topic Re: Forget root password in Operating System - HP-UX

Forget root password

Mr Loiuce Choy — Wed, 31 Jul 2002 09:28:23 GMT

How can I get the root password if I forget it ??

Re: Forget root password

Stefan Farrelly — Wed, 31 Jul 2002 09:30:33 GMT

You will have to reboot your server, interrupt the boot sequence when it says you have 10 seconds to do so, boot from the primary boot device, answer Y to interact with IPL, then boot into single user mode by doing;
hpux -is

This will boot and log you in as root without a password, then you can reset the password and reboot back to normal.

Re: Forget root password

James Beamish-White — Wed, 31 Jul 2002 09:35:30 GMT

Restart in single user mode and change the password.

Procedure is something like:
Reboot
Interrupt
Interact with ISL
boot using hpux -is

But that's from memory :-)

Cheers!
James

Re: Forget root password

Paul Thomson_2 — Wed, 31 Jul 2002 09:37:11 GMT

I normally try..
reboot system
When system boots you will get a 10sec interupt boot process press a key at
this time.
enter
01) bo pri
02)Y - to interact with ipl
03)isl> hpux -is will boot to single user
passwd root
or
fix whatever is needed then do
#/sbin/reboot

Re: Forget root password

RAC_1 — Wed, 31 Jul 2002 09:40:34 GMT

Go into single user mode and change it.

interrupt the boot sequence, interact with ISL say hpux -is
you get the root prompt directly. change the password.

You also should have root equivalaent for such incidents.

Regards

Re: Forget root password

Mr Loiuce Choy — Wed, 31 Jul 2002 09:43:31 GMT

but i don't want to change the old password becos I am not sure how many adminstrator is managing the system. Can I view the original password ??

Re: Forget root password

James Beamish-White — Wed, 31 Jul 2002 09:46:57 GMT

No, you cannot 'view' the password. If other administrators are using it, you should ask one of them.

Otherwise, you'll need a brute force cracking program (like "Crack!") to try and find te password.

Cheers!
James

PS: Remember to assign points to the bunch of people who helped

Re: Forget root password

RAC_1 — Wed, 31 Jul 2002 09:51:59 GMT

I am sorry you can not see the password. With the help that we all have provided you can change it but can not view it.

You can use some programs like crack to get it, but not a good way.

Regards,

Re: Forget root password

Scott_14 — Wed, 31 Jul 2002 11:03:18 GMT

If you have other administrators who access your system, ask them for the password, but if you dont know who actually is accessing it, go a head and follow what others are telling you, to get to single user, and log in and change it.
Then if another administrator tries to log in and cant, they may call you, and then you will know who is tring to get in as root, and then you can change the password back to the orginal one by asking them.

Re: Forget root password

Trond Haugen — Wed, 31 Jul 2002 11:20:43 GMT

In my opinion it is not good to have several system administrators on a system. But it may work fine for you. And it means you can ask one of them for the password. If you are the main SA I would go for the boot in single user methode and announce the new password to those who should know it.
With several SAs there are more often leaking of passwords to those who shouldn't have it too.

Regards,
Trond

Re: Forget root password

K.Vijayaragavan. — Wed, 31 Jul 2002 11:24:27 GMT

Hi,
As there are too many administrators, ask one of them the root password.That is only the solution, if you don't want to change the existing password.

Regards,

K.Vijayaragavan.

Re: Forget root password

Sanjay_6 — Wed, 31 Jul 2002 13:40:31 GMT

Hi,

To reset the root password, reboot the system in single user mode and then change the password. While booting into single user mode, it won't ask you to supply the root password.

Hope this helps.

regds

Re: Forget root password

Christian Schulze — Thu, 01 Aug 2002 15:09:39 GMT

before thinking about reboots, try to rlogin from other hosts you have access to. Also, if you or other admins use Exceed or anything similar, there might be a stored access to the system.

when on the system just change the password; others will then ask for the new password. btw. This way you get an overview of how many people have/want root-access

This way a reboot is not necessary, which might not be possible on production systems ...

viewing a password is not possible, as stated by others

Christian

Re: Forget root password

Peter Hakesley_2 — Thu, 01 Aug 2002 15:12:18 GMT

As everyone has said before reboot into single user mode
1. interupt boot process.
2. hpux -is
3. Interact with ISL yes.
4. At # prompt issue passwd root
5. Chnage passwd to whatever
6. /sbin/reboot

This does work had to do it only a couple of weeks ago.

Re: Forget root password

Jason Johnson_2 — Tue, 08 Oct 2002 13:43:34 GMT

I have done the following procedures, but it is asking me for a login. What can I do to fix this?

Re: Forget root password

John Meissner — Tue, 08 Oct 2002 14:42:21 GMT

log in with any user account and copy the /etc/passwd file and run a cracker on it. He's one that runs on windows - see attached