topic Re: Root Account Disabled in Operating System - HP-UX

Root Account Disabled

Steve Rose_4 — Wed, 08 Mar 2000 14:52:55 GMT

When I enter root password, system responds that account is disabled. This may
be a secure system, because I cannot change password from single-user mode.
Can anyone suggest how to change secure system status and re-enable the root
account? System is an HP DCE/9000 file server.

Re: Root Account Disabled

Stephen White_3 — Wed, 08 Mar 2000 15:17:00 GMT

Hi Steve,

I would get that system into single user mode. Then type mount -a, this will
give you access to all the utilities you need. The next thing is to vi
/etc/passwd and remove whatever is between the first two ::. That stuff is your
password stored in an encrypted format. This should work unless you have set
that server to run in the trusted environment. If it was set up to run as
trusted there is a shadow password and sorry but I forget how to change it.

Re: Root Account Disabled

Martien Korenblom_1 — Wed, 08 Mar 2000 23:46:05 GMT

Hi,

If I'm correct passwords in a trusted system are stored in the /etc/shadow
file. So you could kick out your encrypted rootpassword there.

Good luck,
martien

Re: Root Account Disabled

Chris Anoruo_1 — Thu, 09 Mar 2000 03:50:10 GMT

Howdy Steve,

Please boot to single user mode and do "mount -a",
then try the passwd change. If this does not work
on the trusted system, restore the these files (/etc/passwd; /tcb/files/auth)
from last root system file backup before this problem.

Regards

Chris

Re: Root Account Disabled

Chris Anoruo_1 — Thu, 09 Mar 2000 03:51:32 GMT

Howdy Steve,

Please boot to single user mode and do "mount -a",
then try the passwd change. You can then use SAM to reactivate or modify the
root passwd as you please. If this does not work on the trusted system, restore
the these files (/etc/passwd; /tcb/files/auth) from last root system file
backup before this problem.

Regards

Chris