Protect against root password change[Log in to get rid of this advertisement]I have recently had to force a change of the root password on a linux box I was running. It was a test system which I had not used in a while, so I forgot the root password (not so smart).Anyway, I found that it was amazingly easy to reset the root password. Here is a straight forward article on how to do it.URL...
My question is: how can you protect against this? I see this as a security hole.I understand that the user must have physical access to the computer, but if I want to lock the system down so you cannot easily enter single user mode or the root password cannot be changed.
what can I do if I changed my ubuntu password and cant remember what it is?I only have 1 user on my system - me, and I changed the password today, thinking it was obvious to remember my new password, but I cant remember it exactly
I'm running 64-bit Ubuntu Karmic, Encrypted HDD.I changed my login passwordwhen i try to boot i click on my name and type in my new password i have 'authentication fail' when i type in my old password this happens"could not update ICEauthority file /home/chris/ICEauthority""Their is a problem with the configuration server. (/usr/lib/libconf2-4/gconf-sanity-check-2) exited with status 256""Nautilus could not create the following required folders/Home/chris/Desktop,/home/chris/.nautilusBefore running nautilus, please create these folders, or set permissions such that nautilus can create them."
I just changed my password now every time I start my computer the keyring wants my old password and it keeps doing weird things even after I type it in. Like Ubuntu will say No keyring found or something to that effect anyway.
When I set up an ID in Ubuntu, I encrypted it. I did a print screen of the passphrase and put it on the desktop. I'm just learning how to use the encryption so don't fault me for putting it right on the desktop. There is no important data in this ID. Now, I went and changed my password to the account. On the next boot, I got a few error message:
Could not update ICEauthority file /home/mickymouse/.ICEauthority
There is a problem with the configuration server /usr/lib/libconf2-4/gconf-sanity-check-2 exited with status 256 In researching these, it looks like the problem is that I changed the password but didn't update (or something) my passphrase.
I can't boot into the GUI but I have figured out how to boot to a command prompt. I don't have access to my home directory because I don't have my passphrase. Am I toast or is there a way to recover / update the passphrase?
I found this on Bee's website. For more info on this exploit there are links there:[URl]..All you have to do in Fedora 13 is enter the following lines in a shell as normal user:
[Code]...
I don't think this can be considered solely an "upstream" problem, because I first tried it in Arch using the same version of glibc, and the final command causes both gnome-terminal and xterm windows to disappear.
We have a couple of clusters that are running Oracle. If you're familiar with Oracle you know that it basically has to be installed as root. Something I detest. anyway, when we are building out the box, we change the root pw and give it to the DBA team to do their installs and configs. When they are done, we change the root pw (and do not give it to them), and configure sudo to allow them the rights needed to manage Oracle and their databases.
Now however, we have a different situation. The DBAs need access to uninstall and reinstall components and make modifications on an ongoing basis. Since we only support OS and hardware, not app, they are requesting permanent root access. I promptly told them no, and the politics ensued. Their manager went to their director, who went to my director, and suddenly an exception is given for his good golfing buddy. So here I am, forced to turn lose DBAs on my clusters with full root access/pw. I need a way to allow specific users (or perhaps a specific user group) the ability to become root WITHOUT sharing the root pw with them.
Found a major security hole in one of my more crucial linux servers today. (Only locally) I can use the user name "root" and any string for the password. So I can literally type "poop" as the password and the server lets me in. I know how to set root password settings for SSH and sudo, but where are settings located for local access that would allow something like this?
Stumped on this one. I'm trying to set up limited sudo authority on a desktop with some sensitive user data, and as an extra precaution I wanted to configure sudo to use a password other than the user's or the root's. I'm not sure how to do this. From the manual, we have a few options, such as "runaspw" or "targetpw", but none seem quite what I'm looking for.For instance, "runaspw" could be used if I created a user for nothing other than sudo(ing) purposes, but it requires you set "runas_default", which means that said user would have to have authority to execute said commands in the first place. This is workable, but seems like a lot of extra configuration for each specific command that I want to run, as well as creating some issues with simply commands such as "shutdown" or "reboot". Also, "targetpw" can be used in conjunction with a sudo(ing)-only user if I set an alias, but, again, this isn't quite what I am looking for.
Ultimately, what I am really concerned about in this situation are keystroke loggers, so I would prefer to avoid repeated entering the user or root password when performing administrative tasks. Also, I would prefer not having to create a sudo(ing)-only user as mentioned above to prevent a comprimised password resulting in an attacker being able to log into my system.
Can't seem to do it, wondering if anyone knows how? Normally there's something in sshd_config that can be switched to true or yes to allow root login but I can't see it in fedora 12.I can login via root at a terminal no problem, just not via ssh, I get access denied every time. Also, I need to login using password authentication.I've done: 227169 but that's just for GUI which I don't really need since I rarely ever log into the GUI.I have also searched through here and mostly only found info such as above, how to enable root login for GUI, or billions of posts about how logingin as root is bad but I cannotswer to my question.DISCLAIMER: Please do not reply to this thread if all you can contribute is the question of why I need root or to put some message telling me I can do everything using su, etc, etc. Please only contribute if you can answer my question. A: My machine and a valid quesiton. B: Spirit of Linux is open, not restrictive
I've been using Ubuntu for like a year now. Whenever I want root privileges I just type sudo and enter my User password. I wanna know if there's a way to change this, in a way that My User password is: "ABC" and the password needed to have root privileges is: "ABC123". I have no problem using the terminal, I actually prefer it to any GUI, it just seems easier to me.
To comply with standards I need to change the root pw every so often. However, I really don't have a need to know the root password; as the only thing using root, is for ssh authenticating via ssh keys. What I want to do is automate the root password change monthly via a cron job, to a random value. Is there a way to do this without knowing the previous password?
I have recently installed Fedora 14 on a new computer we presented as a gift to my sister-in-law. She is new to Linux. Although I've used Fedora since Core 1, I'm no expert on security issues, and this baffles me. She's doesn't know how to change the root password, so why doesn't it work any more? She discovered the problem when attempting a yum update from a terminal.(1) How could the root password have gotten changed? How likely is it that someone got onto her system through ssh, made a lucky guess on her root password, and then changed it? Are there robots that do this?
(2) The firewall is enabled. I have it set up as follows: (a) under "Trusted Services," only ssh is checked (I need to be able to get in remotely this way); (b) under "Trusted Interfaces," I have eth0 checked (I need to be able to use VNConto her desktop).Question: Are these settings giving ample protection? What settings would be recommended to protect her system while at the same time allowing me to access it through ssh and VNC?
I try to install my printer again after reinstall ubuntu 9.04. ("downgraded from 9.10"). Instead of asking for the local-user-login password, as it does for other system changes, it asks for a root password that I never had. What happened? How can I set this right?I made a printscreen.
I have ubuntu 11.04 installed along side windows. And I often share files with windows computers. If I am installing a new package from ubuntu software center, and consquently I have to log in as root to do so, which means I have given the system 'privileges' as the program is being installed, I decide to go open mozilla, and surf suspicious sites on the net. Is it possible in that case for me to get a virus?
When we enter the password for the root user in order to run one program such as ubuntu software center, does that mean that all programs have root privileges for the time being (as the software center is installing the program)?
When I go to single user mode for resetting root password, It ask root pawssword for login.The message displayed on prompt is "Give root password for login.On the boot prompt, I select kernel and press 'e' and after one space type 1 for single User mode and then press 'b' for booting.It shows message entering in single user mode but ask root password. Even I tried into rescue mode, but I couldn't ser root password.In rescue mode on prompt, It shows rescue login: I typed root, But when typed 'passwd' foe resetting root pawssword,It shows message unknown user and not authetication.
Being able to reset the root password by booting into single usermode by editing grub. This is a MAJOR flaw. I know it makes no real difference against internet bourne attacks, but even so I must say I found it shocking. The only way I've found to stop this is to encrypt the entire HDD, so noone could get into single user mode without first knowing the encryption key/password.
the terminal and logged in as root i was changing file permissions and happened to change the root folder to 700. Now my icons have gone and i can't even access the terminal.
I was just wondering if it is possible to go to rescue mode using the cd and restore all the appropriate file permissions to root/ users if possible
I always use VNC to check my server for updates, and this morning I started the xvnc4viewer to vnc into my server and it keep asking for a password. I never setup a password because I do this local from my laptop, and I am the only one who uses my laptop. I had to go to my server and check the setting in System > Preferences > Remote Desktop and found them all changed. There was a password setup and there was a check mark in the you must confirm each access to this machine there some security update that changed all these setting? Sometimes when I do updates I don't know what is being changed on my server
Using thunderbird for email, as several users of this computer have individual preferences. Worked in 10.10 and previous. Upgraded to 11.04 this morning, had to install from CD due to my mistake. Changed computer name too. No worries, have done this before. Added new account to Thunderbird. Copied over mail folders too. Application is good to go. However, when checking email now get reply from server that password is invalid. Checked all account settings within T-Bird but cannot locate password setttings for this server/account. Appears to use something called STARTTLS. How to access this store of passwords?