Need SGI Classic Cmp Help

From: James Jackson <jjackson_at_salsa-digital.com>
Date: Mon Nov 20 14:45:54 2000

Sun Sparc Stations (at least the II's) had the ability to allow the
user to boot to single-user mode. (Don't remember the OS.)

When in the single-user mode, then the operator was the 'root'
operator and could change the password.

It was necessary to do this on one system I was using. I just got the
job, the previous employee had set the root password to god knows
what, and I was locked out of several features - since I wasn't the
root operator.

This 'feature' (booting to single-user mode) was not really
publicized, as it was a sort of 'loophole' in the system.

Regards,

James Jackson


Cameron Kaiser wrote:
>
> > If not root password then use another you got but set system date
> > in firmware to a date PRIOR to the creation date of the user you
> > are logging in as then log in as that user. The system will panic
> > because your username/password are valid but can't exist yet
> > because of date and will bomb to single-user mode. Change root
> > password.
>
> Yikes. What OSes have this nasty exploit besides Solaris?
>
Received on Mon Nov 20 2000 - 14:45:54 GMT