How to Change Root Password

This document will describe the process to change the root password on all Linux servers from srv0smx00 only. 

  

Document Creator    Last Modified 

Todd Walters    04/19/2009 

  

Alternate Options for Rocks or Clusters 

• pdsh –a [hostgroup] passwd  -h [ crypt password] does the same 
• as does ‘ rocks run host’  passwd –h  [crypt password ] 

Requirements 

• Only run from srv0smx00 server. 
• The /etc/security/access.conf file has been modified on all servers to allow root from srv0smx00. ssh keys have been set. This is a one way street, from smx00 > other servers only. 
• The set_root_pw script is used to change the root passwd 
• The set_root_pw script is located in /home/admins/sbin 
• The change_root_pw.sh script is run by root from /root/bin and calls the set_root_pw script 
• The exclude-list and serverlist files are stored in /root directory. 
• It's a requirement that all root passwords are changed quarterly (Every 90 days). 
• The process requires to be able to ssh from srv0smx00 to all remote servers. 
• Server List = srv0smx00:/root/serverlist 
• Server Exclude List = srv0smx00:/root/exclude-list 
• Must have root access to run this command.  

How to Change Root Password 

1. Login to srv0smx00 Admin Server 
2. Switch user to root and edit serverlist if necessary 
   • [twalters@srv0smx00 ~]$ su - Password: [root@srv0smx00 ~]# vi  serverlist 
3. Create encrypted password using htpasswd command or openssl command: 
   • [root@srv0smx00 ~]# openssl passwd -crypt Password: Verifying - Password: Warning: truncating password to 8 characters ENVqi0iUJRNAo 
4. Add new encrypted password to set_root_pw script 
   • [root@srv0smx00 ~]# cd /home/admins/sbin 
   • [root@srv0smx00 sbin]# vi set_root_pw 
   • Go to this line and add date and new encrypted passwd: 
     • Comment out existing PW and add new line 
     • # Enter the encrypted password here       # password for 2009-04-14       ROOT_PW=ENVqi0iUJRNAo 
     • Save the file and close vi 
5. Run change_root_pw.sh Script to change root password on all hosts listed in serverlist file. 
   • [root@srv0smx00 sbin]# /root/bin/change_root_pw.sh /root/serverlist 
   • .......... For results, please look at /tmp/change_root_pw.sh.serverlist.log 
   • [root@srv0smx00 sbin]# cat /tmp/change_root_pw.sh.serverlist.log srv0asxd11.mydomain.com changed srv0asxt11.mydomain.com changed srv0wsxt11.mydomain.com 

6. Verify passwd was changed correctly by choosing random server from list and login as yourself then su - to root.