[SUMMARY] Root password changed accidentally

From: Moore, Chuck <ChuckM_at_DIS.WA.GOV>
Date: Sun, 06 Jun 1999 13:40:49 -0700

[Problem]
> Hello,
>
> I believe that the root password, on our test True-64 Unix Alpha, has been
> changed to an unknown value. We don't have another root-level userid on
that
> platform.
>
> How would you suggest I recover from this ? If I boot to single-user mode
> will that give me root access automatically ?
>
> -- Chuck Moore

[Solution used]
<hit the HALT button>
>>> boot -fl s
# /sbin/bcheckrc
# passwd root
....
# sync
# halt

My thanks to all who responded. Here are the unique solutions and associated
respondents as of 13:30 PST (Sunday 06/06/1999):
David J. DeWolfe [sxdjd_at_java.sois.alaska.edu]
        Boot to single user mode "mount -u /" and change the password
Jeff Berliner [jeff_at_popmail.med.nyu.edu]
        easy thing to do is pull the drive from the machine, mount it on
another
        machine and manually change the password hash to a known value.
richarde_at_tricity.wsu.edu
John P Speno [speno_at_isc.upenn.edu]
Thomas Leitner [tom_at_radar.tu-graz.ac.at]
John Klapp [jhk_at_pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu]
        (Solution used)
Billy Quinn [bquinn_at_ifleet.com]
        (Solution used with additional note: "In fact , a security concern
is if someone hits the halt button , they can then boot into single user
mode and change the root password to whatever they want .
        ( using " boot -fl s " at the console )".)

-- Chuck Moore
Received on Sun Jun 06 1999 - 20:43:03 NZST

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