Re: Locked out! How to circumvent password urgently?
On 17 Sep 2004, Anthony Campbell wrote:
> On 17 Sep 2004, Andrea Vettorello wrote:
> > On Fri, 17 Sep 2004 19:39:41 +0100, Anthony Campbell
> > <ac@acampbell.org.uk> wrote:
> > > I can't access my laptop because neither the user nor the root passwords
> > > work. I can only think I was hacked last night.
> > >
> > > I can't access via single user either.
> > >
> > > I can get into the system via knoppix. Are there any files in /etc I can
> > > delete in order to make the system accessible without a password?
> > >
> > > This is REALLY urgent because I must use the machine tomorrow, so if all
> > > else fails I shall have to reinstall the system.
> > >
> >
> > Mmh, edit /etc/passwd (or /etc/shadow), the second field (after the
> > username) is the hashed passwd, delete it and at next login you only
> > need to press enter.
> >
> >
> > Andrea
> >
>
> Thanks to both for prompt replies. I had tried editing /etc/shadow but
> it still didn't boot for some reason. However I found a file called
> /etc/shadow- and replaced /etc/shadow with that, and it then worked with
> the previous password, so the day seems to be saved.
>
> Anthony
Sorry for this follow-up, but I've now discovered what the original
problem with the passwords was. The console keymap has somehow gone
wrong and is not generating the correct UK symbols for # ~ @ . This may
have happened in today's update from Sid - I'm not sure. Anyway, the
passwords I was using contained these characters so they were coming out
wrong when I typed them, but of course I couldn't see that!
So at least I hadn't been compromised - relief!
Anthony
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