[3655] in bugtraq
Re: BoS: Magic password of some linux-box(Hardware..)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (moost@xs4all.nl)
Wed Nov 20 12:28:29 1996
Date: Wed, 20 Nov 1996 11:29:29 +0100
Reply-To: moost@xs4all.nl
From: moost@xs4all.nl
X-To: Seo Euiseong <paladin@intersys.kaist.ac.kr>
To: Multiple recipients of list BUGTRAQ <BUGTRAQ@NETSPACE.ORG>
In-Reply-To: <199611180333.MAA29024@intersys.kaist.ac.kr>
On Mon, 18 Nov 1996, Seo Euiseong wrote:
> In recent, there are lots of host runs Linux, FreeBSD, etc...
> Many administrarot believes that System Password that main board support is
> fully secure to prevent the console hacker from cracking in front of the system
> But, It is a very "Unsecure" thought.
> A few days ago, my friend mistyped his console password, "condo,".
> The BIOS vendor of his system was AWARD.
> Then, The BIOS accept the password like a real password and booting,
> gives the permission to set up the bios.
> I thought that it was a bug of a version of award bios.
> But, It's not true. Unfortunately almost versions of award bios has the
> magic password "condo,"
Some manuals of mainboards describe this 'feature'. Most Award bioses I've
come across respon to the password AWARD_SW (mind the case) and will allow
altering of the bios or just regular booting.
Ofcourse this is meant as a sort of 'last' recover option, but for me it
seems a little foolish to make this default to all Award Bioses..
M. Oosterink
