OSEC

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Bugtraq archives for 2nd quarter (Apr-Jun) 1995: Re: password backdoors (on Apollo)

Re: password backdoors (on Apollo)

Paul Szabo (szabo_pmaths.su.oz.au)
Fri, 12 May 95 07:31:23 +1000 

Dan Thorson <Dan_Thorsonnotes.seagate.com> wrote:
> Sure, shut the machine, REset, then (and I can't remember the exact sequence) 
> you should be able to modify the /etc/passwd file, re-start the OS, root has 
> the password (or lack thereof) you set up in the previous step.
> Just another example of physical security being important.

Good try... except that Apollos do not use /etc/passwd files. (They use the
registry daemon rgyd, the /etc/passwd file being a read-only object provided
for compatibility with brain-dead UNIX utilities only.) Besides, if you had
set sensible permissions on your file system, then you should not be able to
modify anything (let alone /etc/passwd) from Apollo's "PhaseII Shell" (the
single-user mode) where you run as user.none.none.

Paul Szabo - System Manager   //        School of Mathematics and Statistics
szabo_pmaths.su.oz.au        //   University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia