Help! (Forgot Master password)

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 38
    kalikali Posts: 634member
    I think you could also access all your data by booting from an external disk, with OS 9.



    I already did this a long time ago, under Panther. Booting with OS 9 gave me access to all the #@$%?porn stuff another user left in his personal account, and I trashed everything Muhahahahaaa !
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  • Reply 22 of 38
    lomocolomoco Posts: 14member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Kali View Post


    I think you could also access all your data by booting from an external disk, with OS 9.



    I already did this a long time ago, under Panther. Booting with OS 9 gave me access to all the #@$%?porn stuff another user left in his personal account, and I trashed everything Muhahahahaaa !



    Hmmmm. Sounds like a bug
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  • Reply 23 of 38
    kickahakickaha Posts: 8,760member
    No, not at all. OS 9 and OS X both use the same disk format, HFS+. OS 9 simply ignores all of the permissions. This is normal. You can do this with any OS X disk to bypass the permissions completely.
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  • Reply 24 of 38
    lomocolomoco Posts: 14member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Kickaha View Post


    No, not at all. OS 9 and OS X both use the same disk format, HFS+. OS 9 simply ignores all of the permissions. This is normal. You can do this with any OS X disk to bypass the permissions completely.



    Wow. I never knew that. Thanks for the info. That might come in handy later on.
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  • Reply 25 of 38
    kickahakickaha Posts: 8,760member
    This is sort of why having physical access to the hard drive is generally considered a bypass for all security on it, unless you use something like FileVault. This is the same thing that happens if you place the drive in an external enclosure, and do as der Kopf posted above.



    What, MacHack Corp doesn't already publish this info??
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  • Reply 26 of 38
    lomocolomoco Posts: 14member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Kickaha View Post


    This is sort of why having physical access to the hard drive is generally considered a bypass for all security on it, unless you use something like FileVault. This is the same thing that happens if you place the drive in an external enclosure, and do as der Kopf posted above.



    What, MacHack Corp doesn't already publish this info??





    Come-on! I am just getting started. I am just concentrating on password bypassing or resetting for now. I might publish that on my site later. You can contact mac_hack directly at mac_hack.corp@yahoo.com to make complaints and such.
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  • Reply 27 of 38
    lomocolomoco Posts: 14member
    I remember I was in a classic app not to long ago and while I was browsing for a folder, I came across the folder "var" and it was in italics. And of course everyone should know that "var" is what is considered a hidden Folder. (A folder name with a "." in front of it.) So I see what you mean.
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  • Reply 28 of 38
    lomocolomoco Posts: 14member
    So, How did it go? Were you able to reset the master password? You should have been able to.
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  • Reply 29 of 38
    icfireballicfireball Posts: 2,594member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Placebo View Post


    Fun fun fun...I forgot my master password! I can't reset it with the OS X install CD, and logging in as root doesn't change anything.

    I don't really need to fix this (I never use Filevault), but I'd like to know that everything on my comp is under control.



    PS: I'd rather not reinstall the OS



    Cheers



    Is FileVault currently active?



    If it IS active, fat chance getting your master password.



    If it is NOT active, I think it can be gotten easily.



    So here is what I recommend:



    1) Open "Keychain" and browse all of your saved passwords to see if any of those may have been the one you forget for your master password.



    2) Try "" (a completely blank password) and "password" to see if you set it up like that when you set up your computer. It's unlikely -- but it's possible.



    3) If all else fails; call Apple -- I'm sure they can help somehow.
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  • Reply 30 of 38
    lomocolomoco Posts: 14member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by icfireball View Post


    Is FileVault currently active?



    If it IS active, fat chance getting your master password.



    If it is NOT active, I think it can be gotten easily.



    So here is what I recommend:



    1) Open "Keychain" and browse all of your saved passwords to see if any of those may have been the one you forget for your master password.



    2) Try "" (a completely blank password) and "password" to see if you set it up like that when you set up your computer. It's unlikely -- but it's possible.



    3) If all else fails; call Apple -- I'm sure they can help somehow.



    Actually, if you just delete the file /Library/Keychains/FileVaultMaster.keychain, it will reset the master password as long as you don't have filevault on which this person doesn't. So Placebo is lucky in this case. OR oyu could go into terminal and type "sudo rm /Library/keychains/filevaultmaster.keychain" and your problem is solved.
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  • Reply 31 of 38
    lomocolomoco Posts: 14member
    You can't browse the filevault keychain without the master password.
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  • Reply 32 of 38
    icfireballicfireball Posts: 2,594member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Lomoco View Post


    You can't browse the system keychain without the master password.



    Not true!!



    IF the keychain is locked, you cannot browse it without the password. IF it is NOT locked, browse away. By default, it is not locked on start-up once it has been unlocked and quit.
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  • Reply 33 of 38
    lomocolomoco Posts: 14member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by icfireball View Post


    Not true!!



    IF the keychain is locked, you cannot browse it without the password. IF it is NOT locked, browse away. By default, it is not locked on start-up once it has been unlocked and quit.





    Are you referring to the "FileVault" keychain, or the "login" Keychain? The "login" keychain is by default unlocked yes, but not the "FileVault" keychain. Go back and check.
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  • Reply 34 of 38
    lomocolomoco Posts: 14member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Lomoco View Post


    Are you referring to the "System" keychain, or the "login" Keychain? The "login" keychain is by default unlocked yes, but not the "System" keychain. Go back and check.





    I mean the FileVault keychain. Not the system one. oops
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  • Reply 35 of 38
    icfireballicfireball Posts: 2,594member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Lomoco View Post


    Are you referring to the "FileVault" keychain, or the "login" Keychain? The "login" keychain is by default unlocked yes, but not the "FileVault" keychain. Go back and check.



    I meant the system keychain as in the application, "Keychain Access."



    But my point was that maybe he used the same password that he used for the master password as another password and by browsing the list of stored other passwords, he would find the one that was his master password.
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  • Reply 36 of 38
    lomocolomoco Posts: 14member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by icfireball View Post


    I meant the system keychain as in the application, "Keychain Access."



    But my point was that maybe he used the same password that he used for the master password as another password and by browsing the list of stored other passwords, he would find the one that was his master password.



    Or he could just reset it and make a new one instead of trying to recover it by browsing through keychains, hoping that he used the same one for something else. However, your suggestion is a good one and if he wants to use the same password, then I would recommend that too. And also to check key-logs to see if he typed it in plain text ever. (If he has a key-logger)
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  • Reply 37 of 38
    lomocolomoco Posts: 14member
    E-mail Changed! It is now Lomoco.MacHack@gmail.com
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  • Reply 38 of 38
    I am really confused, I put file vault on, stupidly and quite unnecessarily, and yes, have forgotten my password, it was some combination of parts of words and i cant find the exact one, I cant even really see what filevault is meant to be doing, other than slow my laptop use right down, I guess i can just backup my files and re install the os?



    will that reset on mack hack work safely, with file vault on, and not destroy/lose any data?



    Thankyou
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