topic Re: Recover root password on a trusted machine in Operating System - HP-UX

Recover root password on a trusted machine

Leonard C. — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 09:57:54 GMT

There is HP-UX 11.23 in trusted mode.
The "Require Login Upon Boot to Single-User State" is enabled.
So in Single User Mode , the password of root is required.

How to recover root password ?

Re: Recover root password on a trusted machine

Ivan Krastev — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 10:42:50 GMT

Use the recovery cd. See full steps here - http://forums.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=1025836

regards,
ivan

Re: Recover root password on a trusted machine

Idham — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 06:43:57 GMT

Single user >

vi /tcb/files/auth/r/root
Please remove the character after "u_pwd="..
Make sure u dont delete the ":\" at the end

:u_pwd=kmpNpuZ.q3D62Gs8PDNkIATY:\

Then
#passwd

Re: Recover root password on a trusted machine

Leonard C. — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 07:07:30 GMT

Hi Idham,
Single User mode is not accessible without root password.

Re: Recover root password on a trusted machine

Ganesan R — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 10:19:17 GMT

Hi Leonard,

In trusted system, if root account is locked due to unsuccessful login tries the account is still allowed to login at the system console. This assumes that the console is at a secure location and only an authorized user has access to it. To login as root:

Console Login: root
Password:
Account is disabled but console login is allowed.

The successful console login resets the lock and allows the root user to login via the network now. The correct password still has to be provided. If the system was recently converted to a trusted system, login with only the first 8 characters of the root password.

If you are unable to reset password from console, please follow these steps to do the same.

1) Reboot the server and boot off with an installation CD.
2) Select "Recovery Shell"
3) At command prompt.
4) mount /var
5) mount /usr
6) vi /tcb/files/auth/r/root
7) null out the pwd entry & save the file.
8) shutdown -ry
9) You now have no root password. After boot, use the passwd command to set it IMMEDIATELY.

Re: Recover root password on a trusted machine

prasadb — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 10:34:43 GMT

hi Leonard C,
i have faced the same problem, and i reset the password in this way

1. i took the single user mode, ( i rebooted it thru console, and interupted the sequence )
2. then mounted all partitions.
3. go to SAM
4. recoverted my system from trusted to normal.
5. then i reset the password for root.
6. then i converted again to trusted

Note :- when you convert some system to trusted , before that have a session with root, and after you convert the system to trusted, refresh all users's passwords by /usr/lib/modprpw -V

Best Regards,
prasad

Re: Recover root password on a trusted machine

Leonard C. — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:27:29 GMT

Dear All,

I performed the following steps to change the root password on recovery shell :

- Booting from HP-UX DVD
- Recover an unbootable HP-UX system
- Mount the root disk and exit to a shell only
- Run fsck -y

Result:

Loading /sbin/fsck...
pass0 - checking structural files
pass1 - checking inode sanity and blocks
pass2 - checking directory linkage
pass3 - checking reference counts
pass4 - checking resource maps
OK to clear log? (ynq)y
set state to CLEAN? (ynq)y
Mounting /dev/dsk/c4t0d0s7 to /ROOT/stand as read only.
Loading /sbin/mount...
UX:vxfs mount: ERROR: V-3-22168: Cannot open portal device: No such file or directory
UX:vxfs mount: ERROR: V-3-21264: /dev/dsk/c4t0d0s7 is already mounted, /ROOT/stand is busy,
allowable number of mount points exceeded
ERROR; mount /dev/dsk/c4t0d0s7 failed!

=================================================================
The root disk has been mounted under /ROOT. If you would like to
chroot to this directory, execute the commands:
loadfile chroot
chroot /ROOT /sbin/sh

# loadfile chroot
# chroot /ROOT /sbin/sh
/sbin/sh: not found

--------------------------------
In this situation I can not mount any path.
"loadfile mount" also is not working.

Any idea?

Re: Recover root password on a trusted machine

prasadb — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:20:00 GMT

Leonard,

boot your machine in single user mode and try the steps that i had followed given in the previous post

Re: Recover root password on a trusted machine

prasadb — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:27:21 GMT

Leonard,

after booting the sytem in single user mode, i was not able to go SAM for reconverting the system to Normal mode. so i needed /usr partition to mount. i done

fsck -m /dev/vg00/rlvol8

[ see, my /usr is mounted on /dev/vg00/lvol8 ]
( /dev/vg00/lvol8 2048000 1358256 684504 66% /usr )

and then i mounted it (use mountall -a )

and then start SAM.

go to Auditing and Security.

convert system to untrusted mode. and reset the password

Best Luck,
prasad

Re: Recover root password on a trusted machine

Leonard C. — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:52:58 GMT

Hi prasad,
As I mentioned in the first post, the "Require Login Upon Boot to Single-User State" is enabled, so I need the root password in single mode.
I think there is only one solution: Recovery Shell from HP-UX bootable Media.

Tanx.

Re: Recover root password on a trusted machine

Suraj K Sankari — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:46:57 GMT

Hi,

If you are ok with the answre then

KEEP ASSIGNING POINTS TO THOSE WHO SPEND THEIR VALUABLE TIME FOR YOU.

http://forums11.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/helptips.do?#33

Suraj