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001 Restore Root Password

This document provides instructions for resetting the root password on a Linux system with physical access. It describes mounting the root file system read-write, changing to the root directory, changing the root password using passwd, updating SELinux policies, and logging in with the new password.

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Maher Mechi
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72 views3 pages

001 Restore Root Password

This document provides instructions for resetting the root password on a Linux system with physical access. It describes mounting the root file system read-write, changing to the root directory, changing the root password using passwd, updating SELinux policies, and logging in with the new password.

Uploaded by

Maher Mechi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Restore root password

It can be preliminary task for starting Your exam. It is crucial to know this procedure by heart.

Question:
You do not know the root password but You have physical access to the machine. Create new root
password and log into the system.

(scroll down for an answer)


Answer:
During boot time when GRUB loader screen is presented press e key. That will open an editor
with current kernel boot options.
Find the line starting with linux16. At the end of that line add rd.break and press Ctrl-x to
restart the system with new option.
For RHCSA8 only - You should also remove existing parameters ro and crashkernel=....
What this actually does is taking You to the target right at the end of the boot stage - before
root filesystem is mounted (on /).
Type mount -o remount,rw /sysroot. This actually gets You RW access to the
filesystem. /sysroot folder is Your normal / hierarchy.
Type chroot /sysroot to make this folder new root directory.
Now it is time to change the root password (that is what we are here for right?) -
type passwd and provide new password.
In order to finish the task SELinux must be taken care of. If not, contents of /etc/shadow will
be messed up. There are two commands to be provided:

load_policy -i
chcon -t shadow_t /etc/shadow

Type exit twice (with pressing ENTER after each one)


Now You can log into the system using new password

Additional comment:
It is possible to edit startup parameters of the kernel from the command line and make it
persistent. Just edit /etc/default/grub file and after that make sure to run grub2-mkconfig >
/boot/grub2/grub.cfg in order to apply the changes (for old BIOS config). For the UEFI computers
the final file is /boot/efi/EFI/redhat/grub.cfg.

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