Very Computer

Can anybody advise me on how I can either find out what the password is
or if I can change it to something else.

Please help!!!

Clive

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Before you buy.

Quote:

> Please help!!!

> Clive

> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Before you buy.

Not on-line you can't, unless you use sudo, in which case you can 'sudo
passwd root'.

The only alternative is boot in maintenance mode and start a shell. Then
change the password and re-boot into multi-user mode.

This is one of many examples of why sudo is an essential system management
tool.

Regards,
Alex Robinson

Quote:> One of my system administrators decided to change the root password on
> my RS6000 (Aix 3.2.5.0), which he did. However, he did not write it
> down and put in our security safe and has now forgotten it!!!!!!.

> Can anybody advise me on how I can either find out what the password is
> or if I can change it to something else.

> Please help!!!

> Clive

> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Before you buy.

When done, place the sheets into a blender and mix.  Pour the result
into the sys admin's skull and close the incision.  Even if this
method does not recover the password, it should keep him from ever
making this mistake again.

-- RW Lipp

Any opinions expressed are exclusively my own,
and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer.

Clive,

  The procedure for this on 3.2.5 is to boot the system in maintenance mode
using the key switch. When the menu comes up exit to a maintenance shell.
Once in the shell issue the command "getrootfs" which will mount up the
root volume group filesystems. Once the command completes you can use the
passwd command to reset the root password.

David Herr
Vice President - Technology
Datacentric Communications Corp

On 05 Jan 2000, you wrote in comp.unix.aix:

Quote:>One of my system administrators decided to change the root password on
>my RS6000 (Aix 3.2.5.0), which he did. However, he did not write it
>down and put in our security safe and has now forgotten it!!!!!!.

>Can anybody advise me on how I can either find out what the password is
>or if I can change it to something else.

>Please help!!!

>Clive

>Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
>Before you buy.

Quote:> One of my system administrators decided to change the root password on
> my RS6000 (Aix 3.2.5.0), which he did. However, he did not write it
> down and put in our security safe and has now forgotten it!!!!!!.

> Can anybody advise me on how I can either find out what the password is
> or if I can change it to something else.

> Please help!!!

> Clive

> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Before you buy.

Interesting... considering that in normal mode it prompts for the old
password  first.  I'll have to give it a shot.  Thanks.

Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.

Quote:> Clive,

> Not on-line you can't, unless you use sudo, in which case you can
'sudo
> passwd root'.

Doesn't sudo log all it's activities? So if someone was to change the
root password, the log would show who did it. Sure, once root access is
attained, the perpetrator could edit the log, but not if it was kept on
a different machine. He would then have to explain why he changed the
root password, since he wouldn't be able to change it back at that
point.

After all to gain root access, all you need is a command that will let
you chown/chgrp a file (without touching teh SUID/SGID bits) to userid
root or group security. There are even more subtle ways of accomplishing
this. That's probably why only trusted users have access to sudo
commands...

#> Clive,
#>
#> Not on-line you can't, unless you use sudo, in which case you can
#'sudo
#> passwd root'.

#If you allow someone to do a "sudo passwd root," there would seem
#little reason for installing it -- think about it.

I work in an environment with 30+ offsite HACMP clusters, each with it's own
root password, in addition to the variety of standalone systems and
workstations.  Sudo is a good way to do my job without having to carry around
a two page printout of root passwords.

James

#>
#> The only alternative is boot in maintenance mode and start a shell.
#Then
#> change the password and re-boot into multi-user mode.
#>
#> This is one of many examples of why sudo is an essential system
#management
#> tool.
#>
#> Regards,
#> Alex Robinson
#>

#> > One of my system administrators decided to change the root password
#on
#> > my RS6000 (Aix 3.2.5.0), which he did. However, he did not write it
#> > down and put in our security safe and has now forgotten it!!!!!!.
#> >
#> > Can anybody advise me on how I can either find out what the password
#is
#> > or if I can change it to something else.
#> >
#> > Please help!!!
#> >
#> > Clive
#> >
#> >
#> > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
#> > Before you buy.
#>
#>

#Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
#Before you buy.

 - Matt

--

  AIX and HACMP Certified Specialist   | |  / \ |\| |  \. ,_|  ` o O '
  / Comments, views, and opinions \    | |_/ ^ \|   | ) | |       x    
  \ are mine alone, not IBM's.    /    |___|/~\_\_|\|__/|_|     \___/

#> I work in an environment with 30+ offsite HACMP clusters, each with it's own
#> root password, in addition to the variety of standalone systems and
#> workstations.  Sudo is a good way to do my job without having to carry around
#> a two page printout of root passwords.
#>
#> James

#So if someone gets your user's passwd, they can access root on ALL 30
#systems.  That seems less secure.  One passwd crack gets root to
#30 systems, not just one (or possibly 2-8 if .rhosts still on servers).

That's a tradeoff.  Beats them getting root to all those systems grabbing
a password list (I've seen some of my coworkers with the password list
folded up in their badge holders, others keep it in a notebook on their
desk, etc).  In a pinch, I can have my lead admin disable all my logins
with one quick script, if necessary (or I can, if I can get a connection
I trust to our management workstation).  Seeing that you're at IBM
Austin, implementing sudo was one of the big security requirements
when the data center I worked at was acquired by Global Services.  As
far as I know, my business unit is still using the instructions/explanation
form I wrote for them on how to implement it and such, since I was the first
person in our business unit to get it, compile it, and implement it on any
systems.

James

# - Matt

#--

#  AIX and HACMP Certified Specialist   | |  / \ |\| |  \. ,_|  ` o O '
#  / Comments, views, and opinions \    | |_/ ^ \|   | ) | |       x    
#  \ are mine alone, not IBM's.    /    |___|/~\_\_|\|__/|_|     \___/