[ale] Plz Help root to decrypt a user PW

Byron A Jeff byron at cc.gatech.edu
Wed Oct 27 12:51:09 EDT 1999


> 
> Hi
> this is from my etc\shadow from RedHat 6.1
> 
> agnes:$1$Z5eGL2DV$uIM1mnipAt545ABeEKs.3/:10886:0:99999:7:::135463380
> 
> Please could you help me to decrypt her password.

Well it certainly looks like PAM is using a different decryption algorithm.

I don't think I ever saw a justification for having to decrypt this or any
other password. Not to be too judgemental but I have a bit of concern 
discussing at anything other than the abstract level the process of 
circumventing security. I reiterate that passwords are encrypted on purpose
precisely to make it difficult to recover. And as the system administrator
there is no apparent reason for wanting to recover a password once set since
root can perform any activity the user can, and can set the password to 
something else if forgotten.

So to be blunt, tell us why you need to do this or consider taking your 
question elsewhere. Personally I can't see any good in teaching folks how
to circumnavigate security.

BAJ






More information about the Ale mailing list