From: keith@ksmith.uucp (Keith Smith)
Subject: Re: Single-user mode boot on SCO UNIX - not a solution
Organization: Keith's Computer, Hope Mills, NC
Date: Sat, 05 Sep 92 03:53:52 GMT

In article <1992Aug28.201249.29451@smallo.bo.open.de> oklein@smallo.bo.open.de (Olaf Klein) writes:
>jarmo@ksvltd.fi (Jarmo Raiha) writes:
>
>>>Ok...this is embaressing...we forgot the root password on a seldom used
>>>SCO UNIX box.  We're trying to figure out how to do a single-user mode
>>>boot so that the root password is not required to login.  SCO wants $100
>>>to tell us the answer, so we thought maybe some kind soul may enlighten
>>>us on the net.  Otherwise, we'll have to do a re-install and that won't
>>>be much fun.
>>I can't believe this ! All  the trouble with that C2 security and
>>all the overhead. What is the price for other 'clues' ?
>>I would pay that $100 to get rid of all SCO security junk.
>
>Trying to forget your root-password, and then show me how to get as
>root into the machine (without accessing the floppys) - if this is 
>possible, your OS isn't worth to be called Unix. Unix was designed to

No,  This is not Normally possible unless there is a back door login
somewhere.  I doubt it.  SCO was gonna walk 'em thru booting N1,
changing the boot string, mounting N2, and removing the /etc/passwd file
after mounting /dev/hd0root

I'm sorry, but in this particular case I disagree.  $100 is quite
reasonable IMHO.  I'd probably charge someone around $70 (2 hours) to
mount and rebuild the password files.  Hey,  If you don't like it RTFM
and do it yourself.  TFM SAYS in it to make System Backup floppies.  You
screw it up prepare to pay to fix it If you don't know how/ don't have
time to do it yourself.

>be secure, especially the root account has to be protected from hack
>attacks. 
>And for every 386-Unix I know it should be possible to mount the root
>partition when booting from Floppys/Emergency disks (I don't like
>this, in my opinion all partitions should have a protect against to be
>mounted by Floppys or without giving the correct root password,
>because the greatest security hole is a theft of the whole system and
>then hacking the system by booting from floppy... :-(  )

This is dumb.  Think about it for a minute.  If you have the whole
system and the data was THAT valuable, someone would dissect it with a
block by block read.  If you give me access to the machine I CAN get
whatever you have on it off, given enough time.  Preventing me from
mounting the disk without passwd from the console is a good way for you
to pay me even more money (ie time) to try and fix it when you forget
THAT passwd too!

>
>>Sorry about not being able to help you :-(
>If you don't know how to hack a system you should probably not post
>against SCO's security but read your manuals and try to get into the
>system, maybe some time you need the knowledge...
>
>I would try to boot with N1, N2 or the emergency disks (if accessible)
>and then mount /dev/root. After that `mv /mnt/etc/passwd to 
>/mnt/etc/passwd.old` and boot from harddisk...

That's about it.  Should drop you right into system maintenance mode. 
From their you are root, and can fiddle to your hearts content.

Read boot(HW) and tell the org boot prompt to boot unix on the floppy,
pause and prompt for filesystem disk, and use the floppy disk as the
root filesystem.  Hit DEL at the installation screen.  The
<INSTALLATION> prompt is the shell.  echo * is useful for looking at
directories as lf/ls is not generally available.  You can also mount
/dev/hd0root and use the chroot command to do your dirty work if you so
desire.

1.2 dist minor number is 52, 1.44 is 60
: fd(52)unix root=fd(52) prompt="swap disks dummy" ....

Otherwise you'll boot the hd anyway.

-- 
Keith Smith          uunet!ksmith!keith            5719 Archer Rd.
Digital Designs      BBS 1-919-423-4216            Hope Mills, NC 28348-2201
Somewhere in the Styx of North Carolina ...
Newsgroups: comp.unix.sysv386