Windows: The vault is an encrypted file in the MySQL Workbench data directory. This is where connections.xml and related files are located. The file is encrypted using a Windows API which performs the encryption based on the current user, so only the current user can decrypt it. As a result it is not possible to decrypt the file on any other computer. It is possible to delete the file, in which case all stored passwords are lost, but MySQL Workbench will otherwise perform as expected. You then must re-enter passwords as required.

Mac OS X: The vault is implemented using the Mac OS X Secure Keychain. The keychain contents can be viewed using the Keychain Access.app utility.

Linux: The vault works by storing passwords using the gnome-keyring daemon, which must be running for password persistency to work. The daemon is automatically started in GNOME desktops, but normally is not in KDE and others. The gnome-keyring daemon can be used for password storage in MySQL Workbench on non-GNOME platforms, but must be started manually.