Oracle 21c — Removal of IGNORECASE and SEC_CASE_SENSITIVE_LOGON Parameters

Starting from Oracle 21c, all passwords stored in the password file are case-sensitive.
In previous versions, this behavior could be disabled using the IGNORECASE parameter in the orapwd command.

— Oracle 19c:

[oracle@linux7 dbs]$ orapwd file=/oracle19c/home/dbs/orapwtajmifullssd sys=Y force=Y format=12 ignorecase=Y password=EST_est_123

[oracle@linux7 dbs]$ sqlplus “sys/est_est_123@linux7:1521/pdb1 as sysdba”
SQL*Plus: Release 19.0.0.0.0 – Production on Thu Nov 11 08:59:55 2021
Version 19.11.0.0.0
Copyright (c) 1982, 2020, Oracle.  All rights reserved.
Connected to:
Oracle Database 19c Enterprise Edition Release 19.0.0.0.0 – Production
Version 19.11.0.0.0
SQL>

When you attempt to use the IGNORECASE parameter in Oracle 21c:

[oracle@linux7 dbs]$ orapwd file=/oracle21c/base/dbs/orapwdb21c sys=Y force=Y format=12 ignorecase=Y password=EST_est_123
Usage 1: orapwd file=<fname> force={y|n} asm={y|n}
         dbuniquename=<dbname> format={12|12.2}
          delete={y|n} input_file=<input-fname>
          'sys={y | password | external(<sys-external-name>)
                | global(<sys-directory-DN>)}'
          'sysbackup={y | password | external(<sysbackup-external-name>)
                      | global(<sysbackup-directory-DN>)}'
          'sysdg={y | password | external(<sysdg-external-name>)
                  | global(<sysdg-directory-DN>)}'
          'syskm={y | password | external(<syskm-external-name>)
                  | global(<syskm-directory-DN>)}'

So you must now create the password file without IGNORECASE:

[oracle@linux7 dbs]$ orapwd file=/oracle21c/base/dbs/orapwdb21c sys=Y force=Y format=12 password=EST_est_123

Now, connecting with the correct case password works:

[oracle@linux7 dbs]$ sqlplus "sys/EST_est_123@192.168.56.20:1521/pdb1 as sysdba"
SQL*Plus: Release 21.0.0.0.0 – Production on Thu Nov 11 08:53:33 2021
Version 21.3.0.0.0
SQL>

[oracle@linux7 dbs]$ sqlplus "sys/est_est_123@192.168.56.20:1521/pdb1 as sysdba"
SQL*Plus: Release 21.0.0.0.0 – Production on Thu Nov 11 08:54:09 2021
Version 21.3.0.0.0
Copyright (c) 1982, 2021, Oracle.  All rights reserved.
ORA-01017: invalid username/password; logon denied
Enter user-name:

Additionally, the parameter SEC_CASE_SENSITIVE_LOGON, which had already been deprecated in earlier releases, has been completely removed (desupported) in Oracle 21c:

SQL> alter system set SEC_CASE_SENSITIVE_LOGON=false;
ORA-25138: SEC_CASE_SENSITIVE_LOGON initialization parameter has been made obsolete