OCA\\User_LDAP\\User_LDAP","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/user_ldap/lib/User_Proxy.php","line":67,"function":"call_user_func_array"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/user_ldap/lib/Proxy.php","line":153,"function":"walkBackends","class":"OCA\\User_LDAP\\User_Proxy","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/user_ldap/lib/User_Proxy.php","line":203,"function":"handleRequest","class":"OCA\\User_LDAP\\Proxy","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/user_ldap/lib/Jobs/CleanUp.php","line":161,"function":"userExistsOnLDAP","class":"OCA\\User_LDAP\\User_Proxy","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/user_ldap/lib/Jobs/CleanUp.php","line":152,"function":"checkUser","class":"OCA\\User_LDAP\\Jobs\\CleanUp","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/user_ldap/lib/Jobs/CleanUp.php","line":112,"function":"checkUsers","class":"OCA\\User_LDAP\\Jobs\\CleanUp","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/lib/public/BackgroundJob/Job.php","line":61,"function":"run","class":"OCA\\User_LDAP\\Jobs\\CleanUp","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/lib/public/BackgroundJob/TimedJob.php","line":97,"function":"start","class":"OCP\\BackgroundJob\\Job","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/lib/public/BackgroundJob/TimedJob.php","line":84,"function":"start","class":"OCP\\BackgroundJob\\TimedJob","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/cron.php","line":175,"function":"execute","class":"OCP\\BackgroundJob\\TimedJob","type":"->"}],"File":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/user_ldap/lib/Connection.php","Line":249,"message":"Error while running background job OCA\\User_LDAP\\Jobs\\CleanUp (id: 96302, arguments: null)","exception":{},"CustomMessage":"Error while running background job OCA\\User_LDAP\\Jobs\\CleanUp (id: 96302, arguments: null)"}}
{"reqId":"BA0c2YVXaNm5ZIRdqINf","level":2,"time":"2026-02-16T07:55:02+00:00","remoteAddr":"","user":"--","app":"PHP","method":"","url":"--","scriptName":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/cron.php","message":"ldap_search(): Search: Operations error at /var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/user_ldap/lib/LDAP.php#285","userAgent":"--","version":"32.0.6.1","occ_command":["/var/www/html/nextcloud/cron.php"],"data":{"app":"PHP"}}
{"reqId":"BA0c2YVXaNm5ZIRdqINf","level":3,"time":"2026-02-16T07:55:02+00:00","remoteAddr":"","user":"--","app":"support","method":"","url":"--","scriptName":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/cron.php","message":"LDAP Operations error","userAgent":"--","version":"32.0.6.1","occ_command":["/var/www/html/nextcloud/cron.php"],"exception":{"Exception":"Exception","Message":"LDAP Operations error","Code":1,"Trace":[{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/user_ldap/lib/LDAP.php","line":405,"function":"processLDAPError","class":"OCA\\User_LDAP\\LDAP","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/user_ldap/lib/LDAP.php","line":287,"function":"postFunctionCall","class":"OCA\\User_LDAP\\LDAP","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/user_ldap/lib/LDAP.php","line":193,"function":"invokeLDAPMethod","class":"OCA\\User_LDAP\\LDAP","type":"->","args":["*** sensitive parameters replaced ***"]},{"function":"search","class":"OCA\\User_LDAP\\LDAP","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/user_ldap/lib/Access.php","line":1073,"function":"call_user_func_array"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/user_ldap/lib/Access.php","line":1076,"function":"{closure:OCA\\User_LDAP\\Access::invokeLDAPMethod():1072}","class":"OCA\\User_LDAP\\Access","type":"->","args":["*** sensitive parameters replaced ***"]},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/user_ldap/lib/Access.php","line":1128,"function":"invokeLDAPMethod","class":"OCA\\User_LDAP\\Access","type":"->","args":["*** sensitive parameters replaced ***"]},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/user_ldap/lib/Access.php","line":1228,"function":"executeSearch","class":"OCA\\User_LDAP\\Access","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/user_ldap/lib/Access.php","line":998,"function":"count","class":"OCA\\User_LDAP\\Access","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/user_ldap/lib/User_LDAP.php","line":553,"function":"countUsers","class":"OCA\\User_LDAP\\Access","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/user_ldap/lib/User_Proxy.php","line":344,"function":"countUsers","class":"OCA\\User_LDAP\\User_LDAP","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/support/lib/Service/SubscriptionService.php","line":82,"function":"countUsers","class":"OCA\\User_LDAP\\User_Proxy","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/support/lib/Service/SubscriptionService.php","line":236,"function":"getUserCount","class":"OCA\\Support\\Service\\SubscriptionService","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/support/lib/Service/SubscriptionService.php","line":302,"function":"getSubscriptionInfo","class":"OCA\\Support\\Service\\SubscriptionService","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/support/lib/BackgroundJobs/CheckSubscription.php","line":33,"function":"checkSubscription","class":"OCA\\Support\\Service\\SubscriptionService","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/lib/public/BackgroundJob/Job.php","line":61,"function":"run","class":"OCA\\Support\\BackgroundJobs\\CheckSubscription","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/lib/public/BackgroundJob/TimedJob.php","line":97,"function":"start","class":"OCP\\BackgroundJob\\Job","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/lib/public/BackgroundJob/TimedJob.php","line":84,"function":"start","class":"OCP\\BackgroundJob\\TimedJob","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/cron.php","line":175,"function":"execute","class":"OCP\\BackgroundJob\\TimedJob","type":"->"}],"File":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/user_ldap/lib/LDAP.php","Line":373,"message":"LDAP Operations error","exception":{},"CustomMessage":"LDAP Operations error"}}
{"reqId":"BA0c2YVXaNm5ZIRdqINf","level":2,"time":"2026-02-16T07:55:02+00:00","remoteAddr":"","user":"--","app":"support","method":"","url":"--","scriptName":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/cron.php","message":"Can not determine user count for OCA\\User_LDAP\\User_Proxy","userAgent":"--","version":"32.0.6.1","occ_command":["/var/www/html/nextcloud/cron.php"],"data":{"app":"support"}}
{"reqId":"NI59k6TYT9421rkqMDlR","level":2,"time":"2026-02-16T08:05:02+00:00","remoteAddr":"","user":"--","app":"user_ldap","method":"","url":"--","scriptName":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/cron.php","message":"Bind failed: 8: Strong(er) authentication required","userAgent":"--","version":"32.0.6.1","occ_command":["/var/www/html/nextcloud/cron.php"],"data":{"app":"user_ldap"}}
{"reqId":"NI59k6TYT9421rkqMDlR","level":3,"time":"2026-02-16T08:05:02+00:00","remoteAddr":"","user":"--","app":"user_ldap","method":"","url":"--","scriptName":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/cron.php","message":"No LDAP Connection to server ldap://srv-ad2.ad.test.fr","userAgent":"--","version":"32.0.6.1","occ_command":["/var/www/html/nextcloud/cron.php"],"data":{"app":"user_ldap"}}
{"reqId":"NI59k6TYT9421rkqMDlR","level":3,"time":"2026-02-16T08:05:02+00:00","remoteAddr":"","user":"--","app":"support","method":"","url":"--","scriptName":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/cron.php","message":"Connection to LDAP server could not be established","userAgent":"--","version":"32.0.6.1","occ_command":["/var/www/html/nextcloud/cron.php"],"exception":{"Exception":"OC\\ServerNotAvailableException","Message":"Connection to LDAP server could not be established","Code":0,"Trace":[{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/user_ldap/lib/Access.php","line":1224,"function":"getConnectionResource","class":"OCA\\User_LDAP\\Connection","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/user_ldap/lib/Access.php","line":998,"function":"count","class":"OCA\\User_LDAP\\Access","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/user_ldap/lib/User_LDAP.php","line":553,"function":"countUsers","class":"OCA\\User_LDAP\\Access","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/user_ldap/lib/User_Proxy.php","line":344,"function":"countUsers","class":"OCA\\User_LDAP\\User_LDAP","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/support/lib/Service/SubscriptionService.php","line":82,"function":"countUsers","class":"OCA\\User_LDAP\\User_Proxy","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/support/lib/Service/SubscriptionService.php","line":236,"function":"getUserCount","class":"OCA\\Support\\Service\\SubscriptionService","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/support/lib/Service/SubscriptionService.php","line":302,"function":"getSubscriptionInfo","class":"OCA\\Support\\Service\\SubscriptionService","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/support/lib/BackgroundJobs/CheckSubscription.php","line":33,"function":"checkSubscription","class":"OCA\\Support\\Service\\SubscriptionService","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/lib/public/BackgroundJob/Job.php","line":61,"function":"run","class":"OCA\\Support\\BackgroundJobs\\CheckSubscription","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/lib/public/BackgroundJob/TimedJob.php","line":97,"function":"start","class":"OCP\\BackgroundJob\\Job","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/lib/public/BackgroundJob/TimedJob.php","line":84,"function":"start","class":"OCP\\BackgroundJob\\TimedJob","type":"->"},{"file":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/cron.php","line":175,"function":"execute","class":"OCP\\BackgroundJob\\TimedJob","type":"->"}],"File":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/apps/user_ldap/lib/Connection.php","Line":249,"message":"Connection to LDAP server could not be established","exception":{},"CustomMessage":"Connection to LDAP server could not be established"}}
{"reqId":"NI59k6TYT9421rkqMDlR","level":2,"time":"2026-02-16T08:05:02+00:00","remoteAddr":"","user":"--","app":"support","method":"","url":"--","scriptName":"/var/www/html/nextcloud/cron.php","message":"Can not determine user count for OCA\\User_LDAP\\User_Proxy","userAgent":"--","version":"32.0.6.1","occ_command":["/var/www/html/nextcloud/cron.php"],"data":{"app":"support"}}

Additional info

No response

Start with apps/user_ldap/lib/Connection.php, LDAP.php, and Access.php, following the logged bind and search failures from the shown stack traces. Compare the LDAP behavior across the reported v31-to-v32 update and verify that cron can connect and complete LDAP searches without the authentication or operations errors.