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From: brian@shift.utell.net (Brian Somers)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc
Subject: Re: Root Password
Date: 14 Apr 1997 10:23:15 GMT
Organization: Awfulhak Ltd.
Lines: 32
Message-ID: <5it0ij$7b6@ui-gate.utell.co.uk>
References: <33506884.2B7@persephone.pinehurst.net>
<E8KJ35.Lzp@news.interactive.net>
<33513645.41C67EA6@diamond.xtalwind.net>
<E8LqEn.In7@news.interactive.net>
Reply-To: brian@awfulhak.org, brian@utell.co.uk
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In article <E8LqEn.In7@news.interactive.net>,
<ritz@interactive.spamthis.net> writes:
> jack <jack@diamond.xtalwind.net> wrote:
>:P~ritz@interactive.spamthis.net wrote:
>:P~>
>:P~> Beth Morgan <isplist@persephone.pinehurst.net> wrote:
>:P~> :P~Does anyone know what would happen if nobody knew the root password on a
>:P~> :P~machine? Would one simply have to re-install everything and start over?
>:P~> :P~For example, what if the System Administrator were to be fired (or
>:P~> :P~something) and refused to reveak the password? How would anyone else be
>:P~> :P~able to change it?
>:P~>
>:P~> You reboot the machine into single-user mode and change the root
>:P~> password. It takes all of 2 minutes.
>
>:P~If the outgoing SA was po'ed enough not to leave the password behind he
>:P~probably took <2 minutes to set /dev/console to insecure in /etc/ttys.
>:P~:(
>
> That would indeed be nasty. Then you'd have to go to all the trouble
> of booting from a floppy, mounting the hard drive, and then changing
> it back to secure. :-)
>
> Chris
Anyway, if the sysadm was that pissed, he'd probably do something a bit
more sly than not telling people the password :|
--
Brian <brian@awfulhak.org> <brian@freebsd.org>
<http://www.awfulhak.org>
Don't _EVER_ lose your sense of humour !