Security Basics mailing list archives

Re: Root account desactivated


From: Suramya Tomar <security () suramya com>
Date: 12 Mar 2004 01:10:37 -0500

Hi Martin,

You can boot the system using a rescue disk and mount the root file
system on it. Then you can edit the /etc/passwd file to fix the
incorrect entries. 

You can use the Redhat installation disk for this or use a live linux CD
like Knoppix

Hope this helps.

- Suramya


I have a really stupid trouble: on a Redhat 9.0, the line matching the root 
account in the file /etc/passwd has been changed from ".../bin/bash" to 
".../sbin/nologin". We have the root password, but when performing a "su" 
command, the system replies that the account is not currently available.

So the question is: how from an user's account and knowing the root's 
password but having the root account disabled can we reactivate this root's 
account?

Any suggestion would be appreciated, I do not want to reinstall the box :(

Thanks a lot in advance!

 
-- 
-------------------------------------------------
Name        : Suramya Tomar
Homepage URL: http://www.suramya.com
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