diff --git a/client/cmd/vnc_agent.go b/client/cmd/vnc_agent.go
index 5fe6c97a0..a6a583ac7 100644
--- a/client/cmd/vnc_agent.go
+++ b/client/cmd/vnc_agent.go
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ var vncAgentCmd = &cobra.Command{
 
 		capturer := vncserver.NewDesktopCapturer()
 		injector := vncserver.NewWindowsInputInjector()
-		srv := vncserver.New(capturer, injector, "")
+		srv := vncserver.New(capturer, injector)
 		srv.SetDisableAuth(true)
 		srv.SetAgentToken(token)
 
diff --git a/client/internal/engine_vnc.go b/client/internal/engine_vnc.go
index 38de3feba..a7d9b1012 100644
--- a/client/internal/engine_vnc.go
+++ b/client/internal/engine_vnc.go
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ func (e *Engine) startVNCServer(sshConf *mgmProto.SSHConfig) error {
 
 	netbirdIP := e.wgInterface.Address().IP
 
-	srv := vncserver.New(capturer, injector, "")
+	srv := vncserver.New(capturer, injector)
 	if vncNeedsServiceMode() {
 		log.Info("VNC: running in Session 0, enabling service mode (agent proxy)")
 		srv.SetServiceMode(true)
diff --git a/client/vnc/server/rfb.go b/client/vnc/server/rfb.go
index 6dcb57a96..e4e87063b 100644
--- a/client/vnc/server/rfb.go
+++ b/client/vnc/server/rfb.go
@@ -3,9 +3,7 @@ package server
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"compress/zlib"
-	"crypto/des" //nolint:gosec // RFB protocol-defined DES challenge/response; not used for confidentiality
 	"encoding/binary"
-	"fmt"
 	"image"
 	"image/jpeg"
 	"unsafe"
@@ -21,8 +19,7 @@ type rect struct {
 const (
 	rfbProtocolVersion = "RFB 003.008\n"
 
-	secNone    = 1
-	secVNCAuth = 2
+	secNone = 1
 
 	// Client message types.
 	clientSetPixelFormat           = 0
@@ -297,38 +294,6 @@ func emitPixelBytes(dst []byte, pixel uint32, bytesPerPixel int, bigEndian bool)
 	}
 }
 
-// vncAuthEncrypt encrypts a 16-byte challenge using the VNC DES scheme.
-func vncAuthEncrypt(challenge []byte, password string) ([]byte, error) {
-	key := make([]byte, 8)
-	pw := []byte(password)
-	n := len(pw)
-	if n > 8 {
-		n = 8
-	}
-	for i := 0; i < n; i++ {
-		key[i] = reverseBits(pw[i])
-	}
-	block, err := des.NewCipher(key) //nolint:gosec // RFB protocol-defined DES challenge/response; not a confidentiality cipher
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("des.NewCipher: %w", err)
-	}
-	if len(challenge) < 16 { //nolint:gosec // explicit length check disarms G602
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("vnc auth challenge too short: %d", len(challenge))
-	}
-	out := make([]byte, 16)
-	block.Encrypt(out[:8], challenge[:8])
-	block.Encrypt(out[8:], challenge[8:])
-	return out, nil
-}
-
-func reverseBits(b byte) byte {
-	var r byte
-	for range 8 {
-		r = (r << 1) | (b & 1)
-		b >>= 1
-	}
-	return r
-}
 
 
 // diffTiles compares two RGBA images and returns a tile-ordered list of
diff --git a/client/vnc/server/server.go b/client/vnc/server/server.go
index 27149a225..237a45aa6 100644
--- a/client/vnc/server/server.go
+++ b/client/vnc/server/server.go
@@ -129,7 +129,6 @@ type connectionHeader struct {
 type Server struct {
 	capturer    ScreenCapturer
 	injector    InputInjector
-	password    string
 	serviceMode bool
 	disableAuth bool
 	localAddr   netip.Addr   // NetBird WireGuard IP this server is bound to
@@ -179,11 +178,12 @@ type virtualSessionManager interface {
 }
 
 // New creates a VNC server with the given screen capturer and input injector.
-func New(capturer ScreenCapturer, injector InputInjector, password string) *Server {
+// Authentication is handled by the dashboard JWT exchange after the RFB
+// handshake; the protocol-level VNC password scheme is not supported.
+func New(capturer ScreenCapturer, injector InputInjector) *Server {
 	return &Server{
 		capturer:   capturer,
 		injector:   injector,
-		password:   password,
 		authorizer: sshauth.NewAuthorizer(),
 		log:        log.WithField("component", "vnc-server"),
 		sessions:   make(map[uint64]ActiveSessionInfo),
@@ -478,7 +478,6 @@ func (s *Server) handleConnection(conn net.Conn) {
 		injector: injector,
 		serverW:  capturer.Width(),
 		serverH:  capturer.Height(),
-		password: s.password,
 		log:      connLog,
 	}
 	sess.serve()
diff --git a/client/vnc/server/server_test.go b/client/vnc/server/server_test.go
index 6467aacc8..9776667af 100644
--- a/client/vnc/server/server_test.go
+++ b/client/vnc/server/server_test.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ func (t *testCapturer) Capture() (*image.RGBA, error) {
 func startTestServer(t *testing.T, disableAuth bool, jwtConfig *JWTConfig) (net.Addr, *Server) {
 	t.Helper()
 
-	srv := New(&testCapturer{}, &StubInputInjector{}, "")
+	srv := New(&testCapturer{}, &StubInputInjector{})
 	srv.SetDisableAuth(disableAuth)
 	if jwtConfig != nil {
 		srv.SetJWTConfig(jwtConfig)
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ func TestAuthEnabled_InvalidJWT_RejectedBeforeRFB(t *testing.T) {
 // server must close immediately and the client must see EOF before any RFB
 // version greeting is written.
 func TestAuth_NoUnauthBytesPastHeader(t *testing.T) {
-	srv := New(&testCapturer{}, &StubInputInjector{}, "")
+	srv := New(&testCapturer{}, &StubInputInjector{})
 	srv.SetDisableAuth(true)
 	addr := netip.MustParseAddrPort("127.0.0.1:0")
 	// Tight overlay that excludes 127.0.0.0/8 and a non-loopback local IP, so
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ func TestIsAllowedSource(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	for _, tc := range tests {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			srv := New(&testCapturer{}, &StubInputInjector{}, "")
+			srv := New(&testCapturer{}, &StubInputInjector{})
 			srv.localAddr = tc.localAddr
 			srv.network = tc.network
 			assert.Equal(t, tc.want, srv.isAllowedSource(tc.remote))
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ func TestIsAllowedSource(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestStart_InvalidNetworkRejected(t *testing.T) {
-	srv := New(&testCapturer{}, &StubInputInjector{}, "")
+	srv := New(&testCapturer{}, &StubInputInjector{})
 	addr := netip.MustParseAddrPort("127.0.0.1:0")
 	err := srv.Start(t.Context(), addr, netip.Prefix{})
 	require.Error(t, err, "Start must refuse an invalid overlay prefix")
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ func TestStart_InvalidNetworkRejected(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestAgentToken_MismatchClosesConnection(t *testing.T) {
-	srv := New(&testCapturer{}, &StubInputInjector{}, "")
+	srv := New(&testCapturer{}, &StubInputInjector{})
 	srv.SetDisableAuth(true)
 	srv.SetAgentToken("deadbeefcafebabe")
 
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ func TestAgentToken_MismatchClosesConnection(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestAgentToken_MatchAllowsHandshake(t *testing.T) {
-	srv := New(&testCapturer{}, &StubInputInjector{}, "")
+	srv := New(&testCapturer{}, &StubInputInjector{})
 	srv.SetDisableAuth(true)
 	const tokenHex = "deadbeefcafebabe"
 	srv.SetAgentToken(tokenHex)
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@ func TestAgentToken_MatchAllowsHandshake(t *testing.T) {
 func TestSessionMode_RejectedWhenNoVMGR(t *testing.T) {
 	// Default platformSessionManager() on non-Linux returns nil, so ModeSession
 	// must be rejected with the UNSUPPORTED reason rather than crashing.
-	srv := New(&testCapturer{}, &StubInputInjector{}, "")
+	srv := New(&testCapturer{}, &StubInputInjector{})
 	srv.SetDisableAuth(true)
 
 	addr := netip.MustParseAddrPort("127.0.0.1:0")
diff --git a/client/vnc/server/session.go b/client/vnc/server/session.go
index 7433731c7..d2dd88797 100644
--- a/client/vnc/server/session.go
+++ b/client/vnc/server/session.go
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 package server
 
 import (
-	"bytes"
-	"crypto/rand"
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
@@ -40,7 +38,6 @@ type session struct {
 	serverW     int
 	serverH     int
 	desktopName string
-	password    string
 	log         *log.Entry
 
 	writeMu sync.Mutex
@@ -179,61 +176,19 @@ func (s *session) handshake() error {
 	return s.sendServerInit()
 }
 
+// sendSecurityTypes advertises only secNone. Authentication and access
+// control are layered on top by the dashboard JWT exchange after the RFB
+// handshake completes, not by the protocol-level password scheme.
 func (s *session) sendSecurityTypes() error {
-	if s.password == "" {
-		_, err := s.conn.Write([]byte{1, secNone})
-		return err
-	}
-	_, err := s.conn.Write([]byte{1, secVNCAuth})
+	_, err := s.conn.Write([]byte{1, secNone})
 	return err
 }
 
 func (s *session) handleSecurity(secType byte) error {
-	switch secType {
-	case secVNCAuth:
-		return s.doVNCAuth()
-	case secNone:
-		return binary.Write(s.conn, binary.BigEndian, uint32(0))
-	default:
+	if secType != secNone {
 		return fmt.Errorf("unsupported security type: %d", secType)
 	}
-}
-
-func (s *session) doVNCAuth() error {
-	challenge := make([]byte, 16)
-	if _, err := rand.Read(challenge); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("generate challenge: %w", err)
-	}
-	if _, err := s.conn.Write(challenge); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("send challenge: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	response := make([]byte, 16)
-	if _, err := io.ReadFull(s.conn, response); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("read auth response: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	var result uint32
-	if s.password != "" {
-		expected, err := vncAuthEncrypt(challenge, s.password)
-		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("vnc auth encrypt: %w", err)
-		}
-		if !bytes.Equal(expected, response) {
-			result = 1
-		}
-	}
-
-	if err := binary.Write(s.conn, binary.BigEndian, result); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("send auth result: %w", err)
-	}
-	if result != 0 {
-		msg := "authentication failed"
-		_ = binary.Write(s.conn, binary.BigEndian, uint32(len(msg)))
-		_, _ = s.conn.Write([]byte(msg))
-		return fmt.Errorf("authentication failed from %s", s.addr())
-	}
-	return nil
+	return binary.Write(s.conn, binary.BigEndian, uint32(0))
 }
 
 func (s *session) sendServerInit() error {