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Re: can not change root password on trusted system.

 
John Kittel
Trusted Contributor

Re: can not change root password on trusted system.

...maybe you could still try supplying only the 1st 8 char of the old password when prompted by the passwd command?
Patrol
Advisor

Re: can not change root password on trusted system.

I will try the 8 characters but, since this is not a recent conversion to trusted system, how can you explain the 8 character limit on the password ? Which parameter/setting on getprpw output or security file, this limit gets imposed.
Peter Godron
Honored Contributor

Re: can not change root password on trusted system.

Hi,
can you look at u_maxlen in /tcb/files/auth/system/default
Robert-Jan Goossens
Honored Contributor

Re: can not change root password on trusted system.

Hi,

Could you post the output of

# cat /etc/nsswitch.conf | grep passwd

run a trusted database health check

# authck -pv

Regards,
Robert-Jan
Steven E. Protter
Exalted Contributor

Re: can not change root password on trusted system.

Shalom again,

It is perfectly acceptable to do the following:

1) Nullify the password in single user mode. Single user has no network access, thus no security/audit risk.
2) Reset the password right then and there.

Procedure.

Boot at console, btw console login usually resets deactivated root user if you know the password. You may have to powerswitch the system.

at the 10 second prompt intervene

bo
Y Interact
hpux -is

mount /usr
mount /var

vi the root passwrd file. Null it.

Save it.

passwd root

Done. I've run this procedure by security auditors in the US and it is absolutely not a problem because the system is not exposed on the network. Unplug the lan if your auditor has nothing better to do than worry about that.

This is systems administration and operation, not an audit issue.

SEP
Steven E Protter
Owner of ISN Corporation
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