how to get root password of linux via ssh client or putty

sanjaydhanuk · 03-29-2016, 05:16 PM

i am new on this forum and i really want to know that how can i get root password of my linux server via ssh client or putty. This was the first question which i was asked in my exam. anyone can tell me this step bt step........

Keith Hedger · 03-29-2016, 05:33 PM

Short answer, you can't, if you could get root's password or anyone elses there would be no point in having a password, the system just stores hash of the password and checks what you enter as a password against the stored hash and if they match you get permission to do stuff as that user.

hydrurga · 03-29-2016, 05:37 PM

I'd be very interested to see the second question too.

jefro · 03-29-2016, 09:56 PM

You'd leave a mail message to admin and tell them to send you the password.

grail · 03-30-2016, 12:55 AM

Yes I would be keen to know what test this was?

sundialsvcs · 03-30-2016, 08:00 AM

"ssh" is simply ... a shell. ("Putty" is the Windows version of the same thing.)

Therefore: "nevermind that this shell encrypts the traffic that it sends along the wire" ... how could you get the root password if all that you had to work with was a "login:" prompt? The short answer is that you would have to be a very good guesser.

(And the Linux admin in question would have to have been stupid enough to allow "root" logins via ssh, which can be excluded and normally are.)