Change password

[tom kongtaln_1]

How can I change password without enter Old password?

It is a newbie question. I try to search but I cannot get the answer.

thanks

[Sridhar Bhaskarla]

Tom,

It's a security thing.

It's only possible for root user. If the system is trusted, it is not possible for even root user. But root can edit root's tcb file to remove the encrypted password.


-Sri

[tom kongtaln_1]

Sridhar,

While I was in the middle of changing the root password. I got interrupt by a call.
When I tried to test what I had changed I totally forgot it. I still had my root session open. I tried to change password again and it kept asking me the old one.
I didn't know what to do.

[Sridhar Bhaskarla]

Hi Tom,

Do you still have the root session open?. If so, then I believe your system is trusted. Edit the file /tcb/files/auth/r/root and delete the encrypted string and then use 'passwd' to change it. If it is not trusted, then edit /etc/passwd and delete the encrypted string (second field) corresponding to root.

-Sri

[Sridhar Bhaskarla · Accepted solution]

Too late here. I would like to add little bit more before I call it a day..

If you don't have a root session open, then you have to boot the system in single user mode and do the above process. It will allow you to login as root in single user mode unless the system is trusted and if you disabled that option.

If you have any management clients like OVO, Tivoli etc., you can be able to push a script that does the job for you from the management station. If you have any backup software configured, you can do one more thing. Take backup of the current /etc/passwd or /tcb/files/auth/r/root file and restore old files from yesterday or so. You can specify a pre_exec scripts to take a backup on the system itself. Once you can login, restore them back.

-Sri

[tom kongtaln_1]

Hi Sridhar,

Thanks for your helpful info.

tomk

[tom kongtaln_1]

thanks