Re: Root Password problem
also sprach Martin Marconcini (on Tue, 27 Feb 2001 02:49:25PM -0300):
> > ok .. i am a little new are retriving passwords with debian or anyh
> > flavor of linux My boss decided to play sysop while i was home sick
> > .. so how he changes the root password .. I have the machine here .. (
> > it doesn't have a cd-rom drive ) my question how can i change the
> > root password back . Thanks in advance Daniel
reboot the thing, when the lilo prompt comes up, start it with
<image> init=/bin/sh
where image is your kernel image alias as defined in lilo.conf, and as
visible when you hit tab at the prompt.
this will boot straight into a root shell from which you can change
the root password without it being logged even.
this is horrible and it basically means that console access to a linux
machine means root rights. there are two steps that any system
administrator should take IMHO, and these are disabling floppy/cdrom
boots as well as setting a password on the bios, and setting lilo's
timeout to 0.
if this is all taken care off, then you can recover by enabling floppy
boot and rescueing that system. an attacker would have to open the
box and reset (or crack) the bios.
martin
[greetings from the heart of the sun]# echo madduck@!#:1:s@\@@@.net
--
printer not ready.
could be a fatal error.
have a pen handy?
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