Switch User button on lock screen allows shutdown without warning, leading to data loss #13095
Description
Distribution
Mint 22.1 x86_64
Package version
6.4.8
Graphics hardware in use
Dell laptop, Intel integrated graphics
Frequency
Always
Bug description
On the lock screen, the Switch User button sends the user back to the login screen.
From there, the Shutdown and Reboot buttons are available and can be triggered without any warning about active sessions.
This causes:
Data loss risk: if shutdown/reboot is clicked (intentionally or by accident), the active user session is terminated immediately, even with unsaved work.
Multi-user risk: if a second account is started and then shuts down the system, the first user’s session is killed immediately without notifying them. Any unsaved documents are lost unless the application autosaves them.
Another user confirmed this behavior:
“If you have open documents in one account, switch to another account with the original account still running, and then perform a shutdown from the second account, the shutdown happens immediately without prompting you about the other account having open documents and programs. Any unsaved documents are lost unless the program autosaves them. This is definitely a bad thing, and I would consider it a bug that could lead to lost data.”
Steps to reproduce
-
Log in with User A and open some documents/programs.
-
Lock the screen.
-
Click the Switch User button.
-
At the login screen, either:
Click Shutdown / Reboot, OR
Log in as User B and perform a shutdown.
- Observe that User A’s session is terminated without any warning.
Expected behavior
The system should warn about active sessions or unsaved work before allowing shutdown/reboot.
Alternatively, shutdown/reboot from the login screen should require authentication if another session is active.
Additional information
Tested on Cinnamon 6.4.8, Mint 22.1 .
Issue is reproducible every time.
This is not a cosmetic issue — it can lead to serious data loss if unsaved documents are open.